Ruggero Raimondi gained an audience outside of the traditional world of opera as the imposing Don Giovanni in Joseph Losey's 1979 film treatment. He was however already well established in an important career that began in 1964 at the Spoleto Festival in Umbria. Raimondi. He made his debut at the Rome Opera in the same year and three years later he made his La Scala debut.

His international opera career followed soon thereafter with Don Giovanni at Glyndebourne in 1969 and the Metropolitan Opera in 1970. His repertoire like that of most true bass-baritones has ranged far and wide, including Don Quichotte, Mephisto, Boris and all the major Verdi roles. He has also taken on Scarpia (most recently in a film).

Raimondi has also led the charge in the revival of interest in Rossini's operas. He has been a regular participant in the Rossini Festival at Pesaro and has recorded several of the important basso nobile roles in these operas, both serious and comic, for the Universal labels.