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In celebration of the 2020 Hispanic Heritage Month, we updated our 50 Greatest Latin Songs of all time list to include hits from the previous 12 months. Our journey to choose the 50 greatest Latin…
Billboard ‘s journey to choose the 50 greatest Latin songs of all time took us across space and time, from Argentina to Spain and from the 1920s to 2018. We wanted to represent the full spectrum of Latin music (including music from Spain), from Mexican ballads to Cuban son to Colombian salsa to today’s bachata. Our standard of selection wasn’t merely hits, but instead, songs that made a difference, that marked a moment, that influenced many and that were simply great compositions.
Most importantly, even though 50 is not nearly a big enough number to encompass the huge universe of the Latin songbook, every one of these songs continues to be relevant today. We invite you to listen and celebrate with us our 50 favorites selected by our editors, listed in alphabetical order by title.
1. “A Dios le Pido” – Juanes
Writer: Juanes
In 2002, inspired by the guasca sounds of his native Medellin, the Colombian rocker with a heart of gold infused folk into Spanish pop/rock, and instantly gave us a new, feel-good sound to groove to. “A Dios le Pido” (To God I Pray) never hit No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs, but it established Juanes as Colombia’s favorite rocker.
2. “A puro dolor” – Son by Four
Writer: Omar Alfanno
The purest of pain — that’s what this beautiful break-up anthem from Puerto Rican salsa romántica quartet Son by Four evokes. Released in 2000, the song was such a hit, it spawned an English version and a ballad version, and ended up topping Billboard ‘s decade-end Hot Latin Songs of the 2000s chart. Penned by Omar Alfanno, “A puro dolor” spent a record 20 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard ’s Hot Latin Songs chart, a record it would hold until Shakira’s “La Tortura” topped it in 2005.
3. “Ahora Quien” – Marc Anthony
Writers: Estéfano, Julio Reyes
“Ahora quien,” from Anthony’s 2004 Valió la pena , is one of the most exquisitely painful breakup songs (“Who now, if not me? I look at myself in the mirror and I feel stupid. Illogical.”) Penned by Estefano, it spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart. A contemporary classic.
4. “Amigo” – Roberto Carlos
Writer: Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos penned a string of romantic hits that, translated into Spanish, became anthems. Ironically, “Amigo,” the song he penned for his friend and longtime writing collaborator, Erasmo Carlos, may be the most enduring, embraced by men and women alike.
5. “Amor Prohibido” – Selena
Writers: AB Quintanilla and Pete Astudillo
At first listen, this light, airy, Texan cumbia about love between different social classes sounds like a fairy tale. But it struck a universal chord. Penned by Selena’s brother, AB Quintanilla, and Pete Astudillo, it topped Billboard ’s Hot Latin Songs chart for nine weeks, and was one of the first major Tejano music crossovers. It has since been covered by Thalia and Moderatto, among others.
6. “ Bailando” – Enrique Iglesias featuring Gente de Zona and Descemer Bueno
Writers: Enrique Iglesias, Descemer Bueno, Gente de Zona
This 2014 meeting between Spain, Cuba and Miami, and between flamenco and Latin urban rhythms was an intoxicating mix. How could you not dance and get lost in “una noche loca,” when Enrique and friends are compelling you to do so ever so sweetly? No wonder it became the first Spanish song to surpass one billion views on YouTube.
7. “Besame Mucho” – Various Artists
Writer: Consuelo Velazquez
Velazquez was a teen in Mexico when she wrote “Bésame Mucho” (Kiss me a lot) in 1940. With its easy to say entreaty, it became, by some accounts, the most recorded and covered Spanish language song of all time. Even The Beatles covered it, part of a long list of artists who recorded the song in many languages, including Luis Miguel, Diana Krall , Andrea Bocelli , Harry Connick Jr. , Michale Bublé , Korean pop singer Ailee and, most recently, Il Divo on their 2015 album.
8. “Burbujas de amor” – Juan Luis Guerra
Writer: Juan Luis Guerra
Bachata was a rather niche and local Dominican genre until singer/songwriter Juan Luis Guerra gave a sophisticated touch and intriguing lyrics, without in any way diminishing its invitation to the dance floor. Sexy and romantic, Guerra’s 1990 hit about being hopelessly in love (“Poor heart, he undresses impatiently at the sound of your voice”), introduced the world to contemporary bachata.
9. “Cali Pachanguero” – Grupo Niche
Writer: Jairo Varela
With its hard-hitting sound and fast tempos suited for Cali’s brazen dancers, Grupo Niche redefined the sound of salsa, lending it a distinctly Colombian imprint. No song better exemplified this than 1984’s in-your-face anthem to Cali — the “capital of salsa” — penned by Niche’s leader and songwriter, Jairo Varela. This love song to the hometown became an international anthem. The movement was so homegrown at the time, Niche never filmed an official music video. But this live performance offers a glimpse of Varela, now dead, playing the guiro with his band.
10. “Color Esperanza” – Diego Torres
Writer: Diego Torres, Coti, Cachorro Lopez
Diego Torres’ anthem of hope was a salve during Argentina’s depression of 2001. Nearly 20 years later, it continues to do the trick.
11. “Conga” – Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
Writer: Enrique “Kike” Garcia
An English-language take on carnival music, “Conga,”written by Sound Machine drummer Enrique Garcia, was the Cuban revolution that American radio needed in the ‘80s, and the spark that ignited the Latin explosion at the turn of the century. What’s more, it was proof that the original Latin crossover queen and Miami Sound Machine didn’t have to change who they were to go mainstream.
12. “Corazon Partió” – Alejandro Sanz
Writer: Alejandro Sanz
Flamenco-infused pop had always been around, but Alejandro Sanz took it to a new level in 1997 with “Corazon Partío,” a gently swaying, bittersweet tale of a broken heart. Sung with Sanz’s poetic lisp, it proved the Spanish singer/songwriter’s flamenco-infused sound had pop appeal.
13. “Danza Kuduro” – Don Omar feat. Lucenzo
Writers: Don Omar, Lucenzo, Faouze Barkati, Fabrice Toigo
There was reggaetón, and there was “Danza Kuduro.” A mix of reggaeton and African beats, it spent 15 weeks on top of Billboard ’s Hot Latin Songs chart and was the top-selling Latin track of 2011 and 2012 in the U.S. While the original version was Lucenzo’s, it was Don Omar’s remix (feat. Lucenzo) that became a global hit, including a featuring in the film Fast Five .
14. “Despacito” – Luis Fonsi feat. Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber Writers: Luis Fonsi, Erica Ender, Daddy Yankee
The blend of pop and reggaeton, mixed in with folk touches like the introductory Puerto Rican cuatro, and of course, that irresistible chorus –“Des-pa-ci-to”– made this the biggest song of 2017. More than 3 BILLION video views later, it is, without a doubt, one of the biggest hits in Latin music history, period.
15. “El Buen Perdedor” – Franco De Vita
Writer: Franco de Vita
Latin music in the 1970s and 1980s was dominated by heartthrob balladeers who sang the songs of great composers. Then along came Franco de Vita, a Venezuelan with Italian roots who wrote and sang love songs, yes, but intensely personal ones told in a colloquial language that connected with a new generation. “El buen perdedor” (The good loser), from his 1984 solo debut, opened a new generation’s eyes to romance.
16. “El dia que me quieras” – Various artists
Writer: Carlos Gardel, Alfredo Le Pera
One of the many songwriting collaborations between the immortal tango king Carlos Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera, it was originally featured in the 1935 film of the same name, performed by Gardel. The haunting song of impossible love would become first a tango standard, then a romantic standard, done and redone by dozens of artists, perhaps most memorably by Mexico’s Luis Miguel. The song was inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. Gloria Estefan recorded the only English translation in 2013.
17. “El Farsante” – Ozuna
Writer: Ozuna
Perhaps Latin music’s most prolific hitmaker of the past five years, Ozuna entered our consciousness around 2016 with his sweet voice and his sticky melodies, delivering a kind of R&B approach to reggaeton. His debut album, the stunning Odisea, clinched the deal with 16 solid hits, spanning from reggaeton to the sparse trap of “El farsante,” which opened the door to the possibilities of the genre in Spanish. The song’s breadth became apparent in a later remix with Romeo Santos.
18. “El Perdon” – Nicky Jam and Enrique Iglesias
Writer: Nicky Jam
NIcky Jam’s career was sidelined for over a decade until he released this wistful break-up anthem with Enrique Iglesias that also marked a turning point for reggaeton: Who knew reggaeton acts could be so sensitive? “El Perdon,” in both English and Spanglish versions, struck a collective nerve and showed reggaeton was more than music to party to.
19. “El Rey” – José Alfredo Jiménez , Vicente Fernández
Writer: José Alfredo Jiménrez
Penned by Jiménez, one of the great mariachi singers of all time, the track came to epitomize the symbol of the macho mariachi singer: King, lover, hero, man of the hour. Later recorded by Pedro Vargas and Vicente Fernández (plus Luis Miguel and others), it may be the most emblematic ranchera track written.
20. “El gran varón” – Willie Colón
Writer: Omar Alfanno
El gran varón” wasn’t even meant to be a single for Colón. But he insisted. Included in 1989’s Top Secrets , his last album for Fania, “El Gran Varón” tells the story of Simon, who is destined to be a “big man,” but instead, goes to the U.S., discovers he is gay and dies of AIDS. The song went where no song in Spanish had gone before or since, and, with Colon’s cutting-edge arrangement also became a continental hit.
21. “Eres tu” – Mocedades
Writer: Juan Carlos Calderon
In the 1970s, everything Spanish male/female group Mocedades sang, turned to gold. But it started with “Eres tu,” a track penned by master songwriter Juan Carlos Calderon that was a runner up in the 1973 Eurovision Song contest. “Eres tu” was a great pop song. But its complex harmonies and gospel tinges were frankly revolutionary. The song was eventually translated to English (as “Touch the Wind”), and recorded by many acts, including The Shirelles and Johnny Mathis . But the Spanish original reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, the only song in Spanish to ever make it to the top 10 of the chart.
22. “Gasolina” – Daddy Yankee
Writers: Various
With its unforgettable hook and, revolutionary (for the time) beat, “Gasolina” is the track that internationalized reggaeton, taking it from a localized trend to a global phenomenon that’s still going strong, 15 years later. With the catchiest of hooks, Yankee had everyone dancing to the dembow beat.
23. “Guantanamera” – Celia Cruz , Pete Seeger & more
Writer: Jose Fernandez Diaz based on poetry by José Martí
The simple early 20th century song based on poetry by Cuban patriot Jose Marti is considered the unofficial Cuban national anthem. It was American folk singer Pete Seeger who took the humble acoustic tune to new heights, when he adapted it and recorded it live at Carnegie Hall in 1963. The Sandpipers’ 1966 version reached the top 10 of Billboard ’s Hot 100 chart. Artists from Celia Cruz to Wyclef Jean have since claimed the song as their own.
24. “Historia de un Amor” – Various Artists
Writer: Carlos Eleta Almarán
One of Latin music’s most timeless boleros was penned by a Panamanian composer, initially popularized by a Cuban singer Leo Marini and then taken even further by Argentine Libertad Lamarque, who also starred in the Mexican film of the same name. Truly a pan-regional hit, it was originally written in 1955 as an homage to Almarán’s brother’s dead wife. “Historia” has since been covered by dozens of artists.
25. “La Bamba” – Ritchie Valens
Writer: Folk song adapted by Ritchie Valens
Valens’ rock ‘n’ roll take on a beloved Mexican folk song was an instant top 40 hit in 1958. Covered countless times, most notably by Los Lobos for Valens’ biopic of the same name, it’s still that universal ditty that anyone can sing, even without speaking a lick of Spanish.
26. “La Maza” – Silvio Rodríguez , Luis Eduardo Aute, Mercedes Sosa , Shakira
Writer: Silvio Rodriguez
Rodriguez was the leader of Cuba’s new trova (nueva trova) movement, and wrote his songs within the confines of communist Cuba. They were so good that they not only transcended the island but politics as well, connecting with Latin youth up and down the continent drawn to his poetic, symbolic lyrics. “La Maza,” a powerful reflection on humanity, is even more eloquent in its arrangement, set simply to acoustic guitar and percussion.
27. “La nave del olvido” – José José
Writer: Dino Ramos
With an extraordinary voice that could go from croon to power ballad in a single phrase, Mexican singer José José inspired generations of balladeers who sought to emulate his emotional, yet technically pristine vocals. 1970’s “La nave del olvido,” penned by Dino Ramos, was his first international hit.
28. “La Rebelion” – Joe Arroyo
Writer: Joe Arroyo
Call it the salsa king’s magnum opus. Painting a vivid picture of 17th-century slavery in Colombia, Arroyo gave a dignified voice to black culture in Latin America. It’s a testament to Arroyo’s genius that he could make music with a message without sacrificing rhythm. Released in 1986, at the apex of Colombia’s emergence as a salsa super power, it was revolutionary for the time, and continues to be so today.
29. “La Tierra del Olvido”- Carlos Vives
Writers: Carlos Vives and Iván Benavides
Vives’ nostalgic ode to lost love and lost country forever changed the course of Colombian music. It introduced vallenato to the world; the genre, to this day, remains broadly fused into all kinds of Latin music. It opened the door for Colombian artists to become global superstars; every Colombian star, from Shakira to Maluma and J Balvin, owes a debt of gratitude to Vives. And the song spawned an entire new musical movement, tropi-pop, that blend of pop and rock with Colombian tropical beats that would become the signature of artists from Juanes to Fonseca. As for Vives, he remains Colombia’s most authentic musical ambassador.
30. “Livin’ la Vida Loca” – Ricky Martin
Writers: Robi Rosa, Desmond Child
The big horns, the seductive bass, the debauchery in the lyrics, and Ricky Martin shaking his bon-bon: how could anyone resist this late ‘90s anthem penned by Robi Draco Rosa and Desmond Child? They didn’t, and that’s why when millennials look up “Latin pop explosion,” instead of relying on Wikipedia, they should just dance to the song that started it all.
31. “Macarena” – Los del Rio , Bayside Boys
Writers: Rafael Ruiz Perdigones and Antonio Romero Monge (Los del Rio)
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