Gipsy Kings - Bamboleo
This may be one of most famous performances by the Gipsy Kings, released in 1987. Bamboleo means "swaying" in Spanish, and is certainly one of the most famous Spanish songs ever!
Andrea Bocelli - Perfidia
One of the most critically acclaimed performances by Bocelli, from his 14th album titled 'Passione'. The Spanish word 'Perfidia' means 'betrayal'.
Olavi Virta - Quizás, Quizás, Quizás
Written by Osvaldo Farrés, this song became a hit in 1947 and has since been covered by many successful artists. You may recognize the tune from the English version, 'Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps'.
Los Cinco Latinos - Dímelo Tú
One of the most successful songs in Central and South America in the 1950s. Dímelo Tú means 'You tell me'.
Virginia Lopez - A Quién Será
This wonderful 'Mambo' song was released in 1953 and quickly gained fame, especially due to the 1954 English rendition by Dean Martin, titled Sway. Since then, the song has been covered dozens of time in multiple languages. 'Quién Será' means 'Who will be'.
Trini López - Cuando Calienta el Sol
Ritchie Valens - La Bamba
One of the most famous Mexican folk songs, combining Spanish, Central American, and African styles.
Trio Los Panchos - Bésame Mucho
One of the most sung songs in Latin America! Bésame Mucho was written in 1940 and is one of the most famous boleros in the world. The meaning of 'Bésame Mucho' is 'Kiss Me a Lot'.
Placido Domingo - Siboney
Written by one of the most beloved Cuban composers, Ernesto Lecuona, this song was the inspiration for a Mexican-Cuban film of the same name. Placido Domingo's rendition is one of the most beautiful versions of this song, thanks to the tenor's powerful voice.
Santana Brothers - En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor
A modern take on the 1963 song by Richard Anthony, performed by Carlos and Jorge Santana. The song itself is a beautiful love song.
Trio Los Panchos - Aquellos Ojos Verde
This 1929 classic, played by Trio Los Panchos was originally a hit in Cuba and the Latin community in New York. In 1939 an English version was released and became another chart-topper. The name of the song means 'Those green eyes'.
Luciano Pavarotti - Granada
Written in 1932, the song tells the story of the Spanish town, Granada. The song enjoyed quite a bit of popularity throughout the years and has dozens of cover versions. Here's Pavarotti's take on it.
Cecilia - Un Ramito De Violetas
The Spanish singer, Cecilia, is said to have contributed a lot to the feminist movement in Spain. Her music is described as 'existential', yet her lyrics and melodies are not easily forgotten.
Luis Alberto Del Parana - El Porompompero
Paraguay's best-selling artist, Luis Alberto Del Parana was a phenomenon in the 1950's and 60's. Here he is performing Manolo Escobar's El Porompompero. Despite being one of the best Spanish songs of all time, Porompompero has no meaning whatsoever.
Armando Manzanero - Esta Tarde Vi Llover
Written by the Mexican singer and songwriter, Armando Manzanero, virtually every big name in Latin American music has covered this classic at some point in their career! There's even an English-language version of the song, called 'Yesterday I Heard the Rain'.
Perez Prado - Mambo #5
When mambo fever took over the United States in the fifties, nobody was more influential than the legendary Dámaso Perez Prado. In 1999, Lou Bega's cover made this song resonate with a whole new generation once again.
José Alfredo Jiménrez - El Rey
Jiménrez is known as one of the greatest mariachi singers of all time, and this song perfectly illustrates what it means to be a macho mariachi artist - lover, hero, king, and man of the hour.
Juan Gabriel - Querida
Originally recorded in 1984, this song was incredibly successful and influential, which is why it has been covered so many times ever since!
José Luis Perales - Y Cómo Es El
José Luis Perales is a Spanish singer/songwriter known for writing many of the great ballads which defined they golden years of romantic Latin music from the 70s and 80s, and ' Y Cómo Es El' is certainly no exception.
Hector Lavoe - El Cantante
Set to a simple salsa piano line mixed with orchestral horns and strings, this masterpiece of Spanish music tells a story about a famous entertainer with a fragile ego undergoing an existential crisis.
Willie Colón - El Gran Varón
Here's a song that broke new ground for Spanish music. It tells the tale of Simon's downfall, who goes to the USA to follow his dreams but ends up catching AIDS and eventually dying from it. Despite its sensitive subject matter, this song went on to turn into a massive continental hit, and is now regarded as one of the most famous Spanish songs ever.
Grupo Niche - Cali Pachanguero
Here's a song that completely redefined the world of Spanish salsa. With its energetic tempo and hard-hitting signature sound, there's no way we could have left this one out of our list.
Joan Manuel Serrat - Mediterraneo
This 1971 hit is so powerful that it has been voted the best pop song in Spain on numerous occasions. You only need to listen to Mediterraneo once to be instantly transported back to your own childhood, where life was slower and problems were far less complicated.
Mocedades - Eres Tu
Starting out as a Eurovision runner-up, Eres Tu is a revolutionary song that features subtle gospel tinges and numerous complex harmonies that really make it something special!
Sara Montiel - La Violetera
Written in 1914, this song tells the story of a girl who sells violets on the street. Sara Montiel's version became famous due to its inclusion in the 1958 film, The Violet Seller.
Pedro Infante - Cu Cu Ru Cu Cu Paloma
Written in the mid 1950s and first appearing in the Mexican comedy movie Escuela de vagabundos (School for Tramps), this song speaks of being sick of love. The word paloma means dove, which alludes to the mournful song of the morning dove. It has appeared in several other movies and gained international popularity.
Gipsy Kings - Volare
This song was originally written and recorded by Italian singer-songwriter Domenico Modugno. After becoming an international hit as Italy's Eurovision song for 1958, several artists recorded a cover version of it, including the Gipsy Kings. Their version was upbeat and included lyrics in Spanish and Italian.
Joseíto Fernández - Guantanamera
Guntanamera (Spanish for "the woman from Guantánamo") is a patriotic Cuban song, based on a poem by Cuban poet José Martí. Originally recorded by Joseíto Fernández, this song has many recorded cover versions, including one by The Sandpipers that became an international hit.
Chavela Vargas - El Ultimo Trago
In this 1960s version of "El Ultimo Trago", Vargas sings a drunk's broken heart out. He speaks of the mistakes of the past, of the shame that follows, and of the last drink before returning home hearbroken.
Tito Puente - Oye Como Va
Listening to this one will make you feel like you're on vacation! It was written and performed by mambo prodigy Tito Puente, and became an explosive global hit when about a decade later, Carlos Santana recorded a Latin rock version that swept the music scene off its feet.
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Mas Que Nada
While this version by Brazil '66 isn't the original, it was the one that took the musical scene by storm. Titled "godfather of bossa nova" by the Rolling Stones, bandleader Sérgio Mendes covers Jorge Ben, a former band member. In 2006, he recorded another version with the Black Eyed Peas. It instantly became a hit.
Benny Moré - Bonito y Sabroso
Bonito y Sabroso (Spanish for "nice and tasty") is a staple tune in mambo music's golden age. It was recorded with a full orchestra in Mexico City in the 1950s, and it speaks of the joy of dancing!
Carlos Dante y Julios Martel - Flores del Alma
One of the most representative and incomparable duos of tango is Carlos Dante and Julio Martel, more simply known as Dante y Martel. Enjoy this classic tango tune straight from the golden years.
Guadalupe Pineda - Historia de un Amor
Originally recorded by Héctor Varela as a tango, the song "Historia de un Amor" holds a world record for the most popular song translated into different languages. It has been sung and performed by artists from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
La Sonora Santanera - Solamente Una Vez
"Solamente una Vez" translates to "Only Once", though this song has an English version by the name "You Belong to My Heart". It is considered an international golden Bolero classic and it became an immediate hit after it was featured in the 1940s movie "Melodías de América".
Los Copacabana - Quiereme Mucho
Recorded and released in the 1950s, this song is one of the highlights of Bolero music. It is one of the biggest hits of this decade, which marked the emergence of Mexican artists into the international music arena.
Rocío Dúrcal - Amor Eterno
Amor Eterno isn't your regular romantic love song. It is a timeless eulogy written for the death of a dear mother. Since its release it has been sung by mariachis at funerals, but it also serves as a mother's day anthem.
Alfredo De Angelis - Pastora
Alfredo de Angelis gained his name as a pianist and composer during the golden era of tango orchestral music, from the 1930s to the 1960s. Unlike his peers of the time, he remained loyal to the dance itself, making tunes you can easily dance to. Take your lover's hand and enjoy this classic from the nostalgia years.
Camilo Sesto - Algo de Mí
Camilo Sesto started out in a pop band, but as soon as he broke out into his solo career, he blasted out hits such as this one. This instantly granted him eternal fame as one of Latin America's musical stars. This emotional ballad speaks of the pain of parting with a loved one.
Silvio Rodriguez - Ojalá
This is one of those songs you can recognize within a second of hearing it, thanks to the signature guitar riff. The mysterious lyrics, full of metaphors, leave an air of confusion, but the singer himself has confirmed this to be a love song.
Willie Colón & Héctor Lavoe - Che che colé
Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe, two giants of the 1960s and 1970s classic salsa scene, team up to compose an upbeat hit. This song speaks of how music and dancing bring us together.
José José - Lo pasado pasado
José José spent the 1970s climbing up the charts with his booming tenor vocals. A touching emotional ballad that became a hit overnight, "Lo Pasado Pasado" shows off his vocal range well.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades - Plástico
Here's a rare standout in the musical soundscape of Latin music. The salsa hit begins with a full-on disco bass beat and turns at once into a salsa rhythm. The lyrics, too, are unusual to say the least. Instead of speaking of emotions, which was and still is the convention of Latin music, this song is a social and political criticism of matters of race.
Rubén Blades - Te están Buscando
Rubén Blades is a singer-songwriter from Panama, very well known for his talent for sophisticated lyrics. He usually writes critical or political songs, accompanied by light, dance-able salsa, and this tune from the 1980s is no different.
Cheo Feliciano - El Raton
Starting out as a percussionist, Cheo Feliciano quickly made his way up the musical scene of Latin music and became a baritone singer in the Joe Cuba sextette. He later recorded several timeless solo albums that produced several timeless hits.
Los Machucambos - Spanish Harlem (Aquella Rosa)
A Latin 1960s hit, this one has many cover versions, including one by Trini Lopez, another artist featured on this list. The song "Aquella Rosa" (Spanish for "that rose") is sung in Spanish, but the music group Los Machucambos was actually formed in Paris and included members from Italy, Costa Rica, Spain, and Peru.
Joe Cuba Sextette - Mujer Divina
Joe Cuba, an American-Puerto Rican musician, was the conga drummer in his musical sextette. He is widely considered one of the fathers of the Latin Boogaloo musical genre, which you can easily hear in this piece: a fusion of salsa, mamba, soul, and a little rhythm and blues.
Juan D'Arienzo - El Choclo
When someone says tango, you probably think of this eternal classic, and immediately a mental image arises: a beautifully dressed couple taking the dancefloor by storm with graceful, dramatic tango moves. Join them for a last dance.
