Did you know that Spain has been part of the Billboard Top 100 several times? Yes! Even #1 in the United States and the United Kingdom!

Were you looking for fresh, new music to enjoy? Or perhaps music to help you learn Spanish? Well, I got you covered!

In this article, you will find your next eleven favorite Spanish songs! The list is so varied that it goes from the fifties to the thousands, including contemporary artists!

So, open your music platform of choice to download the most famous Spanish songs of all time!

1. Eres Tú - Mocedades

Mocedades is a band from Bilbao in the Basque Country that represented Spain in Eurovision in 1973. Their song “Eres Tú” did not win the European contest, but it became very successful in the United States. So much so that it was one of the few Spanish songs to rank number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

With “Eres Tú,” Mocedades is one of the few privalege artists (along with the other of this list) that pierced through the American audience and charmed them with their music. 

Mocedades still exists today, but its has experienced several changes in its members. It even has a second band under the same name but a different leader.

2. Black is Black - Los Bravos

Los Bravos was the first Spanish rock band to get an international single, and just like many artists from the 60s, their story was intense, short, and tragic. 

Two of the band’s members belonged to another group called “Los Sonor,” but life coincidence took them to a discotheque in Palma de Mallorca, where they met the other three members. So, the original “Los Bravos” were guitarist Antonio Martínez, keyboardist Manuel Fernández Aparicio, singes Michel Kogel, bassist Miguel Vicens and drummer Pablo Sanllehí. And July of 1965 saw the creation of a new band. 

And, with great luck, the song “Black is Black,” their first single," took them from Spain to the world! The song got to Billboard 100 in 1966 and then scaled all its way up to number two in the United Kingdom and four in the United States. It remained number four for fourteen weeks.

The band couldn’t replicate their first hit, but “I don’t care” and “Bring a Little Lovin” were the other two famous songs from the band. Quentin Tarantino used the latter in his 2019 movie “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.” 

The band had been incorporating new members since 1968 when one if its members committed suicide, and another one died in an accident in 1990.

3. La Macarena - Los Del Río

“La Macarena” was released by the band “Los del Río in 1992, two middle-aged men singing together since 1962. The song can be classified in the flamenco-pop genre.

The same year, Antonio Romero and Rafael Ruiz attended a party in Venezuela where they hired a flamenco dance teacher to accompany them in their performance. While singing, they refer to the dancer as Magdalena, and later on, when they re-recorded the song, the band changed it to Macarena in honor of a neighborhood in Sevilla.

La Macarena became very popular in Latinamerica, stayed in the Billboard Top 100 for fourteen weeks, and was ranked number seven in the Billboard edition of the best songs of all time.

We all love this classic at parties, and no one resists its rhythm.

4. Amor Eterno - Rocío Durcal

Okay, I have come here to give you the most famous Spanish songs, and I believe it is essential to recognize all genres. The one that is coming is unique and very particular from Mexico. Yes, yuo read right! The madrileña, Rocío Durcal, was famous for her ranchera songs and Mexica music style, usually associated with mariachis. Durcal was know as “the most Mexican Spanish singer” and “Queen of Rancheras.” 

In 1984, Rocío interpreted the song “Amor Eterno” (Endless Love), and it became an immediate hit for Latinamerica Billboard. At first, it was ranked at position number 184 and then scaled all the way to number 61, where it stayed for ten weeks. 

The Spanish singing wasn’t known for flamenco, but ranchers introduced Spain into a new genre!

5. Aserejé - Las Ketchup

Just like “Macarena,” “Aserejé” comes with its dance and international success. The song was released in 2002 by the band “Las Ketchup,” a sisterly group made up of Rocío Muñoz, Lucía Muñoz, Lola Muñoz, Pilar Muñoz. Listening to them will give you a little taste of Cordoba, Andalusia.

So, “Aserejé” is about a guy who enters the discotheque and starts dancing. Yes! Super simple but very catchy, especially the nonsensical chorus. It goes like this:

“Y aserejé ja de je

De jebe tu de jebere

Sebiunouva

Majabi an de bugui

An de buididipí

Aserejé ja de je

De jebe tu de jebere

Sebiunouva

Majabi an de bugui

An de buididipí

Aserejé ja de je

De jebe tu de jebere

Sebiunouva

Majabi an de bugui

An de buididipí”

Yes! Try to pronounce that as a kid while trying to dance your heart out. The song became an instant hit in several countries and sold more than a million copies. It was number one in twenty European countries and became the number one song for the Billboards To 100 in the United Kingdom. 

6. Y Cómo Es Él - José Luis Perales

This song is a killer! I have always found it incredible how artists can put so many sentiments and passion into their lyrics, even if they don’t come from personal experience.

Jose Luis Perales is a Spanish singer and songwriter of romantic ballads, Latin pop, and jazz. Again not flamenco. He recorded more than 27 albums and sold over 50 million copies worldwide. This man is a master of songwriting! So much so that “Y Cómo es ÉL” came solely from imagination, no personal experience, just passion for a good song.

Legend says he didn’t want to record the song because he wasn’t dedicating it to anyone. People have come up with theories about his love life or dedication to his daughter, who found love and now leaves him.

But that is just us humans dreaming and creating stories. Perales said that he was told to write a song for another Spanish singer, Julio Iglesias, and it was so good that the record label told him he should sing it.

Best decision ever! The song is recognized as his anthem and ranked number 21 in the Billboard Top 100 of Latinamerica in 1981.

Here! Read a bit of the lyrics:

“And what is he like? Where did he fall in love with you? Where is he from? What does he spend his free time doing? Ask him Why has he stolen a piece of my life? He is a thief, he has stolen everything from me”.

7. Mediterráneo - Joan Manuel Serrat

Joan Manuel Serrat is a Spanish singer-songwriter, actor, writer, poet, and troubadour from Barcelona. If you listen to more than one of his songs, you’ll realize that his genre is pretty unique and versatile. We can’t put Joan Manuel Serrat in a box, and that is because his songs dance between Trova, Nova Cançó, Spanish Pop, and Baroque Pop.

His song “Mediterraneo” was released in 1971 and became his eighth most recognized song. Actually, in 2004 the song was chosen by popular vote as the best song of Spanish Pop; in 2010, it received similar recognition to the Rolling Stones Magazine.

The song is a dedication to his birth land, the Mediterranean. It has a nostalgic but endearing tone. Also, in 2017 he recorded a new version of the song with other artists to support the refugee crisis.

Okay, maybe he wasn’t part of the Billboards Top 100, but this, as you read earlier, is a significant song for Spanish people. I mean… we chose it as the best in history!

Most Popular Spanish Songs According to Youtube and Billboard

Now we move from the Billboards to the most popular Spanish songs of the 2010s onwards. These songs have played in your parties, cars, showering, and cooking, and you know it. At least, I admit I have listened to them several times, and if you don’t know them, I promise you won’t stop listening.

Rosalía

8. Altura

If I say Rosalía, I bet you know who I am talking about. Since 2019, she has been a global hit, and no one can deny it. Love her or hate her (the music), she has changed the way the world looks at the Spanish flamenco genre. 

So, Rosalía became a global hit with her son “Con Altura” which she wrote and recorded with J Balbin and El Guincho. These two were an artist with trajectory and fame around the world.

“Con Altura” belongs to her second album, “El Mal Querer” which was ranked number 10 as one of the best concept albums by the Rolling Stones Magzine. This song mixes flamenco with reggaeton, urban and pop music. It sold seven million copies worldwide and has 2 BILLION views on Youtube. That means she is definitely in the top 50 of the most viewed videos on the platform. On top of that, Rosalia won two Latin Grammy Awards for her song. 

9. Despechá

After three years of her global hit, Rosalía struck again with her song “Despechá” which means “scornful” in Spanish. What I love about the video clip of this song is that it represents the real Spanish summer, in this case, in Mallorca. 

The song was released in august 2022 and got 4 million views in less than 24 hours; it immediately became a number-one trend on Youtube. After two months, it went up to 166 million views.

“Despechá” is way more urban and reggeaton style compared to “Con Altura”. This song ranked number sixty-five in the Billboards Top 100, number one for Tropical Airplay (Billboard), and ranked number seven in Global Top Songs (Billboard). 

10. Bailando - Enrique Iglesias

Like what we talked about with José Luis Perales, Enrique Iglesias doubted the potential and release of his song “Bailando,” which became an unexpected global hit.

Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish singer, songwriter, producer, and composer; his genre and Latin pop and dance. He is also the son of Julio Iglesias, one of Spain’s most famous artists.

Enrique had had several number-one hits on the Billboards, and “Bailando” was his last one. The story says that he wrote the song with another composer, recorded and didn’t feel so confident about it. However, his friend took it to the Latin band “Gente de Zona,” which gave the song a little twist and struck the charts.

“Bailando” was released in 2014 and ranked as the number-one Hot Latin Song from Billboard for 41 weeks. Forty-one!!! In addition to that, it has 3.2 BILLION views on Youtube.

11. Corazón Partío - Alejandro Sanz

Alejandro Sanz is another singer and composer who steals hearts in a second. He sold more than a million albums worldwide and won over 24 Latin Grammys and 4 American Grammys. Sanz’s genres are Latin pop, Romantic ballad, Pop rock, Flamenco, and Spanish rock. 

This madrileño hit the charts with his album “Más” (More), in which his song “Corazón Partío” became one of his most influential singles. “Corazón Partío” (Broken Heart) won several spots in different Billboards rankings, such as number 41 in U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales, number 3 in U.S. Billboard Hot Latin Tracks, and U.S. Billboard Latin Pop Airplay, and number 7 in U.S. Billboard Latin Tropical/Salsa Airplay.

I will leave you a bit of the lyrics right here:

“I know that a heart that does not see

Is a heart that does not feel

Or heart that lies to you love

But, you know that in the deepest part of my soul

There’s still that pain of believing in you

What happened to the illusion and the beauty of life?

Why did you heal me when I was wounded

If today you leave me again my heart is broken”

The lyrics above are one of my favorite verses (in Spanish, of course)!

And now you have 11 more songs to add to your playlist. I know Spain is mainly known for flamenco music, but our composers do that and more. When even have a famous ranchera singer! Music is fundamental in Spanish culture, and our singers find their paths to express it.

I hope you enjoyed listening to this song, and comment below if you already know one of them or if we are missing some!

However, if you are interested on Flamenco I will link you to our article about our best flamenco singers!

• 7 Flamenco Artists to Bring Out Your Most Passionate Side