100 Greatest Latin Rock Songs

Latin Rock in the United States includes a variety of bands and sounds, creating a diverse and innovative music scene. In the earliest rock and roll styles of the late 1940s and early 1950s, the piano or saxophone was often the lead instrument, but the guitar replaced or supplemented these instruments in the middle to late 1950s. After World War II, many Chicano bandleaders and musicians like Don Tosti and Lalo Guerrero stepped onto the stage, forging a sound and culture that reflected their desire to be "American."

The Mexican American sound they created was characterized by a fusion of African American musical communities south of downtown, English language lyrics and Latin American musical traditions. The most famous pioneer of the genre is Ritchie Valens, the first Mexican-American music star and one of The Beatles' major influences. In the early 1960's, producer Eddie Davis dreamed of creating a Latino-flavored Motown on his Rampart Record label (Brown Eyed Soul), noting the unique Latino feel in the way these bands played R&B. This unique flavor can be seen in "Whittier Boulevard" by Thee Midniters, which influenced garage bands around the country and popularized the inexpensive farfisa organ.

The definitive Latin rock group was Santana, whose combination of bluesy electric guitar, Latin percussion and organ caught the imagination of national and international audiences, beginning with their break-out performance at the 1969 Woodstock festival. Santana had hits both with original compositions and with rock-flavored covers of Latin dance numbers, including Oye Como Va, first recorded by Tito Puente in 1963. The success of the band Santana in the late 1960s led numerous young musicians in California to experiment with combining elements of rock, blues, funk, soul, latin jazz and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. Chicano rock adopted the rhythm and blues-based style of African American music and utilized the electric guitar.  It also melded influences from Latin American music and included themes of the Chicano culture of the southwest.

The vigorous R&B, rock and roll, punk scenes of L.A.'s Chicano Eastside helped shape American popular music, even as the constant infusion of immigrant laborers from Mexico and Central America continued to provide new musical ideas and identities. Since the 80's, bands like Los Lobos embraced American roots music, while infusing plenty of their own cultural perspective into the mix. Puerto Ricans and Caribbean Latinos also participated in the development of those styles and, by the mid-20th century, their population grew not only in numbers, but in the music industry. Boogaloo became the first response of Caribbean music that tuned with the sound of rock n' roll. 

The Golden Age of Rock en Español in Latin America and the proliferation of Spanish-language media in the United States during the 80's and 90's facilitated communication between the artists in the US and artists across the border. Latin alternative music, a term used in recent years, has current demographics in its favor, as the Hispanic minority in the United States grows and extends beyond the established urban centers. This population shift brings the promise of a public that will increasingly embrace bilingual music as a reflection of their own experiences in the United States.