Born in Mexico City in 1971, Alejandro Fernández began performing traditional Mexican music as a child, following in the footsteps of his father, Vincente Fernández.
Fernández found success in combining traditional and modern pop styles, and is one of the most important Latino artists of all time.
He has won numerous awards, has toured extensively around the world and has acted in numerous movies and soap operas.
Alejandro Sanz is a Spanish singer, songwriter, and musician from Madrid. His music is a blend of romantic pop, Latin sounds, and flamenco.
He has won numerous awards and is one of the top selling Spanish artists of all time. He has had an extensive career, crafting more than a dozen albums since his debut in 1991.
Alejandro's músical genres have expanded over the years as he has collaborated with a diverse range of artists, from Alicia Keys to Shakira and many more.
Andrea Bocelli is an iconic Italian classical crossover tenor and multi-instrumentalist. His celebrated vocal range and passionate style of singing have helped to define his sound, which combines elements of classical and popular music genres.
Born in Italy in 1958, Boticelli learned to play the piano, flute, and saxophone as a young child. A brain hemorrhage left him blind at the age of 12, but this did not stop him from pursuing a músical career.
From humble beginnings playing in piano bars around Italy to earn money while in law school, Bocelli has gone on to be one of the world's most successful classical crossover singers of all time.
Andrés Cepeda is a singer-songwriter from Colombia. His músical style is a unique blend of traditional Latin American folk, pop, and rock music. He puts a unique spin on each of these genres, as well as writing heartfelt, emotional lyrics.
Born in 1973, Cepeda showed early músical talents as a child. He studied music and as a teenager was the singer in a band before braching out into a long and successful solo career.
Cepeda has achieved critical and popular success, collaborated with many notable artists, and has become a popular icon of Latin music.
Andrés Calamaro is an Argentine musician, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Calamaro got his start in the 1980s when he was brought in as a new addition to the rock group, Los Abuelos de la Nada.
Since then, his subsequent solo music career has spanned a variety of genres like rock, blues, tango and Argentine folk music. By blending these styles, Calamaro has created a very distinctive and original sound.
Calamaro's live performances are incredibly popular among Latin American audiences, often selling out huge stadiums. With his continued success spanning multiple decades, Calamaro is one of the most respected and beloved artists in Latin America.
Belanova was a Latin electronica pop band that was formed in the year 2000 in Guadalajara, Mexico. The group was composed of Denisse Guerrero, Edgar Huerta, and Ricardo Arreola.
They didn't find success with their first hit single "Tus Ojos" until it was featured in a car commercial. In 2006 they were nominated for a Latin Grammy for their second album, Dulce Beat, although they didn't take home the prize – it went to La Oreja de Van Gogh, another group in this guide.
Although Belanova did not reach the same towering heights of success as other musicians on this list, you'll have a hard time finding someone who grew up in the 2000s in Latin America and can't sing along to their top songs. Having been nominated for a grammy also is not too bad.
Originating from the late 1980s in Mexico City, Caifanes is an iconic rock band known for their unique blend of alternative rock and traditional Latin music. They are often credited with helping to establish and popularize rock en español.
Caifanes managed to create a sound that is unmistakably distinct but still accessible to a wide audience. While the underlying músical foundation is that of classic rock, the sound is more complex, incorporating elements of Latin music such as flamenco, mariachi, and bolero.
Since their first album in 1988, Caifanes have found immense success and critical acclaim. Their ensuing albums have further cemented their status as one of the greatest rock en español bands of all-time.
Camila is a Latin pop-rock group based in Mexico that was formed by Mario Domm, Pablo Hurtado, and former member Samo in 2005. They are known for their signature upbeat, romantic Latin pop infused with surging rock instrumentation.
Right off the bat they found success in 2006 with their studio debut, Todo Cambio. The eponymous single received a Latin grammy award nomination for song of the year in 2008.
Unlike some acts that fizzle out after rising to the top so quickly, Camila continued to release further hits on their following albums.
Carla Morrison is a Mexican singer-songwriter born in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. Her edgy, honest lyrics and raw emotions reverberate in a melancholic yet upbeat sound.
Her debut album Déjenme Llorar is what put her on the music map, and was certified platinum in Mexico. Since then, Morrison has gone on to release additional studio albums, collaborating with a host of big names including Julieta Venegas and Natalia Lafourcade.
Morrison's success has been praised not only by her fans but also by professional critics, proving her as one of the most exciting and unique Latin American alternative female singer-songwriters.
El Canto del Loco (translated to Song of the Crazy Man) was a Spanish rock and pop-rock band formed in the 1990s. Led by singer and songwriter Dani MartÃn and guitarist Iván Ganchegui, El Canto del Loco has achieved international success in the Spanish rock music scene.
With a sound that is eclectic and timeless, El Canto del Loco became one of the most successful and acclaimed acts in modern Spanish rock. In 2010 the band members went their separate ways to forge their own solo careers.
Similar to Shakira, Juanes hails from Colombia, and although he's not as well known outside of Latin America, trust us he's a big deal in the Spanish speaking world.
Why didn't his music cross over like so many other Latin stars? Juanes is one of those artists who's constantly experimenting and evolving their sound, but one thing that hasn't changed is sticking with Spanish lyrics.
That's good news for you, because it means more great Spanish language songs to listen to and learn from! We chose some of his earlier hits to feature in this guide, but you can find a wide variety of genres in his repetoire.
Leon Larregui has a unique sound like no other we've heard. That sound led him to find success in a solo career while simultaneously continuing to front the Mexican rock band Zoe.
His singing style can be a little hard to make out for beginners, but if you follow along with the lyrics you should be fine. It's a challenge worth taking on, we promise.
Luis Miguel is one of the most successful singers in Latin America since the early 1980s. With more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, he is one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time.
His style is often described as romantic ballads and boleros, combined with up-tempo Latin pop and a few light rock influences. He has also explored different músical styles over the course of his career, ranging from Cuban bolero to mariachi, to a more elaborate, orchestra-driven pop.
If you like classic rock, then you're sure to enjoy Ricardo Arjona. That's one of the great things about learning a new language – it opens up a whole new world of great music for you to enjoy.
Aronja first entered the music scene with his debut album "Quién dijo ayer" in 1992 and he's been consistently put out new works ever since. We'd describe his music as modern classic rock, so if you wish modern music was made like it used to be, we'd encourage you to give Arjona a try.
Not only do you get to discover old classics as if they just came out today, but your Spanish language skills will improve at the same time.
Ricky Martin is one of the top Latin músical acts of all time, and although you probably didn't need us to tell you that, we bet there's still plenty of great songs in his repetoire that you hadn't discovered yet.
Martin is best known by English speakers for his crossover hits "Livin la vida loca" from the late 90s, and "She bangs" from his following album.
Dig a little deeper though, and you'll discover some wonderful Spanish language tunes including from earlier albums "Veulve" and "A medido vivir."
Shakira Shakira! Similar to Ricky Martin, you probably don't need us to tell you who Shakira is, but you might not be familiar with some of her earlier (and some may say finest) work.
Shakira has managed to stay relevant and on top of the charts for an impressive amount of time, but in our opinion nothing beats her first album "Pies descalzos," translated as barefoot feet.
As an added bonus, it's easier to understand the lyrics in her earlier music. The 90s were simpler times.
If you want to befriend some Mexican abuelas, get familiar with Yuri. Her first album was released in 1978, and many consider her to be sitting at the top of Latin pop.
An interesting fact is that the classic "Maldita primavera" is actually the Spanish version of an Italian song by Loretta Goggi. We're glad she recorded it in Spanish so we can use it to expand our Spanish vocabulary.