Mexico has a very vibrant music scene; blending its pre-Hispanic past with its rich Spanish culture, it’s no wonder the country has such a huge array of genres.
It is hardly surprising that Mexico produced a lot of legendary singers.
Narrowing down the list to just 10 singers was no walk in the park; the talent and impact of the chosen established and budding performers are no joke.
Without further ado, here is the list of the 10 most popular Mexican singers you must know about.
Contents
Vicente Fernandez
We begin with the man listed first on Billboard’s list of The 30 Most Influential Latin Artists of All Time; also known as“El Ídolo de México,” “El Charro de Huentitán” and “El Rey de la Música Ranchera,” this cultural icon is one of the highest-selling artists from Mexico with more than 50 million records sold.
Vicente Fernandez is a very prolific artist, having a career that spans over 50 years with more than 50 albums and exceeding 30 movies.
Said to be one of the finest Mexican vocalists of all time, his work has earned him 3 Grammy Awards, 8 Latin Grammy Awards, 14 Lo Nuestro Awards, and even a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2016, the quintessential charro (cowboy) retired from performing live, but he continues to record and publish music.
José José
Next on our list is José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz who is known in the entertainment world as José José and nicknamed “El Príncipe de la Canción” (The Prince of Song).
Considered to be one of the best boleros singers, this household name is first on the list of Siachen Studios’ 15 Best Spanish Singers You Must Know.
José José rose to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s with his beautiful light lyric tenor whose singing was capable of flawlessly reaching high and low notes easily and his phrasing ability that earned him the moniker “a singer who sings as a musician.”
He was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame and into the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame, he received the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award, he was awarded the Excellence Award by the Annual Lo Nuestro Awards, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was posthumously granted the Living Legend Award by the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Even with his soap opera-like personal life, his exemplary albums such as Secretos, Reflexiones, and Promesas cemented his place as one of Latin Music’s finest.
Juan Gabriel
Born Alberto Aguilera Valadez, Juan Gabriel is another legendary Mexican singer.
Also known as “Juanga” and “El Divo de Juárez” (The Divo of Juárez), this well-rounded pop icon broke down barriers within the Latin America Music Industry with his flamboyant performances that captivated audiences.
This creative artist has written around 1800 songs including hits such as “Amore eterno”, “Querida”, “Yo no naci para amar”, “Hasta que te conoci”, “No tengo dinero”, “El Noa Noa”,“Abrázame muy fuerte”, “El esta primavera”, “Te lo pido por favor”, “Te sigo amando”, “Siempre en mi mente”, “De mí enamórate”, “Lo pasado, pasado”, and “Pero qué necesidad,”among others; all of which were performed by himself and many other great musicians.
His stellar career is built on his flashy performances that is the antithesis of the charro; this deviation from the uber macho is enjoyed by many as seen from the over 100 million records he has sold.
Luis Miguel
An all-in-one artist with his dashing good looks, resplendent charm, luxurious voice, and steadfast cultural pride; Professionally known as Luis Miguel, Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri in real life, and affectionately known as “El Sol de México,” is said to be the only Latin musician of his generation to avoid crossing over into the English market during the “Latin Explosion” of the 1990s.
He has explored a great number of genres and styles such as that of pop, jazz, ballads, mariachi, tangos, big band, and boleros, just to name a few.
With his impressive vocal talent and outstanding popularity, this ultimate heartthrob has over 100 million records sold to his name, he received a Grammy Award for his duet with Sheena Easton entitled “Me Gustas Tal Como Eres” (I Like You Just the Way You Are) when he was just 14 years old, and he is credited for the longest concert tour in Mexican History with his Luis Miguel Tour wherein he performed in 22 countries in North America, South America, and Europe for a total of 223 shows for a span of three years.
Jorge Negrete
Dubbed as one of the “Tres Gallos Mexicanos” (Three Mexican Roosters), Jorge Negrete is a gifted performer whose background in the military has helped him hone his artistic skills.
Using the stage-name Alberto Moreno, he was also able to record several operas in the 1930s which has then opened the door for his acting career.
Active from the 1930s to the 1950s, he has played different characters – from a heroic macho to a womanizing millionaire – in more than 38 movies including “La Madrina del Diablo” (The Devil’s Godmother), “La Valentina”, “El Peñón de las Ánimas” (The Rock of Souls), and “Cuban Nights”; complimentary to his filming career, he is known to sing rancheras.
Even after his death, fans continue to pay tribute to him on the anniversary of his death, December 5.
His legacy as “El Charro Cantor ” (The Singing Cowboy) lives on with his version of “Mexico Lindo y Querido ” (literally translated as Mexico Beautiful and Beloved).
Lila Downs
The first woman on our list, Lila Downs is a wonderful singer, songwriter, and actress whose work spans multiple genres; she gives her music a traditional feel by blending it with indigenous Mexican elements.
This unique performer has recorded songs in many of Mexico’s indigenous languages such as Purépecha, Mayan, Zapotec, Nahuatl, and Mixtec; she’s also known to be an activist, advocating for the preservation of the Mixtec language as well as many other indigenous languages in Mexico.
Her unique style and flamboyance showcase just how vast and colorful Mexican culture is.
With all her contributions to the Latin American music scene she is recognized not only by the critics but also the fans, as evidenced by her achievements including one Grammy Award and three Latin Grammy Awards.
Pedro Infante
Another one of the “Tres Gallos Mexicanos” (Three Mexican Roosters), Pedro Infante is a singer and actor who had a fantastic career tragically cut short by a plane crash.
He has around 300 rancheras songs under his name, including popular hits such as “Corazón” (Heart), “¿Qué Te Ha Dado Esa Mujer?” (What Has That Woman Given You?), “Pénjamo”, “Carta a Eufemia” (Letter to Eufemia), “La Que Se Fue” (She Who Left), “Dulce Patria” (Sweet Fatherland), “Mi Cariñito” (My Little Darling), “Te Quiero Asi” (I Love You Like This), “Nocturnal”, Mañana Rosalía” (Tomorrow Rosalía), “El Durazno” (The Peach), “Flor Sin Retoño” (Flower Without Sprout), “Dicen Que Soy Mujeriego” (They Say I am a Womanizer), “Maldita Sea Mi Suerte” (Cursed Be My Luck), “Cien Años” (Hundred Years), “Asi Es La Vida” (Life is Like This), and “Amorcito Corazón” (approximate translation: My Little Love, Sweetheart).
His memory and essence as one of the most extraordinary Mexican artists remains; some even speculate that Pedro Infante faked his death (like Elvis Presley) to secretly live the remainder of his life.
Marco Antonio Solis
This singer, song writer, and record producer began his career as a member of “Los Hermanitos Solís” (approximately: The Little Solis Brothers) with his family when he was around six years old.
He branched out from the family and became a co-founder and lead singer of the band “Los Bukis” where he was able to hone his skills as a guitarist and singer.
After close to two decades of success, the band split up and Marco Antonio Solis pursued a solo career with the release of his first solo album, “En Pleno Vuelo” (In Full Flight) in 1996.
Since then, he continues to enjoy a fruitful career; earning him multiple accolades including 5 Latin Grammy Awards, a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 2 Lo Nuestro Awards, and even an induction to the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame.
Thalía
Mononymously known as Thalía, Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda Mottola is an accomplished singer and actress who is often credited by the international media as the “Queen of Latin Pop Music” and the “Queen of Telenovelas” by the mass media.
She started her career in music as a member of the pop band Timbiriche from 1986 to 1989 and went on to become one of the best-selling Mexican artists of all time with around 25 million records sold worldwide.
She has starred in a variety of telenovelas that aired in more than 180 countries which helped her launch a career in non-Spanish speaking countries and had her singing in different languages like English, Tagalog, Portuguese, and French.
This influential artist was able to take home quite a few accolades including eight Lo Nuestro Awards, five Billboard Latin Music Awards, seven nominations for the Latin Grammys, and even the special “President’s Merit Award” in 2019.
Antonio Aguilar
To round out our list we have the multi-hyphenate José Pascual Antonio Aguilar Márquez Barraza, better known as Antonio Aguilar, who had an all-conquering career as a singer, songwriter, actor, screenwriter, film producer, and equestrian.
He was a worldwide icon who was able to sell out the Madison Square Gardens six nights in a row, record over 150 albums, and star in more than 100 films.
Nicknamed “El Charro de México” (Mexico’s Horseman), he was awarded a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he received the Excellence Award at the 2000 Lo Nuestro Award, and he was bestowed the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Our list only included 10 legendary singers, but there are so many other artists left out.
Do you agree with our list?
Let us know what you think!
References
- https://www.billboard.com/photos/most-influential-latin-artists/30-arsenio-rodriguez/
- https://siachenstudios.com/list/best-spanish-singers-all-time/
- https://siachenstudios.com/list/famous-mexican-singers/
- https://www.superprof.com/blog/best-mexican-musicians/#Chapter_7-marco-antonio-solis
- https://www.latinolife.co.uk/articles/top-ten-mexican-male-singers-all-time
- https://pantheon.world/profile/occupation/singer/country/mexico
- https://www.spanish.academy/blog/5-famous-mexican-singers-who-changed-the-course-of-history/
- https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/15-musicians-you-need-to-know-from-mexicos-15-biggest-states/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Jos%C3%A9
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Negrete
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Infante
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Aguilar
