The Ten Best Spanish Songs to Learn Spanish

Often, the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Spanish music is Flamenco. However, Spanish music has a long history of influence on Latin American music, such as Tango, Bossa Nova and Bolero. Below is a list of some of the most famous Spanish songs of all time and the most famous songs featuring Spanish guitar. In fact, you might even hear modern Spanish music on popular radio stations in non-Spanish-speaking countries. If you’ve fallen into a rut when it comes to learning Spanish, you should consider making your learning experience more interesting by spicing it up! The great part of this strategy is you can listen to Spanish songs while waiting in line, driving to work or right before you go to bed. Let’s take a look at the most popular songs to listen to to help you with your Spanish language endeavors.

MosaLingua’s Top 10 Spanish Songs of All Time

1. Macarena – Los del Río

Macarena is a fun, dance-y Spanish song performed by Los del Rio. It is a song about a woman named Macarena and was a massive hit between 1995 and 1997. To this day it is still extremely popular and has a cult following. It was given the honor of #1 Greatest One-Hit Wonder of All Time in 2002 by VH1.

2. Livin’ La Vida Loca – Ricky Martin

Livin La Vida Loca was the most popular song performed by Puerto Rican native Ricky Martin. Released in 1999, Livin’ la Vida Loca topped the charts in that year. La Vida Loca is “the crazy life” in Spanish. This song is considered the song that started the huge Latin pop craze of 1999. It essentially paved the way for later Latin artists like Paulina Rubio and Shakira.

3. La Cucaracha

4. La Tortura – Shakira

Shakira’s, “La Tortura” means “The Torture.” It is a song about a relationship between two exes. In the song, the man cheats on the woman but wants her back. Shakira sings about having trouble saying “no,” but knows that he will never change so she does finally deny him. This is a great song to learn Spanish as it is a song that tells a story, so it is very interesting to translate.

5. Yo Te Amo – Chayanne

Chayenne, a Puerto Rican singer, wrote this timeless love song. This is a great song to just close your eyes and listen to the beautiful, nostalgic melody. It is also a great song to look at the subtitles, so you can follow along as you listen!

6. Olvido – Amaral

Next up, Amaral is an extremely popular music group hailing from Spain. They work to bring together a variety of Latin and Spanish music styles to create a sort of Spanish fusion. This song has a particular almost haunting sound that captivates its audience. It’s a great song to learn Spanish, as although the lyrics are quite beautiful, it uses simple vocabulary.

7. Libre de Nino Bravo – Nino Bravo

This is definitely an oldie, but a goodie! Nino Bravo was a Spanish singer who was born in 1944 near Valencia. Nino has created many hit Spanish songs that are, to this day, important songs for Spanish culture. Getting to know songs such as Libre de Nino will not only help you learn Spanish, but will give you some insight into Spanish culture decades ago.

8. Gotas De Agua Dulce – Juanes

If you like sappy love songs, then you’ll love Juanes’ songs as they’re all about L-O-V-E. He is incredibly popular in Spanish culture, and in fact is considered to be the fourth most popular Colombian in the world.

9. Amparanoia (Latin/Reggae/Rock; Spain)

If you want some uppity, fun music to help you learn Spanish, then Ojos De Bruno is your answer. These songs are filled with Flamenco-type guitars and cheery, “he he, ole” along with a bit of a rock vibe. It will get your heart pumping and your spirits up.

What are your favorite Spanish songs?

There you have it for our list of the ten best Spanish songs to learn Spanish. If you enjoyed it, then don’t forget to subscribe for updates and more great content! Then, leave a comment on this article with your own favorite Spanish jam!