Latin songs have long been part of the American songbook for more than half a century — when in 1957, a 17-year-old teenager named Ritchie Valens decided to fuse American rock with the Mexican music he grew up with; or in 1969 at Woodstock, when Carlos Santana redefined Mexican-American rock with his guitar; or in the late 1960s in New York, when a fiery pack of salseros known as the Fania All-Stars created riveting Caribbean-driven dance music for the ages.
As Latin music becomes increasingly part of the mainstream Stateside, a bevy of genres from Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain continue to increase in relevance and popularity. At the same time, the presence of Latin music has been growing in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, which includes songs and albums that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States.”
In 2015, Santana’s Abraxas entered the audio history library, and in 2017, Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine’s “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” joined the list. The following year, Valens’ timeless hit “La Bamba” entered the registry, while Selena Quintanilla’s Ven Conmigo joined in 2019. Earlier this year, Linda Ronstadt’s mariachi-led Canciones De Mi Padre, Ricky Martin’s party banger “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and Buena Vista Social Club’s debut album were also added, showcasing the diversity of Latin music.
Last week, Texas Democratic congressman Joaquin Castro tweeted a call to action: “Latino artists have long contributed to the soundtrack of our lives. The @librarycongress needs recommendations for songs/albums (+10 years old) by your favorite Latino artists or groups to preserve in the National Recording Registry.”
This sparked a whole Twitter debate about which Latin song or album is worthy of making the registry. We’ve compiled those suggestions and a few other classics into a poll. Now all you have to do is choose which one you think should enter the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry in 2023.
Vote below! (And if you want, suggest another one — but remember, it must be at least 10 years old).
