Rolling Stones released their “200 Best Singers of All Time” list and it started some major drama! With people upset that Celine Dion is nowhere to be found on this list, and arguments about Taylor Swift’s ranking, there have been plenty of opinions. Thankfully the outlet did include some Latino legends on the list. Check out the 10 Latinos that were ranked the highest on the list.
Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera, who has Ecuadorian roots on her father’s side sits at #141. She has always been proud of her Latina roots, releasing her Spanish studio album “Mi Reflejo” in 2000. She is considered one of the most successful and powerful female vocalists.
La India
Linda Caballero, known as La India, earned the 113th spot on this list. The Puerto Rican singer, raised in the Bronx, is characterized by her vocal prowess and high musical range.
Caetano Veloso
Brazilian Caetano Veloso takes the 108th spot. The “revolutionary rocker” is a composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist.
Vicente Fernández
“El charro de Huentitán” is ranked 95. The Mexican idol has been compared with Frank Sinatra, with his music standing the “test of time.” “His classics like the boisterous ‘El Rey,’ romantic ‘Hermoso Cariño’ and his heartbroken ‘Volver, Volver‘ have long served as the soundtrack of Mexico’s rich ranchera culture,” they wrote.
Selena Quintanilla
The one and only Selena Quintanilla is ranked at #89. Born to a Mexican-American father and mother of Mexican-American Cherokee ancestry, she is considered one of the greatest Latina icons. “Though her life was sadly cut short, her music hasn’t lost any staying power,” the outlet wrote.
Gal Costa
Gal Costa, recognized as one of Brazil’s best singers earned the #90th spot. Costa passed away on November 9, 2022, at the age of 77.
João Gilberto
Brazilian guitarist, singer, and composer João Gilberto is considered a pioneer, called the “father of Bossa nova” around the world and ranked at #81. “A master of cosmopolitan subtlety, the Rio de Janeiro native murmured and whispered with an ease that made every song feel like a casual gathering of friends,” they wrote.
Héctor Lavoe
The Puerto Rican salsa legend, Héctor Lavoe, is ranked at #73. “Blessed with a wicked sense of humor and a chocolaty voice able to manipulate at will the clave dynamics that make Afro-Caribbean music swing with reckless abandon, Lavoe was salsa’s own rock star,” they wrote.
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt, the “queen of rock” ranks at #47. “She quickly established herself as the greatest interpreter in music history, dipping her paintbrush in everything from opera to standards to the traditional Mexican music of her family,” the outlet wrote. Ronstadt is of Mexican-German descent on her father’s side and grew up listening to ranchera music, releasing her first album of Mexican folk songs “Canciones de Mi Padre,” in 1987.
Celia Cruz
In the top 20 is the Cuban Celia Cruz, ranking #18. “She could capture nostalgia and yearning, or she could let out a call of “Azúcar!” and embody the exuberance for life that continues to make her one of the most transcendent singers of all time,” they wrote.