Top 15 Greatest famous Argentine singers of All Time

Diego Torres. Photo by Carlos Figueroa Rojas- Wikimedia

Top 15 Greatest famous Argentine singers of All Time

Argentina’s music consists of various classical, traditional, rock, cuarteto, and popular genres. One of the most significant cultural contributions is the Tango, which originated in Buenos Aires.

In the 1950s and 1960s, folk music experienced popularity thanks to artists such as Mercedes Sosa and Atahualpa, and in the 20th century, folk music was particularly popular. Argentine rock emerged in the mid to late 1960s and is considered the earliest incarnation of Spanish-language rock.

Argentina has the richest art music traditions and the most active contemporary musical life with well-known performers. Below are top 15 greatest famous Argentine singers of All Time.

1. Mercedes Sosa

Haydee Mercedes Sosa, sometimes known as La Negra was born in 1935 in San Miguel de Tucuman, northwestern Argentine province of Tucuman, to a working-class family. She was an Argentine folk singer and political activist famous throughout Latin America and other countries.

Her songs made her be called the “Voice of the voiceless ones” because her music challenged the military regime, which came with a lot of opposition and, at some point, banned from her own country. However, this brought her success a few years later, touring Europe and the United States and performing at sell-out shows.

Subsequently, Mercedes’s music career spanned four decades; she won six Latin Grammy awards and won the main musical award in Argentina, Premio Gardel, in 2000.

2. Sandro de America

Sandro, as he appears on the cover of the album Sandro de América. Photo outsourced from Wikimedia

Robert Sanchez-Ocampo, famously known by his stage name Sandro de America or Sandro, was an Argentine singer and actor born in Buenos Aires in 1945.  As a child, he learned to play the guitar, identifying his music as Romani.

During his school days, he emulated Elvis Presley but went on to create a personal style that marked his Castilian-language rock music. He is considered a pioneer of Argentine rock for being the first rock artist to sing in Spanish in Latin America.

He edited 52 official records and sold millions of copies of his records. His single Rosa Rosa sold two million copies of his most recognizable and famous song. Additionally, he was the first Latin American to sing at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden and was awarded a Latin Grammy.

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3. Luis Alberto Spinetta

Luis Alberto Spinetta. Photo by Rubén Andón- Wikimedia

Luis Alberto Spinetta was an Argentine singer, guitarist, composer, and poet. He was the founder of iconic rock bands, including Almendra, Pescado Rabioso, Invisible, Spinetta Jade, and Desierto; he is also one of the most influential rock musicians in Argentina and the first to influence Spanish-language rock.

He started his music career with three other artists to form a band Almendra recording popular singles like Muchacha Ojos de Papel. At the end of 1999, Spinetta started his solo career collaborating with other artists to produce albums.

Spinetta continued to produce music while bridging the gap between classic rock and Latin ballads until his death. After his death, his ashes were scattered in Buenos Aires in the waters of the Rio de la Plata as per his last wish. In Argentine, January 23 is celebrated as Dia Nacional del Musico (National Musician’s Day) in honor of Spinetta’s birth.

4. Diego Torres

Diego Antonio Caccia is an Argentine pop singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was born in 1971 in a musical background, and his musical career began with a band called La Marca and later went solo.

He has released many popular albums, including Tratar de estar mejor,  Luna Nueva, Distinto, and more. His signature pop-rock sound still influences his music, which tops the Latin charts.

5. Facundo Cabral

Facundo Cabral. Photo outsourced from Wikimedia

Facundo Cabral was an Argentine singer, songwriter and philosopher. He gained popularity after his single No soy de aqui ni soy de alla (I’m not from here nor there) and many other compositions.

Cabral protested military dictatorship in Latin America through music and activism. From the 1970s, his music combined mysticism, philosophy and spirituality calling for social justice and equality. All this saw him exiled from Argentine in 1976 and spent time in Mexico; toured extensively and returned in the 1980s.

After his return, he enjoyed popularity in his home country. He was named a UNESCO Messenger of Peace in 1996 for his advocacy for peace through his work. Unfortunately, while touring Central America, he was fatally shot and killed in his SUV.

6. Ricardo Montaner

Ricardo Montaner in Miami, Florida, United States Of America, photo by Kike San Martín- Wikimedia

Ricardo Hector Euardo Reglero Montaner is an Argentine-born Venezuelan singer and songwriter. Ricardo started his career in the late 1970s, becoming a master of classic orchestras, romantic ballads, and sappy telenovelas.

His career has been successful in releasing more than 24 albums and singles. He has sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists.

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7. Leon Gieco

Leon Gieco is one Argentine folk rock performer, interpreter, and composer. He is known for mixing popular folkloric genres with Argentinian rock and roll with lyrics with political and social connotations.

He began his musical journey as a little boy, learning to play guitar. He then started playing with local bands and studied music when he joined the school. After turning 18, he went to Buenos Aires to become a full-time musician.

His music has been a huge success releasing successful albums and singles using his voice to retain his place as one of the greatest Argentine rockers.

8. Lola Ponce

Lola Ponce. Photo by Francesco Cataldo-Wikimedia

Born and raised in a musical background, Lola Ponce is an Argentine singer and actress. When she was eight, she used to perform melodic songs with her brother and performed in many festivals in Latin America as a teenager.

Her debut album Inalcanzable released in 2001, made her gain a music breakthrough in Argentina and Latin America. Lola also earned great popularity in Italy after starring in the musical Notre-Dame de Paris in Verona.

Lola has released several albums and has performed in Italian, Spanish and English. Her success in Latin pop has made her perform at major music festivals growing reach in the pop industry.

9. Atahualpa Yupanqui

Atahualpa was born in 1908 as Hector Roberto Chavero Aramburu in Pergamino; Buenos Aires Province. He is an Argentine singer, writer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is also considered the most important Argentine folk musician of the 20th century.

During his early years, he traveled through Argentina, studying the indigenous culture, where he discovered folk and traditional music, laying a foundation for many more Argentine musicians. His influence on Argentine culture earned him a knighthood and a Diamond Konex Award.

10. Lali Esposito

Lali Esposito. Photo outsourced from Wikimedia

Lali is an Argentine singer, actress, model, and dancer. She began her career as an actress and later moved into singing, which started by joining the Argentine pop band Teen Angels, making her first attempt at becoming a musician.

Her success was engineered by the group, making her gain popularity in the Latin American community. She continues to act and produce chart-topping hits. She is also best known for her gold-certified album Brava.

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11. Andres Calamaro

Photo by Ruben Ortega-Wikimedia

Andres Calamaro is one of the most prominent Argentine musicians with a wide range of musical styles, including ballads, funk, reggae, jazz, tangos, and Boleros. In the 1980s, she recorded a successful album and teamed up with other musicians to form the Los Rodriguez music group. The group was a major success in Spain and Latin America during the 1990s.

When he began his solo career, he produced award-winning albums and singles, becoming a multi-instrumentalist and main icon of Argentine rock, selling over 1.3 million records. His musical success has been huge, and he even won Latin Grammy.

12. Gilda

Gilda was born in 1961 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She started getting into music while organizing Catholic school festivals. She later met agent and musician Juan Carlos Gimenez, who became a backup singer joining a band.

Gimenez convinced her to start a solo career and her music became successful. Unfortunately, her music career was cut short by a tragic accident that led to her death. On birthdays, her fans go to her shrine at the accident site and leave blue candles, gifts, flowers, and other offerings.

13. Carlos Gardel

Charles Romuald Gardes, famously known as Carlos Gardel, was a French-Argentine singer, composer, songwriter and actor. He was an essential pioneer in the history of tango, is the most popular tango singer of all time, and is recognized worldwide.

Many recognized him for his baritone voice and the dramatic phrasing of his lyrics. Alongside Alfredo Le Pera, a lyricist, Carlos wrote several classic tangos. In the first half of the 20th century, he was one of the most influential interpreters of world popular music.

14. Gustavo Cerati

Gustavo Cerati. Photo by Camilo Rueda López- Wikimedia

Another famous Argentine singer is Gustavo Cerati, a producer, composer, songwriter, and influential figure of Ibero-American rock. He was one of the legendary rock and pop band ‘Soda Stereo ‘and a successful solo artist who left a legacy.

Throughout his career, he received many awards, including Grammys, MTV awards and MTV Legend Award with Soda Stereo. On September 4, 2014, he died of Cardiac arrest in Buenos Aires.

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15. Rodrigo Alejandro Bueno

He was born in a musical background, specifically cuarteto music, and he became one of the artists to influence and expand the Cuarteto genre into the music industry. His music career started early, recording his first album at 5 and joining his first band in his early teens.

Rodrigo rose to fame, recording successful albums and singles. He also used to perform in sold-out venues, went on tours, and performed in many shows a week for thousands waiting to hear his cuarteto-styled tracks.