All Latin Songs & Albums Inducted Into the National Recording Registry

Latin music has profoundly shaped the American musical landscape. From the lively rhythms of Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco’s joint album Celia & Johnny to Daddy Yankee’s reggaetón breakthrough hit “Gasolina,” these songs represent the diverse and vibrant contributions of Latin artists to the American songbook.

Each year, the Library of Congress selects 25 recordings to the registry to preserve sound recordings that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” to American life. 

On Wednesday (April 9), the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry immortalized two more Latin songs: Vicente Fernández‘s ranchera anthem “El Rey” and Freddy Fender‘s bilingual country ballad “Before the Next Teardrop Falls.” “These are the sounds of America — our wide-ranging history and culture,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement. “The Library of Congress is proud and honored to select these audio treasures worthy of preservation.”

Last year, Juan Gabriel’s heartfelt ballad “Amor Eterno” and Héctor Lavoe’s salsa hit “El Cantante” were selected. “For musicians of any genre, having a song inducted into the National Recording Registry is a prestigious honor,” Congressman Joaquin Castro previously told Billboard Español, who’s a major driving force for Latin music on the list.

Created under the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Registry has included more than twenty works of Latin music and/or musicians of Latin descent to date. The first Latin music release to be added to the Registry was Dance Mania (1958) by Tito Puente in 2002. Subsequent inductees include Santana’s electrifying Abraxas (1970), which redefined Mexican-American rock; Buena Vista Social Club’s eponymous album (1997), bringing Cuban son to American audiences; Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” (1957), which reinvented a son jarocho song from Veracruz, Mexico by injecting American rock into it.

“In addition to advocating for more Latino inclusion in American media — which, more than any other industry, shapes how Americans see the world around us — I would also push for more recognition of the ways that Latinos have contributed to American excellence,” Castro explained. 

“Latinos make up 20 percent of the United States, but less than five percent of the titles on the Registry come from Latino artists,” added the Mexican American politician from San Antonio. “As a result, the Registry became a natural place to direct my work – in part because the Library of Congress has tried in recent years to do a better job of honoring how Latinos and other racial minorities have shaped America’s growth.”

Below, we present the Latin music entries, arranged from the most recent inductions to the earliest.