The Most Famous
MUSICIANS from Mexico
Top 7
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Mexican Musicians of all time. This list of famous Mexican Musicians is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Carlos Santana (b. 1947)
With an HPI of 67.26, Carlos Santana is the most famous Mexican Musician. His biography has been translated into 66 different languages on wikipedia.
Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (Spanish: [ˈkaɾlos umˈbeɾto sanˈtana βaraˈɣan] ; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the rock band Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the United States with Santana, which pioneered a fusion of rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound featured his melodic, blues-based lines set against Latin American and African rhythms played on percussion instruments not generally heard in rock, such as timbales and congas. He experienced a resurgence of popularity and critical acclaim in the late 1990s. In 2015, Rolling Stone magazine listed Santana at No. 20 on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists. In 2023, Rolling Stone named him the 11th greatest guitarist of all time. He has won 10 Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards, and was inducted along with his namesake band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
2. Consuelo Velázquez (1916 - 2005)
With an HPI of 60.32, Consuelo Velázquez is the 2nd most famous Mexican Musician. Her biography has been translated into 32 different languages.
Consuelo Velázquez Torres (August 21, 1916, in Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco – January 22, 2005, Mexico City), also popularly known as Consuelito Velázquez, was a Mexican concert pianist and composer. She was the composer of famous Mexican ballads such as "Bésame mucho", "Amar y vivir", and "Cachito".
3. Armando Manzanero (1935 - 2020)
With an HPI of 54.62, Armando Manzanero is the 3rd most famous Mexican Musician. His biography has been translated into 32 different languages.
Armando Manzanero Canché (7 December 1935 – 28 December 2020) was a Mexican musician, singer, composer, actor and music producer, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the most successful composers of Latin America. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in the United States in 2014. He was the president of the Mexican Society of Authors and Composers (Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de México).
4. José José (1948 - 2019)
With an HPI of 52.79, José José is the 4th most famous Mexican Musician. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.
José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz (17 February 1948 – 28 September 2019), known professionally as José José, was a Mexican singer. Also known as El Príncipe de la Canción (The Prince of Song), his performance and vocal style have influenced many Latin pop artists in a career that spanned more than four decades. Due to his vocals and popularity, José José was considered by Latin audience and media as an icon of Latin pop music and one of the most emblematic Latin singers of his time. Born into a family of musicians, José began his musical career in his early teens playing guitar and singing in serenade. He later joined a jazz and bossa nova trio where he sang and played bass and double bass. José José found success as a solo artist in the early 1970s. Demonstrating his tenor vocal ability with a stunning performance of the song "El Triste" at a Latin music festival held in Mexico City in 1970, he climbed the Latin charts during that decade. Having achieved recognition as a balladeer, his singing garnered universal critical acclaim from musical peers and media. In the 1980s, after signing with Ariola Records, José rose to international prominence as one of the most popular and talented Latin performers. His 1983 album Secretos has sold over four million units. With many international hits, he received several Grammy nominations, sold more than 40 million albums and was once courted by music legend Frank Sinatra, who wanted to win him for his own label. He sold out in venues such as Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall. His music reached non-Spanish-speaking countries like Japan, Israel, and Russia. He forged a career as an actor, starring in movies such as Gavilán o Paloma (1985) and Perdóname Todo (1995). He had sold over 40 million copies internationally.
5. Abraham Laboriel (b. 1947)
With an HPI of 49.56, Abraham Laboriel is the 5th most famous Mexican Musician. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Abraham Laboriel López (born July 17, 1947) is a Mexican-American bassist who has played on over 4,000 recordings and soundtracks. Guitar Player magazine called him "the most widely used session bassist of our time". Laboriel is the father of drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. and of producer, songwriter, and film composer Mateo Laboriel.
6. Antonio Sánchez (b. 1971)
With an HPI of 38.35, Antonio Sánchez is the 6th most famous Mexican Musician. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Antonio Sánchez (born November 1, 1971) is a Mexican drummer and composer. He is best known for his work with jazz guitarist Pat Metheny and as a composer of the film score for the 2014 film Birdman. The score earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and BAFTA Award for Best Film Music; he won a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Score, and the Satellite Award for Best Original Score.
7. Carla Morrison (b. 1986)
With an HPI of 34.11, Carla Morrison is the 7th most famous Mexican Musician. Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Carla Patricia Morrison Flores (born July 19 1986) is a Mexican indie-pop guitarist and singer. She has released three studio albums and has received various awards and nominations including two Grammy Award nominations and three Latin Grammy Awards.
People
Pantheon has 7 people classified as Mexican musicians born between 1916 and 1986. Of these 7, 4 (57.14%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Mexican musicians include Carlos Santana, Abraham Laboriel, and Antonio Sánchez. The most famous deceased Mexican musicians include Consuelo Velázquez, Armando Manzanero, and José José. As of April 2024, 1 new Mexican musicians have been added to Pantheon including Carla Morrison.
Living Mexican Musicians
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Carlos Santana
1947 - Present
HPI: 67.26
Abraham Laboriel
1947 - Present
HPI: 49.56
Antonio Sánchez
1971 - Present
HPI: 38.35
Carla Morrison
1986 - Present
HPI: 34.11
Deceased Mexican Musicians
Go to all RankingsConsuelo Velázquez
1916 - 2005
HPI: 60.32
Armando Manzanero
1935 - 2020
HPI: 54.62
José José
1948 - 2019
HPI: 52.79
Newly Added Mexican Musicians (2024)
Go to all RankingsOverlapping Lives
Which Musicians were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 3 most globally memorable Musicians since 1700.
