SINGERS from Argentina

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Argentinean Singers of all time. This list of famous Argentinean Singers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Argentinean Singers.

1. Mercedes Sosa (1935 - 2009)

With an HPI of 64.78, Mercedes Sosa is the most famous Argentinean Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 50 different languages on wikipedia.

Haydée Mercedes "La Negra" Sosa (Latin American Spanish: [meɾˈseðes ˈsosa]; 9 July 1935 – 4 October 2009) was an Argentine singer who was popular throughout Latin America and many countries outside the region. With her roots in Argentine folk music, Sosa became one of the preeminent exponents of El nuevo cancionero. She gave voice to songs written by many Latin American songwriters. Her music made people hail her as the "voice of the voiceless ones". She was often called "the conscience of Latin America". Sosa performed in venues such as the Lincoln Center in New York City, the Théâtre Mogador in Paris, the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, as well as sold-out shows in New York's Carnegie Hall and the Roman Colosseum during her final decade of life. Her career spanned four decades and she was the recipient of six Latin Grammy awards (2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011), including a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 and two posthumous Latin Grammy Award for Best Folk Album in 2009 and 2011. She won the Premio Gardel in 2000, the main musical award in Argentina. She served as an ambassador for UNICEF.

2. Atahualpa Yupanqui (1908 - 1992)

With an HPI of 57.57, Atahualpa Yupanqui is the 2nd most famous Argentinean Singer.  His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

Atahualpa Yupanqui (Spanish pronunciation: [ataˈwalpa ʝuˈpaŋki]; born Héctor Roberto Chavero Aramburu; 31 January 1908 – 23 May 1992) was an Argentine singer, songwriter, guitarist, and writer. He is considered one of the most important Argentine folk musicians of the 20th century.

3. Facundo Cabral (1937 - 2011)

With an HPI of 55.55, Facundo Cabral is the 3rd most famous Argentinean Singer.  His biography has been translated into 33 different languages.

Facundo Cabral (born Rodolfo Enrique Cabral Camiñas; May 22, 1937 – July 9, 2011) was an Argentine singer and songwriter. He was best known as the composer of "No soy de aquí ni soy de allá" ("I'm not from here and not from there"), "Pobrecito mi Patron" ("My Poor Boss"), and many other compositions. His songs have been covered by multiple Spanish language performers such as Jorge Cafrune, Alberto Cortez, Juan Luis Guerra, and Joan Manuel Serrat. Cabral protested military dictatorships in Latin America through activism and art from the 1970s onward, and his music combined mysticism and spirituality with calls for social justice and equality. After touring the world, Cabral enjoyed popularity in his home country during the early 1980s, when Argentine radio demanded local content after the Falklands War. He was popular throughout Latin America in his lifetime and still enjoys a sizeable posthumous legacy throughout the continent. For his advocacy for peace through his work, Facundo Cabral was named a UNESCO Messenger of Peace in 1996.

4. Sandro de América (1945 - 2010)

With an HPI of 51.77, Sandro de América is the 4th most famous Argentinean Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Roberto Sánchez-Ocampo (August 19, 1945 – January 4, 2010), better known by his stage names Sandro or Sandro de América, was an Argentine singer and actor. He is considered a pioneer of Argentine rock for being one of the first rock artists to sing in Spanish in Latin America. He edited 52 official records and sold eight million copies although other sources state that he sold over 10 million. Some of his most successful songs are "Dame fuego", "Rosa, Rosa", "Quiero llenarme de ti", "Penumbras", "Porque yo te amo", "Así", "Mi amigo el Puma", "Tengo", "Trigal", and "Una muchacha y una guitarra". The single "Rosa, Rosa" sold two million copies, being his most recognizable and famous song. Another of his hits, "Tengo" was given 15th place among the 100 best Argentine rock songs by both MTV and Rolling Stone magazine. In Latin America he was often compared to Elvis Presley at the height of his popularity. Sandro was also the first Latin American artist to sing at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden. In 2005, Sandro received the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

5. Luis Alberto Spinetta (1950 - 2012)

With an HPI of 51.33, Luis Alberto Spinetta is the 5th most famous Argentinean Singer.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Luis Alberto Spinetta (23 January 1950 – 8 February 2012), nicknamed "El Flaco" (Spanish for "skinny"), was an Argentine singer, guitarist, composer, writer and poet. One of the most influential rock musicians of Argentina, he is widely regarded as one of the founders of Argentine rock, which is considered as the first incarnation of Spanish-language rock. Born in Buenos Aires in the residential neighbourhood of Belgrano, he was the founder of iconic rock bands including Almendra, Pescado Rabioso, Invisible, Spinetta Jade, and Spinetta y Los Socios del Desierto. In Argentina January 23rd is celebrated as "Día Nacional del Músico" (National Musician's Day) in honor of Spinetta's birth. Spinetta devoted himself fully to his own music. In his lyrics, there are influences of multiple writers, poets and artists like Arthur Rimbaud, Vincent van Gogh, Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze, Carlos Castañeda and Antonin Artaud, whom the album Artaud (1973) is named after. In December 2011 he announced that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. He died on 8 February 2012 at the age of 62. His ashes were scattered in Buenos Aires in the waters of the Río de la Plata, according to his last wish.

6. León Gieco (b. 1951)

With an HPI of 47.20, León Gieco is the 6th most famous Argentinean Singer.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Raúl Alberto Antonio Gieco, better known as León Gieco (born on November 20, 1951) is an Argentine folk rock performer, composer and interpreter. He is known for mixing popular folkloric genres with Argentine rock, and lyrics with social and political connotations. This has led to him being called "The Argentine Bob Dylan".

7. Roberto Goyeneche (1926 - 1994)

With an HPI of 46.75, Roberto Goyeneche is the 7th most famous Argentinean Singer.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Roberto Goyeneche (January 29, 1926 in Saavedra, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires – August 27, 1994 in Buenos Aires) was an Argentine tango singer who epitomized the archetype of 1950s Buenos Aires' bohemian life, and became a living legend in the local music scene. Despite being of Basque descent, he was known as El Polaco ("the Pole") due to his light hair and thinness, like young Polish people of the time. He is identified with the neighborhood of Saavedra, where he grew up.

8. Ricardo Montaner (b. 1957)

With an HPI of 46.73, Ricardo Montaner is the 8th most famous Argentinean Singer.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Héctor Eduardo Reglero Montaner (born 8 September 1957), better known as Ricardo Montaner (Spanish pronunciation: [riˈkaɾðo montaˈneɾ]), is an Argentine-born Venezuelan singer. Since starting his career in the late 1970s, he has released more than 24 albums, and many successful singles. He has sold an estimated 10 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists.

9. Gilda (1961 - 1996)

With an HPI of 46.28, Gilda is the 9th most famous Argentinean Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 25 different languages.

Myriam Alejandra Bianchi (11 October 1961 – 7 September 1996), known by her stage name Gilda, was an Argentine cumbia singer and songwriter.

10. Andrés Calamaro (b. 1961)

With an HPI of 44.18, Andrés Calamaro is the 10th most famous Argentinean Singer.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Andrés Calamaro (August 22, 1961) is an Argentine musician, composer and Latin Grammy winner. He is considered one of the greatest and most influential rock artists in Spanish. He is also one of the most complete artists for his wide range of musical styles, including funk, reggae, ballads, boleros, tangos, jazz. His former band Los Rodríguez was a major success in Spain and throughout Latin America mainly during the 1990s. He is multi-instrumentalist and became one of the main icons of Argentine rock, selling over 1.3 million records to date.