MUSICIAN

Ritchie Valens

1941 - 1959

Ritchie Valens

Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), known professionally as Ritchie Valens, was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens was killed in a plane crash eight months into his recording career.Valens had several hits, most notably "La Bamba", which he had adapted from a Mexican folk song. Valens transformed the song into one with a rock rhythm and beat, and it became a hit in 1958, making Valens a pioneer of the Spanish-speaking rock and roll movement. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Ritchie Valens has received more than 7,040,009 page views. His biography is available in 41 different languages on Wikipedia making him the 97th most popular musician.

Memorability Metrics

  • 7.0M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 64.57

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 41

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 4.18

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 3.84

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Page views of Ritchie Valens by language


Among MUSICIANS

Among musicians, Ritchie Valens ranks 97 out of 2,258. Before him are Angus Young, Bill Haley, Henryk Wieniawski, Robert Fripp, Alice Cooper, and John Dowland. After him are Buddy Holly, Gary Moore, Richard Clayderman, Till Lindemann, Gheorghe Zamfir, and George Martin.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1941, Ritchie Valens ranks 31. Before him are Bernie Sanders, Paul Anka, Dennis Ritchie, Bobby Moore, Faye Dunaway, and Vivienne Westwood. After him are Fausto Cercignani, Gheorghe Zamfir, Paul Simon, Pete Best, Flórián Albert, and Laura Antonelli. Among people deceased in 1959, Ritchie Valens ranks 15. Before him are Gérard Philipe, Camilo Cienfuegos, Boris Vian, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Adolf Windaus, and George Grosz. After him are Buddy Holly, Errol Flynn, Shirō Ishii, Bohuslav Martinů, Alfred Schütz, and Mike Hawthorn.

Others Born in 1941

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Others Deceased in 1959

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Ritchie Valens ranks 552 out of 12,171. Before him are William T. G. Morton (1819), Gena Rowlands (1930), Prince (1958), Howard Gardner (1943), Philip Glass (1937), and Scott Joplin (1868). After him are Buddy Holly (1936), Mike Tyson (1966), Benjamin Thompson (1753), John Reed (1887), John Howard Northrop (1891), and Liza Minnelli (1946).

Others born in United States

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Among MUSICIANS In United States

Among musicians born in United States, Ritchie Valens ranks 31. Before him are Duke Ellington (1899), Lady Gaga (1986), Benny Goodman (1909), Nat King Cole (1919), Bill Haley (1925), and Alice Cooper (1948). After him are Buddy Holly (1936), Paul Simon (1941), Bill Evans (1929), James Hetfield (1963), Quincy Jones (1933), and Muddy Waters (1913).

Musicians Born in United States

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