The 100 best songs to dance salsa – A dancer’s perspective (Part I)
When it comes to pleasing the dancers, you must play the top 100 songs for salsa dancing. But, what are they and who decides which are the 100 best songs to dance salsa?
That’s a question many salsa DJs have been asking themselves when trying to play the top 100 salsa dance songs for their audience. There is such a wide variety of styles, speeds, singers and songs that it makes choosing an entire band (or even the one that will play next) quite a dilemma. However, a good DJ always finds a way to please the majority. On the other hand, a novice DJ, who doesn’t have the skill level, knowledge or has never been a true dancer with the meaning of the song and music, salsero… well, a mess is an understatement.
There have been times when I’ve had a PARTICULARLY tough day and I’m so stressed! I go to salsa clubs, hoping to hear some of the top 100 salsa songs that will turn my stress into joy. Some DJs, from the very first note/beat, manage to perform true miracles, playing songs that are not only fun to listen to, but also exciting to dance to. The blood begins to circulate, and yet there is a shiver down the spine. The feet begin to move… and no matter how aware you are of the people watching you, you can’t help but move your feet (and get lost in that rhythm!).
Then there are those DJs who don’t understand the music or the words, much less the meaning or the feeling of the songs. The kind of DJ that plays the same songs over and over again, even in the same sequence, every time they play an event/club. Or worse, the kind that look like they just stopped at the local Starbucks, saw a salsa CD in between the Frank Sinatra and Yoga Relaxation Jazz CDs, and decided… “sounds good, I’ll play it all night.”
Like an “old fashioned” salsa dancer, who understands what the singer sings (and his “soneos” [improvisations]), those things make my salsa joy dial turn all the way around, almost all the way, as disappointment sets in, longing to hear any of the Top 100 Salsa Dance Songs instead.
What you’ll find below is a list I’ve compiled of the 100 best salsa songs being played by DJs around the world. It is a compilation of the most common songs found on the DJ website and articles from around the world. I spent 2 months researching, asking questions and listening to each song to test its validity (It started out as a list of 500, but I’ve taken out all the Cha-cha and some Meringues that slipped through). I also divided the list into 5 lists of the 100 best songs for salsa dancing. PLEASE NOTE that there are many more than these 100 Best Salsa Songs; These are just THE ones that DJs around the world have chosen (to publish, at least), according to my research; in addition to some of my own, which I play when I play. Also, they are in alphabetical order and NOT in order of popularity or dancing ability. If you would like to submit YOUR best songs for consideration on this list, please leave us a comment with your suggestions.
Here are the 100 best songs to dance salsa…
|Name| Artist| album| Duration|
|1-800-Love Me| Luisito Rosario | Rumba of the neighborhood | 4:06|
|1-800-Love me (Remix)| Luisito Rosario | Rumba Of The Neighborhood | 5:02|
|To Dance Pa’Inside| The Solution Orchestra| to dance | 4:23|
|In Cali| Classic Set | congratulations| 3:16|
|To Him| Oscar D’Leon | Critical Hits| 3:47|
|A Blow of Folklore| Niche group | A Blow of Folklore | 4:59|
|In Gozar| Jose Alberto “The Canary”| I dream of you | 3:34|
|At the time they call me I go| Candido Fabre | 4:30 |
|At the time they call me I’ll go| Jose Alberto “The Canary”| on time| 5:11 |
|In Memory of the Dead| Fruko and his Tesos | 4:22|
|It Smells To Me| Mulenze Orchestra | Sauce party! | 4:11|
|To My Father-in-Law (Don Pedrito)| Various Artists| Stellar Hard Salsa Collection | 3:55|
|Steel Bongo| Type 73 | 4:36|
|Tell my Opponent| Mandinka Group | Back to the 70s| 4:13|
|Sharpen| Louie Ramirez – Ray De La Paz | Class Flavor With| 6:06|
|Hot Ajiaco| Eddie Palmieri | mozambique| 5:38|
|The Love| alex leon | Caleta Sauce| 5:06|
|Street Love| The Latin Brothers | The best of the Latin Brothers | 4:51|
|Repent Sinners| Willie Rosario | Back to the Future / 40th Anniversary| 4:31|
|Repent| Broadway Orchestra | Sauce party! | 4:01|
|Repent| Ray Barreto | at its best | 5:14|
|Rice With Butter| Oscar D’Leon | With The Latin Dimension | 4:00 |
|I like you chubby like that| nicolas caesar | the best of the best| 4:00 |
|This is me| Larry Harlow | This is how I am | 5:42|
|This is how you don’t love anyone| Type 73| 3:52|
|Strike Again| Joe Cuba Sextet | Cooking The Sauce | 3:25|
|Stir me up the stove| Willie Rosario | Salsero Gold – 20 Successes | 5:07|
|Daring| KING RODRIGUEZ | In The Sound Of Today Vol 1 | 4:38|
|Even if you cry for me| Raphy Leavitt | Gold Salsero 20 Hits Vol 2 | 4:52|
|Ave Maria Lola| Carousels of Sonora| heavy sauce | 4:08|
|Tell My Opponent| Tobacco and Rum Orchestra | Truth Sauce| 7:14 |
|Oh Wow| Adalberto Santiago | Popeye the Sailor | 5:31|
|sugar Pa A Bitter| Oscar D’Leon | With The Latin Dimension| 2:54|
|Babaila| Soneros of the Neighborhood | Following The Tradition| 4:41|
|Barabari| Titus Bridge | Live At Birdland-Dancemania ’98| 8:29|
|Dance That Dance| Jose “The Canary” Alberto| Crystal Series: Greatest Hits | 4:48|
|Prohibition Prohibition| Joe Arroyo | Greatest Hits, Vol. 2| 3:12 |
|Flag (Flag)| Larry Harlow | This is how I am | 5:36|
|Shoulder bag| Hector Lavoe | Comedy| 9:34|
|Bar And Drinks| Various Artists| Salsakidd Sauce Mix | 4:17|
|Black Quarter| Hot 990| Ultra Mix The Best Of Tropical Dance Salsa| 5:34|
|Hint| Willie Colon | The Great Break – The Great Escape | 5:37|
|Bembelequa| Celia Cruz | Unrepeatable | 4:55|
|Gypsy Kiss| Colombia Sings to You II | Colombia Sings to You II | 5:14|
|Beunaventura Has Sweetness| Guayacan Orchestra | Guayacán and the Good | 5:19|
|Black and White| Joe Brook | 20th Anniversary| 5:03|
|Liar Mouth| Andy Montanez | Golden Salsa Boat | 4:44|
|Boricua Rumbero Salsero| adalberto santiago | fat sauce | 4:05|
|Bravo Rumbero| Alfredo Naranjo and El Guajeo | At 6 is the date | 3:28|
|Good Venture and Caney| Niche group | HistoryMusic, vol. 1| 6:19|
|Bonaventura The Time Has Come| Angel Huber | Enjoy me | 4:18|
|Search The Rhythm| Willie Rosario | Salsero Gold – 20 Successes | 5:35|
|Looking For A Love| Ork. Matecana/Orch. Guayacan | Battle Series | 4:22|
|I’m looking for yours| Fania Stars | Fania All-Stars “Live” June 11, 1994 | 7:01|
|I seek to forget you| Willie Rosario | Back to the Future / 40th Anniversary| 4:35|
|He jokes| Fruko & His Treasures| Fruko And His Tesos – Power Salsa| 4:57|
|Cali De Rumba| Fruko & His Treasures| Fruko And His Tesos – Power Salsa| 5:26|
|Flamenco Cali Mix| Marshmallow | My Best Hits| 6:21 |
|hush ox| Hector “tempo” Alomar| the best of the best| 5:13|
|Mayoral Bell| Jose Mangual Jr. | 5:15|
|Singing| The Niches| Greatest Hits| 4:29|
|Singing Gone| Cuckoo Valoy | Sonero| 4:18|
|Abacua Singing| Ray Barreto | at its best | 8:17|
|Lily Bud| Oscar D’Leon | The Pancake Maker | 4:32|
|Carnival| Joe Brook | And the Truth| 5:06|
|Punish her| Cesar Nicholas | The Best of the Best| 4:10|
|Celebrating| The Puerto Rican | Puerto Rican Orchestra: 20th Anniversary | 5:02|
|Celia| Jose Alberto “The Canary” | on time| 6:00|
|Chimpun Callao| Macondo Orchestra | Ultra Mix The Best Of Tropical Dance Salsa | 3:43|
|How is it possible| Luis Ramirez | Louie Ramírez and Super Band | 5:04|
|As I sing it| Spanish Harlem Orchestra | Across the street 110 | 4:32|
|How to forget you| Oscar D’Leon | 4:01|
|Road Companion| Raphy Leavitt | Salsero Dorado 20 Hits – VOL 1| 4:04|
|Heart of Steel| Cuckoo Valoy | Sonero| 4:14|
|When I see you| Mandinka Group | Back to the 70s| 4:08|
|When I See You| Spanish Harlem| Across the street 110 | 4:50|
|Guitar Body| Various| This Is Real Sauce! | 5:32|
|Guilty| GALE GROUP | Latin essence | 4:17|
|Cumana| Valentin Valdez Drinks Salsa| 4:17|
|Once Enjoying| La Sonora Carousels | For Once Enjoying| 5:17|
|Download ’73| Type 73 | 4:53|
|TotalDownload| maraca| Latin Village Salsa (Mixed by DJ Mauri)| 6:00 |
|Return My Joy| Willie Rosario | More Rhythm | 4:10|
|Let yourself be loved| Jose Alberto “The Canary”| wounded| 5:11 |
|I say| Niche group | HistoryMusic, vol. 1| 4:58|
|tell me that yes| antonio cartagena | ten cents what if? 4:25|
|tell me that yes| Gilberto Santa Rosa Three With Cache | 4:19|
|Tell me if I arrived on time| Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco | Tremendous cache | 3:51|
|Dynamite| Fania Stars | Commitment| 4:50|
|Pain And Love| Ismael Miranda and Orch. Harlow| Open Step | 3:57|
|Pains| Estremera Channel | Opera Ecuajey | 4:26|
|Dominican soybeans| Raulin Rosendo | Dominican For The World | 4:54|
|Don Toribio| Mandinka Group | Back to the 70s| 4:26|
|Two Friends| Sunday Quinones | Greatest Hits| 4:00|
|Throwing Pa’Lante| Oscar D’Leon | The Cachumbambe | 3:57|
|The apartment| Willie Rosario | Back to the Future / 40th Anniversary| 4:19|
|The Famous Artist| Robert Blades | 5:51|
|The Ace of Rumba| Jose Alberto “The Canary” | Back to the Mambo: Tribute to Machito | 4:48|
|The Dancer of the Avenue| Carousels of Sonora| With All The Irons| 4:11 |
|The padlock and the key| Titus Allen | The Untouchable | 4:34|
Don’t get me wrong, there are multiple opinions about what are and are not the “100 best salsa songs”. But there are quite a few selections that are considered THE 100 best salsa songs in the world. In LA and in NY, in Italy and South Korea, in Puerto Rico and Venezuela, in Colombia or Panama… these songs will fill the dance floors and keep salseros (and salseras) happy and dancing until they drop! !
