Latin Dance Hit Songs by Era: Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba and Tango

This page is a reference translation of the Japanese original (日本語の原文). It has not been checked by a native speaker. Please confirm details with each organizer.

If you follow Latin dance music through time, these are well-known turning points: salsa in New York in the 1970s, bachata hits of the 1990s and 2000s, kizomba as a mix of Angolan music and zouk, and the golden age of tango from about 1935 to 1952. This article lists, dance by dance, only the songs whose title, artist and year I could confirm in sources. I left out songs I could not confirm.

About this article

I live in Sapporo and am in my 50s. In 2019 I discovered salsa and bachata in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where I was living for work, and I still dance today. I am not good at it, and I am not a teacher. I only introduce songs I confirmed in sources. I do not write my own tastes or memories.

I do not quote lyrics. To listen, search your music service by song title and artist name.

Good to know when choosing songs

Which songs are played at a dance party depends on the event and the DJ. The songs here are “songs said to represent their era.” They are not necessarily played at parties. How easy a song feels to dance to also differs from person to person.

Salsa: What songs come from each era?

Salsa is said to have spread widely in the 1970s, in the era of the New York label Fania. It is explained that in the 1980s “salsa romantica,” which sings about love, became popular.

Era	Song	Artist	Year	Notes
1970s	Mi Gente	Héctor Lavoe	1975	On his first solo album, La Voz. Arranged by Willie Colón.
1970s	Quimbara	Johnny Pacheco & Celia Cruz	1970s	Also known for Celia Cruz’s catchphrase “¡Azúcar!”
1970s	Pedro Navaja	Rubén Blades & Willie Colón	On the 1978 album Siembra	A song that tells a story. Siembra is said to be one of Fania’s best-selling albums.
1980s	Qué Locura Enamorarme de Ti	Eddie Santiago	1980s	One of the best-known songs of a singer called the “King of Salsa Romantica.”
1980s	Cali Pachanguero	Grupo Niche	1980s	Known as an anthem of the Feria de Cali (Cali Fair) in Cali, Colombia.
2010s	Vivir Mi Vida	Marc Anthony	2010s	Known as a hit in a salsa version.

The flow of salsa is also covered in History of Salsa.

Bachata: What songs come from each era?

Bachata is a music and dance born in the Dominican Republic. It is said to have become widely known through Juan Luis Guerra’s 1990 album. In the 2000s, Aventura’s hits made it known around the world.

Era	Song	Artist	Year	Notes
1990	Bachata Rosa	Juan Luis Guerra 4.40	1990 (album)	Released in December 1990. It won a Grammy and is said to be one of the reasons bachata became known worldwide.
1990	Burbujas de Amor	Juan Luis Guerra 4.40	1990	A single from the same album.
2000s	Obsesión	Aventura	2002	Reported to have reached No. 1 on the charts of several countries. On the album We Broke the Rules.
2010s	(solo career)	Romeo Santos	2011 onward	Aventura’s lead singer started a solo career in 2011. Several of his songs reached No. 1 on the US Latin charts.

The flow of bachata is also covered in History of Bachata.

Kizomba: What songs come from each era?

Kizomba is said to have been born in Angola, from the influence of Angolan semba and Caribbean zouk (music of the Antilles islands) on each other. “Kizomba” is explained to mean “party” in Kimbundu, a language of Angola.

Era	Song / work	Artist	Year	Notes
1980s	Zouk-la sé sèl médikaman nou ni	Kassav’	1984 (album Yélélé)	A song said to have spread the name of zouk around the world.
1990s	Luanda, Minha Banda	Eduardo Paím	1991–1992 (debut album)	A musician called the “father of kizomba.” His band’s work is said to have been important in establishing the genre.
2000s	On dit quoi	Kaysha	2003 (album It’s All Love)	Described as a worldwide hit of African music.
Late 2000s	(debut album)	Mika Mendes	2008	A singer who debuted on Kaysha’s label.

The flow of kizomba is also covered in History of Kizomba.

Argentine Tango: What songs come from each era?

The years from about 1935 to 1952 are said to be the “golden age” of tango. The “big four” orchestras of this era are said to be those of Juan D’Arienzo, Aníbal Troilo, Carlos Di Sarli and Osvaldo Pugliese.

Era	Song	Artist	Year	Notes
1900s	El Choclo	Ángel Villoldo	First performed in 1903	A song by Villoldo, a guitarist and composer.
1910s	La Cumparsita	(a song born in Montevideo, Uruguay)	Appeared around 1916 as an instrumental	Said to have received lyrics from the poet Pascual Contursi in 1924.
1930s	Por una Cabeza	Carlos Gardel	1930s	Said to be composed by Gardel.
1940s	La Yumba	Osvaldo Pugliese	Recorded in 1946	Said to be a signature song of one of the golden age’s big four orchestras.
1970s	Libertango	Astor Piazzolla	Recorded in Milan in 1974	Said to mark the change from traditional tango to “nuevo tango.”

The flow of tango is also covered in History of Argentine Tango.

How can I enjoy listening by era?

Start with one song per dance. Even in the same era, each dance has a different rhythm and mood. Listen to one song that interests you at a time and find what you like.
Use songs to choose a dance. You can also start with the dance whose music suits your mood. The choice of dance is summarized in Which Dance Suits You? Choosing Among the 4 Dances.
Songs at parties depend on the event. Each event’s DJ plays different music. For the feel of an event you are going to for the first time, see also Party, Lesson or Workshop? The Differences.

FAQ

Are the hit songs of each era often played at parties?

It depends on the event and the DJ. The songs here are “songs said to represent their era.” They do not show how often a song is played at parties.

Are the years and rankings accurate?

I list only the titles, artists and years that I could confirm in sources. Where sources differ on a year or spelling, I did not give an exact year. I gave a range, such as “1970s.” I avoid claiming that a song was the first or the best-selling.

Are lyrics or translations included?

No. I do not quote lyrics. I only give song titles and artist names. To listen, search your music service.

Are there events in Sapporo where I can listen and dance to these songs?

This article does not list Sapporo events or dates. For how to find dates, see the calendar information below.

You can also look up event dates on the Sapporo Latin Dance Calendar (札幌ラテンダンスカレンダー) (external site).

Sources I checked

I checked the following pages, among others, in October 2026.

Where sources differ on a song’s year or spelling, I give the year as a range. If you find a mistake, please let me know through Contact (Japanese).