The 100 Best Songs to Dance Salsa – A Dancer’s Perspective (Part I)
When it comes to pleasing the dancers, you have to play the top 100 songs for salsa dancing. But what are they and who decides which are the 100 best songs for salsa dancing?
That’s a question many salsa DJs have asked 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 to play next) a major 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 real dancer with the meaning of song and music, salsa… well, a disaster is an understatement.
There have been times when I have had a PARTICULARLY difficult day and I am so stressed! I go to salsa clubs, hoping to hear some of the top 100 songs for salsa dancing that will turn my stress into joy. Some DJs, from the very first note/beat, manage to work real 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 chill down the spine. Feet start to move… and no matter how aware you are of 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 feeling of the songs. The type of DJ who plays the same songs over and over again, even in the same sequence, every time they play at an event/club. Or even worse, the kind that looks like they just stopped at the local Starbucks, saw a salsa CD between the Frank Sinatra and Yoga Relaxation Jazz CDs and decided… “sounds good, I’ll play it all night.”
As an “old-fashioned” salsa dancer, who understands what the singer is singing (and his “soneos” [improvisations]), those things make my salsa joy record turn around, almost to the end, 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 top 100 salsa songs DJs are playing 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 as a list of 500, but I have pulled out all the Cha-cha and some Merengues that made it through). I also divided the list into 5 lists of the 100 best songs for salsa dancing. PLEASE keep in mind that there are many more than these 100 Best Songs to Dance Salsa to; These are just THE ONE that DJs around the world have chosen (to post, at least), based on my research; as well as some of my own, which I play when I DJ. Also, they are in alphabetical order and NOT in order of popularity or dance 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| LuisitoRosario| Neighborhood Rumba| 4:06|
|1-800-Love Me (Remix)| LuisitoRosario| Neighborhood Rumba| 5:02|
|To Dance Inside| The Solution Orchestra| To dance | 4:23|
|In Cali| Classic set | Congratulations| 3:16|
|To Him| Oscar D’Leon| Hits With Critics| 3:47|
|A Stroke Of Folklore| Niche group | A Stroke Of Folklore| 4:59|
|In Gozar| José Alberto “The Canary”| I dream of you | 3:34|
|At the time they call me I go| Candide Fabre| 4:30 |
|At the time they call me I go| José Alberto “The Canary”| On time| 5:11|
|In Memory Of The Dead| Fruko and his Tesos | 4:22|
|Smells Me| Mulenze Orchestra| Salsa Party!| 4:11|
|To My Father-in-law (Don Pedrito)| Various Artists| Stellar Hard Sauce Collection| 3:55|
|Acere Bongo| Type 73 | 4:36|
|Warn my Opposite| Mandinka Group | Back to the 70’s | 4:13|
|Sharp| Louie Ramirez – Ray De La Paz| Class Flavor With| 6:06|
|Hot Ajiaco| Eddie Palmieri | mozambique| 5:38|
|Love| alex lion | Caleta Sauce | 5:06|
|Street Love| The Latino Brothers| The best of the Latin Brothers| 4:51|
|Repent Sinners| willie rosary | Back to the Future / 40th Anniversary| 4:31|
|Repent| Broadway Orchestra| Salsa 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 like that, chubby| ceasar nicolas| the best of the best| 4:00 |
|That’s Me| Larry Harlow | That’s Me| 5:42|
|This is how you don’t love anyone| Type 73| 3:52|
|Attack Again| Joe Cuba Sextet | Cooking The Sauce| 3:25|
|Stoke Me The Stove| willie rosary | Gold Salsero – 20 Hits| 5:07|
|Bold| KING RODRIGUEZ| In Today’s Sound Vol 1| 4:38|
|Even though you cry to me| Raphy Leavitt | Salsa Gold 20 Hits Vol 2| 4:52|
|Hail Maria Lola| Sonora carousels | heavy sauce | 4:08|
|Warn My Opposite| Tobacco and Rum Orchestra| Truth Sauce| 7:14 |
|Ay Caray| Adalberto Santiago | Popeye the Sailor| 5:31|
|sugar For A Bitter| Oscar D’Leon| With the Latin Dimension| 2:54|
|Babaila| Soneros of the Neighborhood | Following The Tradition| 4:41|
|Babarabatiri| Titus Bridge | Live At Birdland-Dancemania ’98| 8:29|
|Dance That Dance| Jose “The Canary” Alberto| Crystal Series: Greatest Hits| 4:48|
|Ban Ban| Joe Brook | Greatest Hits, Vol. 2| 3:12|
|Little flag (Little flag)| Larry Harlow | That’s Me| 5:36|
|Shoulder bag| Hector Lavoe| Comedy| 9:34|
|Bar And Drinks| Various Artists| Salsakidd Sauce Mix | 4:17|
|Black Quarter| sexy 990| Ultra Mix The Best Of Tropical Dance Salsa| 5:34|
|Guess| Willie Colon | The Great Rest – The Great Fugue| 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 | Guayacan And Good | 5:19|
|Black and White| Joe Brook | 20th Anniversary| 5:03|
|Liar Mouth| Andy Montanez | Gold Sauce Boat | 4:44|
|Boricua Rumbero Salsero| adalberto santiago| fat sauce| 4:05|
|Bravo Rumbero| Alfredo Naranjo and El Guajeo| At 6 Is The Appointment| 3:28|
|Buena Ventura and Caney| Niche group | HistoryMusic, vol. 1| 6:19|
|Buenaventura The Time Is Here| Huber Angel | Gozame| 4:18|
|Find The Rhythm| willie rosary | Gold Salsero – 20 Hits| 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 rosary | Back to the Future / 40th Anniversary| 4:35|
|funny| Fruko & His Treasures| Fruko Y Sus Tesos – Power Salsa| 4:57|
|Rumba Cali| Fruko & His Treasures| Fruko Y Sus Tesos – Power Salsa| 5:26|
|Cali Flamenco Mix| Marshmallow| My Best Hits| 6:21|
|shut up 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 He Gone| Cuckoo Valoy| Sonero| 4:18|
|Abacua Song| 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| José Alberto “The Canary”| On time| 6:00 |
|Chimpún Callao| Macondo Orchestra| Ultra Mix The Best Of Tropical Dance Salsa| 3:43|
|How is it possible| Luis Ramirez| Louie Ramírez and Super Banda| 5:04|
|How I sing it| Spanish Harlem Orchestra| Across the street 110| 4:32|
|How to forget you| Oscar D’Leon| 4:01|
|Travel Companion| Raphy Leavitt | Golden Salsero 20 Hits – VOL 1| 4:04|
|Heart of Steel| Cuckoo Valoy| Sonero| 4:14|
|When I see you| Mandinka Group | Back to the 70’s | 4:08|
|When I See You| harlem spanish| Across the street 110 | 4:50|
|Guitar Body| Miscellaneous| This Is Real Sauce!| 5:32|
|Guilty| GALE GROUP | Latin essence| 4:17|
|Cumana| Valentin Valdez Drinks From The Sauce| 4:17|
|At Once Enjoying| The Sonora Carousels| For Once Enjoying| 5:17|
|Download ’73| Type 73 | 4:53|
|Full Download| maraca| Latin Village Salsa (Mixed by DJ Mauri)| 6:00 |
|Return My Joy| willie rosary | More Rhythm | 4:10|
|Let yourself be loved| José 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 Orq. Harlow| Make Way | 3:57|
|Pain| Cano Estremera| Ecuajey Opera| 4:26|
|Dominican Soy| Raulin Rosendo| Dominican to the World | 4:54|
|Don Toribio| Mandinka Group | Back to the 70’s | 4:26|
|Two Friends| Sunday Quinones| greatest hits| 4:00|
|Casting Pa’Lante| Oscar D’Leon| The Cachumbambe| 3:57|
|The apartment| willie rosary | Back to the Future / 40th Anniversary| 4:19|
|The Famous Artist| Roberto Blades| 5:51|
|The Rumba Ace| José Alberto “The Canary” | Back to Mambo: Tribute to Machito| 4:48|
|The Avenue Dancer| Sonora carousels | 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 as to what are and are not the “100 Best Songs for Salsa Dance”. But there are quite a few selections that are considered TOP 100 songs to dance salsa around 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 the salseros (and salseras) happy and dancing their heads off! !