Santana Albums Ranked

Santana is an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1966 by Mexican-American guitarist and songwriter Carlos Santana. The band has undergone multiple recording and performing line-ups in its history, with Santana the only consistent member. Santana had early success with their appearance at Woodstock in 1969 and their first three albums, Santana (1969), Abraxas (1970), and Santana III (1971). Other important core members during this period include Gregg Rolie, Michael Carabello, Michael Shrieve, David Brown, and José “Chepito” Areas, forming the “classic” line-up. Santana is one of the best-selling groups of all time with 43.5 million certified albums sold the US, and an estimated 100 million sold worldwide. Its discography includes 25 studio albums, 14 of which reached the US top 10. In 1998, the line-up of Santana, Rolie, Carabello, Shrieve, Brown, and Areas was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2000, the band won six Grammy Awards in one night, a record tied with Michael Jackson, and three Latin Grammy Awards. Hre are all Santana albums ranked.

Don’t miss out the music of Carlos Santana and his band. Click below and listen to their timeless Latin songs.

10.Santana IV (2016)

“This album recaptures the magic that made the first Santana album so great: driving Latin percussion underlying Shrieve’s spot-on drumming, raw and sweet guitar solos from both Carlos and Michael, Gregg Rollie’s distinctive vocals and driving B3 organ, and some soulful guest vocals. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is just a rehashing of the early work by this band; there is definitely a modern feel in the vocals and the soloing that sets it apart. There is an excitement here throughout that shows what a joy it had to be for the performers to put this together.”

9.Amigos (1976)

“Backed with its defining track set starting with Dance Sister Dance (Baila Mi Hermania), the fun concludes on other classic hits like Take Me With You, Gitano, Europa (Earth’s Cry, Heaven’s Smile), Let Me and the R&B-tinged Let It Shine, which result into an album that was more dynamic at the time than Abraxis and Santana III that made this one of Santana’s greatest and important works and it returned the band to its Top Ten status since
Welcome dazzled listeners back in 1973. With bandmate David Brown remaining in the band that conquered Woodstock in 1969, Amigos took on it’s tighter, more uptempo beat with a more vocal approach which replace the jazz-rock and prog-rock sound with the stylings of R&B, funk and Mexican folk music that finally puts
a stop to there commercial slide. For a complete finishing touch, I would suggest you rip a live take of Europa (Earth’s Cry Heaven’s Smile) from the Viva Santana live compilation. So with David Rubinson as a producer, Amigos is a timeless gem from The Santana Band, which will shine on forever within the ages as a defining moment in the rock guitar mastermind’s rich spectacular legacy.”

8.Welcome (1973)

“The album opens with a trippy orchestral piece which is apparently based on Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” (I love both pieces but I fail to hear the resemblance). The opener feels like an out of body experience where the listener is chasing the light at the end of the tunnel. It’ the only way I can describe it. Throughout the album, the rhythms are complex and diverse. “Mother Africa” is a GORGEOUS song, and quite the percussion display: my favorite song on the album. “Flame-Sky” is an instrumental masterpiece rivalling “Promise of the Fisherman” off “Borboretta.” There are some dated tracks like “When I Look Into Your Eyes” that scream orange shag carpeting, wood panels, afros and everything 70s, but if that detracts you from your appreciation of the album overall, feel free to listen to Duran Duran or Nickelback instead.”

7.Borboletta (1974)

“Running just over 50 minutes, my interest was captivated from beginning to end; lush, beautiful keyboards throughout, great drums/percussion, beautiful singing & of course Carlos Santana’s brilliant guitar solos giving the landscape some fire. Lyrically, this is the album of a seeker although the questions posed are offered in the form of conclusions drawn by one looking for answers from Life. Although I did not always agree with these assertions, never-the-less I certainly understand them as parts of the human experience here in this world. Musically speaking, the absolutely gorgeous sound here on this album is WOW!!! “

6.Supernatural (1999)

“A great album with wonderful songs, maybe sold a lot more than expected, besides the song Smooth and Maria Maria had many others that were very successful”

See more: The Doors Albums Ranked

5.Moonflower (1991)

“Been listening to Moonflower since it was cut. Some of the best music ever recorded. Gotta listen to Carlos every day! Graham Lear is so awesome on this album, that there are no words to describe, just has to be heard.”

4.Santana III (1971)

“Everyone I know considers this to be Santana’s best. You have in this CD, the original band and the fresh sounding vocals of Greg Rollee, who by all accounts is the undisputed king of the Hammond B3 organ. Shades of Time is a great song. You Just Don’t Care is another…good lord they’re all wonderful. You also get as a bonus, three songs recorded at Woodstock which of course includes the unforgettable “Soul Sacrafice.” I saw this band perform at Stanfords Frost Ampitheater back in the 70’s and it was a thrill of a lifetime!”

3.Caravanserai (1972)

“Caravanserai was released in 1972 and is a brilliant album. You probably have to like jazz fusion to fully appreciate its charms. It contains many beautiful instrumental tracks that are melodic and accessible. The band had been listening to the music of Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Santana’s drummer, Mike Shrieve, claimed that he and Carlos Santana had grown tired of “rock and roll” and wanted to experiment with jazz. Unlike some jazz fusion groups, the band is tight and the solos fit the music perfectly. There is no self-indulgent jazz noodling on this album.”

2.Santana (1969)

“Great stuff. While I was not yet old enough at the time the album was produced (I heard the album first in the late 70’s), the feel is late 60’s and yet completely timeless at the same time. I think the voice of Gregg Rolie is just fantastic on a couple of the tracks, and the whole band is simply outstanding. There is a fair bit of bonus on the legacy version of the album. Abraxas and the third album are more polished, but perhaps the slight rawness of this first album is part of the attraction.”

1.Abraxas (1970)

“I had always loved latin music but this was a fantastic blend of rock and traditional latin rhythms. There’s not a bad track on the original album but for me the most magical moment is when Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen melts into the start of Oye Como Va – fantastic.”