Santana Songs 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 in 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. Here are all Santana songs ranked.
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20. Oxun (Oshun) (Shangó, 1982)
“I have always loved Santana was one of my groups I use to listen to growing up went to see them in concert what a great show was out doors I will always be a fan of their music”
19. Just Feel Better (All That I Am, 2005)
“This is a great song. Plus, it features the lead singer of the greatest band of all time, Aerosmith. Steven Tyler of Aerosmith sings it”
18. She’s Not There (Moonflower, 1977)
“I have always loved Santana was one of my groups I use to listen to growing up went to see them in concert what a great show was out doors I will always be a fan of their music”
See more: Santana Albums Ranked
17. Into the Night (Ultimate Santana, 2007)
“This song I like because it has elements that i like. It has night , moon, dancing, love and seems a bit magical. Of course i feel the singer does a great job with it. His gruff voice makes more magical and extoic. A little tribal like days of yore.”
16. Primavera (Supernatural, 1999)
“Primavera” is a sumptuous laid-back, soulful Latin number with the by now obligatory Spanish vocals. Awesome music. I never get tired of listening to Santana play. I just switch from CD to CD to keep them fresh….
15. Soul Sacrifice (Santana, 1969)
“This is an instrumental of unabridaled energy. Santana has so much awesome instruments, and Carlos sounds like he is in the jungle with a tiger, and is scoring some women while he is playing his kick ass guitar stuff. The drums are cool, love the Brasil instruments too. He should be fined for being so awesome.”
14. Hope You’re Feeling Better (Abraxas, 1970)
“I really like ‘Hope You’re Feeling Better’ quite a lot. Good vocals by keyboardist Gregg Rolie. Of course, Gregg Rolie should be lined up against a wall and shot for later forming the band Journey, but hey, you can’t always get what you want.”
13. Jingo (Santana, 1969)
“A mixture of sounds and chant-like lyrics, it’s the song’s African beat that gives the track is attraction although the swift guitar sounds provides interest as well.”
12. Maria, Maria (Supernatural, 1999)
“Maria Maria” was the album’s other big hit with Santana memorably being name checked in the lyrics before his guitar parts. It is full of contemporary hip/hop beats. Its huge bass part, though, is way too pounding, slightly distorting the sound of the song (and I love bass). The Spanish guitar parts are superb, however, as are the West African-influenced vocals.”
11. Everybody’s Everything (Santana III, 1971)
“Santana has that certain sound that gets your heart beating and your feet tapping. Not as famous as his “Black Magic Woman”, but this tune is definitely upbeat. Highly recommended for Santana fans.”
10. Say It Again (Beyond Appearances, 1985)
“It seems that the Supernatural period Santana has overshadowed Santana’s eighties output. Good song brings back memories of the mid eighties and Santana jamming onstage with. Pat Metheny @ Live Aid. Good Times”
9. Samba Pa Ti (Abraxas, 1970)
“Samba pa ti” is the track which made me love Santana. In the beginning I didn’t like the band when they released their eponymous album with the famous lion gob on its cover. The awesome melody in this instrumental Latino ballad and Carlos improvisation progression all along the track convinced me about his fabulous talent.”
8. Corazon Espinado (Supernatural, 1999)
“Corazón Espinado” is a classic slice of salsa-influenced rock with more authentic Spanish lyrics. This is a perfect song. Soul, dynamics, peaks, driving beat… Perhaps my favorite cut on the album, perhaps even more than the track everyone knows…”
7. Hold On (Shangó, 1982)
“A nicely urgent uptempo soul tune. This made #14 and was Santana’s last Top 40 hit before their big 1999 comeback.”
See more: Boz Scaggs Albums Ranked
6. The Game of Love (Shaman, 2002)
“God, this song is so frustrating. It’s got great hooks, great horns, a great guitar solo, and an irresistibly bouncy feel to it. I really want to love it, but Michelle Branch just brings me down every time I try and get lost in it. She’s got this awful, forced tone to her singing, like a high school theater student trying to sound like Christina Aguilera. Apparently Santana wanted Tina Turner to do the vocals, and while I don’t really like the idea of that (the song has a youthful effervescence to it that I would really want to keep), surely they could have found someone better than Branch. It’s still good, but it could have been so much better.”
5. Oye Como Va (Abraxas, 1970)
“Oye Como Va is a classic in the United States of America, it is a cover of Tito Puente which I surprisingly did not know until I saw PC Music’s review. The song is sung in Spanish and features the excellent guitar work of Carlos Santana. They should play this at every taco place from here to Albuquerque.”
4. Black Magic Woman (Abraxas, 1970)
“‘Black Magic Woman’ is a very good cover of the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac song, but I still like the original blues version. What is that you say? ‘Black Magic Woman’ was a Fleetwood Mac song? Yes, my dears, a long, long time ago, before Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac was one of the best British Blues Bands of all time. Unfortunately, Peter Green cared for his drugs more than his music, and…well…now you know the rest of the story.”
3. Smooth (Supernatural, 1999)
“The melodic construction, the harmonic flourishes, the interplay of vocal and guitar melodies, the samba-mambo variations in the piano line, the actual use of bona fide rests in the score, well-executed sex appeal, sweltering trumpet lines: all of these are unquestionably good things.”
2. Evil Ways (Santana, 1969)
“A staple of classic rock radio coast to coast! But will always go down as one of Santana’s most loved singles. Funny that Santana’s first top 40 single was a cover of a Jazz song. But I think Santana found a way to make it their own.”
1. Europa (Amigos, 1976)
“Europa from ” The Best of Santana” is an absolutely wonderful piece of music. I purchased the single mp3 and have played it a dozens of times. The instrumental has a haunting sound in the beginning and rises to a real melodic sound as it continues on”
