Spanish 60s music. Popular Spanish songs from the 60s

Of course, the list dedicated to the best Spanish 60s music is also a good top to discover. An intense decade that in English culminated in Woodstock, psychedelia, peace, and love, and later turned those hippies into business tycoons with a very bad temper (apparently), but in Spain it was mainly focused on protest songs, melodic tunes, and folk music, gradually evolving towards ye-ye music and being influenced by the British Invasion by artists like The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. In any case, until then, we will immerse ourselves in this 60s decade without thinking about anything else. We hope you enjoy this journey that we will summarize below, in anticipation of what’s to come.

Immense amounts of Spanish songs from the 60s, but also in French, Italian, Portuguese, and other Romance languages (including all those belonging to the state), but also songs in English by non-Anglo-Saxon artists (what can you do). Because at Muros de Absenta, we don’t skimp on music. And since Spanish 60s music was so special and diverse (although you can also check out how the 60s music in English was), we trust that our division of lists by languages will help you as a user when it comes to finding or discovering some melodies forgotten by time. And since Spanish is our language, we’re going to give it more priority, in fact.

For good reason, if there’s one thing that stands out about Spanish music from the 60s, it’s the abundance of translations and covers of Anglo-Saxon songs. This circumstance wasn’t limited to Spain alone, but was also present in neighboring and not-so-neighboring countries. Continue discovering music from this decade year by year in the following links.

Spanish 60s music list. The most popular Spanish songs from the 60s

Once again, as our usual apology: we can’t always get the exact year of release of a single or album right when talking about the most popular Spanish songs from the 60s. Sources sometimes contradict each other, other times it’s more convenient to base it on the album than the single (especially if later tracks are included), etc. Our intention, in reality, is to introduce certain songs that were important to someone at some point and can be once again now. We claim not to always be up to date. Behind all those known and even parodied songs, there are great discoveries waiting that no one will regret, after the entire musical journey.

Not everything was ye-ye, but the Anglo-Saxon and French influence took its toll on a large part of the music, especially the more manufactured, and yet it was one of the genres that managed to convey the most personality to its audience. Remember to visit the links for each year to discover it all.

As an introductory page to the list you can continue discovering, simply by following the links to the following years in the list, we won’t reveal the songs and artists we’ll get to know year by year, but there will be a little of everything. Unforgettable musicians for all they now represent or represented. For our grandparents, or for childhoods and parents. Much nostalgia, but also a lot of weariness, stemming from television programs that don’t venture beyond those movies and repeat them over and over. A disservice that actually goes beyond the music itself (or the artist). Therefore, whenever you can, we advise you to take a prejudice-free journey through these melodious, native, and versioned songs, as imaginatively as possible.

Charles Aznavour – Les Deux Guitares

Charles Aznavour is the perfect example of a versatile singer and artist that emerged in this decade. Not in vain, he might be one of those who turned the most songs of the 60s into hits.

In reality, he covered all the aspects of showbiz (as it was understood then). Theater, circus, film, and music are his major experiences, but he has more. Tireless and unique, he has always been one step ahead of his time, with unique lyrics and melodies that were capable of conveying everything we couldn’t understand (although in those years, translations were much more common than now, precisely so that the meaning, albeit distorted, would always reach the listener).

Les Deux Guitares is one of his early hits, although not the most important one. An animated song that, in a certain way, can remind us of vaudeville, of the aforementioned circus. That kind of outdated entertainment (in several senses, with some logic, and perhaps less in others). A hint of what’s to come in the future. Is it a Greek dance? Is it a Russian dance? Maybe Armenian. Whatever it is, it livens up any dinner.

Dúo Dinámico – Quince Años Tiene Mi Amor

There has been much discussion about Quince Años Tiene Mi Amor due to the theme of its lyrics. Not only because of the age of the protagonist, but also (and above all) because they sang or recorded it as adults over the legal age. What more can be added for this song?

Édith Piaf – Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien

Édith Piaf practically bid farewell to the song with Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien, after a slew of hits that we already knew from talking about music from the 40s. We’re facing one of those great songs that not only go down in history but also enhance an artist’s career based on what it means as a farewell. Because Piaf is a true symbol of France, and her career spanned over three decades with a multitude of hits, many of which have retained their charm intact to this day.

José Guardiola – Dieciséis Toneladas

José Guardiola made a foray into modern music with this Spanish version of the famous original song, and truth be told, he did a pretty good job. In 1960, Spain started opening its doors to those Anglo-Saxon sounds that resonated so freshly in the ears of the young at that time.

Las Hermanas Benítez – Corazón De Melón

If you don’t know this song, even unknowingly, then you don’t speak a single word of Spanish. Just reading the title makes our brains start humming the tune and letting loose the frustration that comes with a melody sticking to you for a whole day or more.

Los Cinco Latinos – Eres Diferente

Because there are some songs that for one reason or another have endured in the collective imagination beyond ever having heard the original song. Although Eres Diferente has been popular due to this and other versions that have even had a chance to be seen on television today, the truth is that much of its longevity has to do with the people who still sing it.

Los Llopis – Estremécete

See this same case with Los Llopis, for example. Their version didn’t surpass the original and hasn’t affected us as much as said original. Nevertheless, it has its charm as well, especially within our list of 60s songs, because in the absence of the original song, we have this one (something that will happen more than once and is intentional, given the plethora of songs to choose from both in English and other languages).

Lucho Gatica – El Reloj

Clock, don’t mark the hours. Lucho smiles in this image, but the song doesn’t make you smile too much, to be honest, mainly due to its somewhat depressing or at least melancholic and timeless lyrics as long as we still have clocks.

Manolo Escobar – El Porompompero

And to finish, the eternal Manolo Escobar, with a true classic of Spanish music: El Porompompero. It’s like this: with a word that doesn’t say much, he manages to say everything and nothing at the same time, capturing the attention of all kinds of listeners and tastes towards a genre that’s now outdated but was then very popular and very Spanish.