70s, 80s and 90s music in English, Spanish and more

As we know, often in our search for music to listen to, we don’t just look for a specific decade. In this article, we offer you the possibility to listen to the 70s, 80s, and 90s music all in one Spotify playlist. Specifically, over 3000 songs, not only the best English music from these three decades but also in Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and much more.

If you look at the featured image of this post, you’ll notice that there is a majority of album covers from 1975 and 1985. However, if you pay closer attention, you’ll find several album covers from iconic albums released in 1995 hidden between those years. We hope this serves as entertainment before what comes next: a list of all kinds of the 70s, 80s, and 90s artists and groups with their best songs. The greatest hits of the last 30 years of the 20th century and some lesser-known gems.

All of this is because we couldn’t fit all the album covers from 1970 to 1999. Therefore, we chose intermediate years that help define the best international and national music of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, perfect for our playlist of songs from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. And, as always, don’t forget to subscribe to the playlist and visit the profile to find more similar playlists.

Playlist of songs from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, international and national

This is our selection of artists and groups from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, just as we did with the singers from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. As is usual in most of our playlists, the only criterion for sorting this one has been the year of release (usually the album, sometimes the single), followed by alphabetical order of each group or artist.

So, despite having over 3000 songs from the 70s, 80s, and 90s in one playlist, you can choose which year to listen to by starting with the A’s after finishing the Z’s (for example). In any case, we also have these same playlists divided by individual years and decades. If you’re interested in a specific decade, you can find it through the user mentioned in the playlist.

Selection of the best 70s, 80s, and 90s music in English

As of today, many of the artists who will be featured in our selection are still active and enjoying even greater success than what they achieved in their English music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. In fact, it may be the case that these very successes have led us to include them in this playlist. Regardless, the only criterion we followed in this top 5 of singers and groups from the 70s, 80s, and 90s is the number of songs on the list, ensuring they each have at least one from each decade.

Stevie Wonder

Many now associate Stevie Wonder’s name with romantic English music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. However, that was more of a characteristic of the 90s, even though he has always been a romantic at heart. However, we often associate romance with pop or even languidness, whereas the love that the singer expresses in his lyrics is almost always upbeat, funky, and very danceable. That’s why he is one of the greatest singers in history for us.

Examples of his hits include: “Don’t You Worry ’bout A Thing,” “Higher Ground,” “I Wish,” “Isn’t She Lovely,” “Sir Duke,” “I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever),” “Superstition,” “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life,” “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours),” and “We Can Work It Out” in the 70s. In the 80s, we have “That’s What Friends Are For,” along with Dionne Warwick, Elton John, and Gladys Knight, “Part-Time Lover,” “Master Blaster (Jammin’),” and “I Just Called To Say I Love You.” In the 90s, we find “How Come, How Long,” a collaboration with Babyface.

Michael Jackson

But undoubtedly, the biggest name we must highlight on this list is Michael Jackson. With a meteoric career from a very young age, first with his brothers in The Jackson 5 and then as a solo artist, he became a major symbol of disco music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, leaving a lasting impact on the pop music scene.

In the 70s, his standout works, first as part of The Jackson 5, include: “ABC” and “I’ll Be There.” As a solo artist in the 70s, we have: “Rockin’ Robin,” “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough,” and “Rock With You.” However, it’s in the 80s when he reached the pinnacle of sales, becoming a record-breaking artist. Hits like “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” “Thriller,” “Say Say Say” (with Paul McCartney), “Bad,” “Smooth Criminal,” and “The Way You Make Me Feel” are just a few examples. In the 90s, we can find successes such as “Black Or White,” “Heal The World,” “They Don’t Care About Us,” and “You Are Not Alone.”

Queen

The band Queen, a reference in classic rock music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, is a mandatory presence in our list, even though they couldn’t achieve more hits in the 90s due to the sad death of the band’s frontman, Freddie Mercury, as a result of complications from HIV/AIDS.

Among their great hits from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, we highlight the following: “Killer Queen,” “Now I’m Here,” “Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy,” “Somebody To Love,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Love Of My Life,” “Bicycle Race,” “We Are The Champions,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” and “We Will Rock You” in the 70s. In the 80s, we have “Another One Bites The Dust,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Under Pressure” (with David Bowie), “I Want To Break Free,” “Radio Ga Ga,” “A Kind Of Magic,” “Friends Will Be Friends,” “A Kind Of Magic,” and “I Want It All.” As previously mentioned, their success in the 90s was cut short due to the tragedy, preventing us from knowing what could have happened with one of the greatest bands in history and one of the most charismatic singers in the world, who left us all too soon, leaving “The Show Must Go On” as a parting gift.

Elton John

With the permission of Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles, Elton John is the man forever associated with a piano. His extensive career, intertwined with a complex life not only because of his sexuality during times when it could be problematic to the public (with mentalities that never stop trying to interfere in the lives of others), has provided material for a biopic in cinema and a variety of songs over the years. In our playlist, we’ve added the following tracks for you to listen to them all:

• • • 70s hits:
      • Your Song
      • Tiny Dancer
      • Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time)
      • Crocodile Rock
      • Bennie And The Jets
      • Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
      • Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
      • Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
    • 80s hits:
      • Little Jeannie
      • I’m Still Standing
      • That’s What Friends Are For
      • Nikita
    • 90s hits:
      • Can You Feel The Love Tonight
      • Circle Of Life

Selection of the best 70s, 80s, and 90s music in Spanish

After this mainly playlist-focused introduction, here we will select the most important singers from the 70s, 80s, and 90s in Spanish. That is, not necessarily only Spanish singers. It’s evident that the probability is higher, given the origin of the blog, but we don’t really know which groups have the most songs throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

Joaquín Sabina

The singer-songwriter Joaquín Sabina has enjoyed a successful career up to the present day. His first work was released in 1978, barely making it onto our list. In that album, titled “Inventario,” we find the song “1968,” where he talks about the spirit of May ’68 in France, although the single released to promote it was actually “Mi Vecino De Arriba.”

It was in the 80s that his career truly took off with projects like “La Mandrágora” alongside Javier Krahe and Alberto Pérez, and songs like “Ocupen Su Localidad,” “Pacto Entre Caballeros,” “Quién Me Ha Robado El Mes De Abril,” “Princesa,” or “Pongamos Que Hablo De Madrid,” revealing a very distinct personality with his own style that has been imitated and honored countless times afterward. Between being a rogue and playing with words that rival metaphors, he became one of the names that has stirred passions among audiences of all ages.

His success continued into the 90s, where we find songs like “La Del Pirata Cojo,” “Y Nos Dieron Las Diez,” “Y Sin Embargo,” “Contigo,” “19 Días Y 500 Noches,” or collaborations like “Llueve Sobre Mojado,” alongside Fito Páez, or “No Soporto El Rap (No Sopor…, No Sopor…),” with Manu Chao and other voices that are not usually mentioned and we can’t place.

Joan Manuel Serrat

The career of the Catalan singer-songwriter Serrat is one of the most active and complete among those we include here. As is usual, the relevance of each new work goes through ups and downs, sometimes making him a prominent artist and other times not generating much interest (though this is rare).

Serrat in the 70s

In 1970, he triumphed with the song “Penélope” and released the album “Mi niñez,” which was censored by the Franco regime. This was a common occurrence until the end of the dictatorship, but the singer-songwriter continued to fight against it, and in late that year, he participated in the artist gathering at the Monastery of Montserrat as a protest against the Burgos trial and against the death penalty. It was there that he began composing the song “Mediterráneo” and the rest of the album with the same title, although it was recorded between August and November of 1970, split between Hotel Batlle in Calella de Palafrugell, Hondarribia (Guipúzcoa), and Cala d’Or (Mallorca).

This album was released in 1971 and is one of the most important in the history of Spain. We remember the song “Aquellas Pequeñas Cosas.” A year later, he released the album “Miguel Hernández,” a carefully crafted musicalization of a selection of verses by the poet from Orihuela. In 1973, he released the album “Para Mi Amigo,” considered by some critics as one of the most successful of his career. From this compilation, we highlight “Helena,” a song of longing for a lost love, and “Padre,” a firm denunciation of the destruction that nature suffers. Finally, in 1974, Spanish Television lifted the ban on him , and he offered the special “A Su Aire,” where he also performed songs in Catalan. However, due to statements he made in 1975 in Mexico publicly condemning the last executions of the Franco regime, he was forced into exile until the amnesty law during the Transition, when he returned to public life in the country.

Serrat in the 80s

Regarding the 80s, he released the album “En Tránsito,” which brought him to the top of the Spanish charts and gave a mature and renewed air to his work. In 1983, “Cada Loco Con Su Tema” was released, and he embarked on a major tour of South America, except for Chile, as he was prevented from entering the country by a decree from dictator Pinochet’s interior ministry.

It is interesting to note that his activism continued in other Spanish-speaking countries. In Argentina, with the imminent fall of the self-proclaimed dictatorship “Proceso de Reorganización Nacional,” his concert at Luna Park became a historic event symbolizing the victory of democracy. That same year, the live album “En directo” was released, a double LP that contained the 1983 tour in Spain. In the following years, he released “Hace Veinte Años Que Tengo Veinte Años” (1984), with the ecological protest song “Plany Al Mar,” “Sería Fantástico,” and “El Sur También Existe” (1985), where he set to music verses by the Uruguayan poet Mario Benedetti. In 1987, the album “Bienaventurados” was released, featuring the titular song, a criticism of Christian churches, both Catholic and Protestant, and “Lecciones De Urbanidad,” which exposes the dictatorships that still exist. In 1989, he released the album “Material Sensible,” which includes noteworthy tracks such as “Barcelona I Jo,” “Salam Rashid,” a plea against racism featuring Paco de Lucía, and “Kubala,” a tribute to the famous footballer.

Serrat in the 90s

In the 90s, like most music around the world, but especially in Spain, some trends changed enough for the concept of protest songs to be considered boring. Perhaps that’s why Serrat’s career was less active, and he shifted slightly, maintaining his essence, towards less common territories. In 1996, he recorded a double album that was an anthology of the songs of his colleagues from “Nova Cançó,” titled “Banda Sonora D’Un Temps, D’Un País.” As his own songs, he chose “Me’n Vaig A Peu” and a piano version of “Paraules D’Amor,” performed in 1969 by Tete Montoliu. This was Serrat’s last album released on LP format until its revival decades later. Also, in 1996, he went on a tour of Spain with Víctor Manuel, Ana Belén, and Miguel Ríos, with the show “El Gusto Es Nuestro,” which toured several countries in America in 1997.

Julio Iglesias

The singer Julio Iglesias is a global music legend. Very little of what we comment on about his discography or his career can do justice to his worth. With a very distinctive and personal style, he is the only one who can sing like that and not be ridiculed, even though he has been parodied and imitated to exhaustion. Regarding his successes in the 70s, 80s, and 90s in Spanish, they are as follows:

• 70s hits:
  • Gwendolyne
  • Un Canto A Galicia
  • A Flor De Piel
  • Abrázame
  • Soy Un Truhán, Soy Un Señor
  • Pobre Diablo
• 80s hits:
  • Hey!
  • Volver A Empezar
  • Nathalie
  • Amor
  • Me Va, Me Va
  • América
  • Caballo Viejo / Bamboleo
• 90s hits:
  • Agua Dulce, Agua Salá
  • Milonga Sentimental
  • Y Aunque Te Haga Calor
  • Tango
  • Moralito (La Gota Fria)

Miguel Bosé

Hijo del torero Luis Miguel Dominguín y la actriz Lucía Bosé y tío de la modelo y cantante Bimba Bosé, desde muy joven Miguel Bosé formó parte de la vida de la gente. Aunque con apariciones en algunas películas (incluida Suspiria), destacó más en el mundo de la música. Primero guiado por Camilo Sesto, después en solitario, parece que el número de éxitos acumulados, junto con el hecho de ser descendiente de la flor y nata de su momento, hicieron que pensara en sí mismo como un genio, prácticamente hablando de sí mismo en tercera persona. Pero hablemos de sus canciones.

• 70s hits:
  • Super Superman
  • Linda
  • Amiga
• 80s hits:
  • Sevilla
  • Amante Bandido
  • Te Amaré
  • Don Diablo
• 90s hits:
  • Si Tú No Vuelves
  • Los Chicos No Lloran
  • Manos Vacías
  • Este Mundo Va

Roberto Carlos

El cantante brasileño Roberto Carlos es una de las caras más habituales de nuestra página. Sus éxitos mundiales ya explican los motivos. Creíamos que el hecho de que aquí estemos hablando de los 90 habría reducido las probabilidades de su aparición aquí. Sin embargo, como con Serrat, la realidad es que su fama a lo largo de los años hizo que el cariño de sus fans nunca dejara que cayeran en el olvido. Ejemplos de canciones disponibles en nuestra lista…

• 70s hits:
  • Detalles
  • Propuesta
  • Amada Amante
  • La Distancia
  • Actitudes
  • Un Gato En La Oscuridad (o El Gato Que Está Triste Y Azul)
  • El Progreso
  • Yo Sólo Quiero
  • Amigo
  • Lady Laura

80s hits:

• Amante A La Antigua
• Cama Y Mesa
• Camionero
• Si El Amor Se Va

• Si Piensas, Si Quieres
• Por Ella
• Mujer Pequeña
• Abrázame Así
• 90s hits:
  • Si Piensas, Si Quieres
  • Por Ella
  • Mujer Pequeña
  • Abrázame Así