I reached the end of the 1960s with 41 sonorous gems in several different Romance languages. To finish the decade, I review the best songs of 1969 in Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese to close 10 years that are equivalent to a selection of 230 songs in languages derived from Latin.
Because I don’t like to limit myself to only two languages, being able to discover and recommend so much good music from other places and in other languages. Something that our parents and grandparents know a lot more about, at least those who were young at this time and could enjoy listening to classics like Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, published in the most erotic year of the century (according to its authors), although in some countries it would not reach us until years later (i.e. because of censorship in Spain).
Thus, on the one hand you can find the Spotify playlist that I have developed so that you can listen to all the songs in this selection while on the other hand you have the possibility of reading about these popular songs from 1969 and about the Spanish artists and groups of the 60s and other countries if you want.
Popular songs from 1969 and top hits in Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese
Andrés Do Barro – O Tren
This Galician from Ferrol Andrés Do Barro was the first Spanish singer-songwriter to reach number 1 with a song sung in Galician, Corpiño Xeitoso. This, in the historical context that Spain was experiencing, was a revolutionary act, something dangerous. You see, something as simple as singing in your own language.
O Tren is a song with a happy rhythm, but with a touch of nostalgia for someone who has spent time away from home and finally returns. It is on the journey that train travels that one remembers and longs for all the good things that have happened in that land.
Bambino – El Poeta Lloró
Miguel Vargas, Bambino, was a flamenco singer from Utrera who dared not only with bulerías, but also flamenco tangos, boleros, cuplés, ballads and rancheras. There was nothing that could resist him. They called him the cultivator of dramatic rumba, thanks to that original and unmistakable style, full of feeling and passion.
A clear example of this is El Poeta Lloró, in which we can perfectly feel the rage and frustration of that poet who tried to make the world see love and beauty, receiving ridicule and indifference in return.
Caetano Veloso – Lost In The Paradise
Apart from being a musician, which ran in his family, Caetano Veloso was a multifaceted Brazilian artist is also a poet, filmmaker and political activist. He is part of the so-called tropicalism, a musical movement whose mission was to make known the importance of traditional music. Like many Spanish artists, Caetano also had to go into exile due to the dictatorship of his country.
Lost In The Paradise is a song full of peace and harmony, it is a song to nature, to the world, to letting go and taking time to get to know yourself.
Catherine Ribeiro + 2 Bis – Les Fées Carabosses
Catherine Ribeiro + 2 Bis was a French group that only published one self-titled album and which is not available on Spotify, whose cover was them in front of a building, which is where they recorded the album and which was located at 2 Bis on that street. They were later called Alpes, for whatever reason.
Catherine gave her personal touch to the songs with that sensual voice, her laughter and screams making each song a pure sound spectacle. Les Fées Carabosses is a song that transports us to a fantastic world of evil witches. A song that, through very intelligently constructed metaphors, makes social criticisms.
Fórmula V – Cuéntame
Formula V was a pop group from Madrid that was very successful then and had a certain rivalry with Los Mitos. Artist stuff!
The fact is that, if I had to assess who had it the most, there is no doubt that Formula V’s Cuéntame was and continues to be a huge success, thanks in part to the TV series of the same name with countless seasons. And what’s more, Cuéntame is a whole “I told you so” dedicated to that person who vilely left us and who, just as we predicted, would return to be able to rub that mistake in their face.
Georges Moustaki – Le Métèque
George Moustaki (Moustache, as we would call him in confidence here in Spain, since we are very joking), was a man who did everything. He played several instruments and spoke many languages: French, Greek, English and to a lesser extent German, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Yiddish, Basque and Hebrew. Come on, what has been a crack.
Le Métèque is one of his greatest hits, a song in which he, an immigrant with Jewish-Greek roots, talks about his feelings: longings, joys, sadness… In short, those feelings that any human being has, regardless of anywhere.
Jacques Brel – Vesoul
I have already said before that Jacques Brel is one of the great representatives of the Chanson Française, a reference for other artists who have covered and performed his songs all over the world. His songs were characterized by poetry, the presence of rhetorical figures, word games and, above all, a lot of feeling.
Vesoul is like a tongue twister, sung with a mastery and elegance that is a pleasure to hear. Accompanied by an accordion, Brel sings faster and faster and mentions places in France, including Vesoul, the city where he spent a couple of days and which served as his inspiration.
Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg – Je T’aime…Moi Non Plus
Having a lover (Brigitte Bardot) with whom you record a very erotic song and publishing it anyway is not the best idea in the world. But at that moment Serge Gainsbourg didn’t think it was that big of a deal, mind you. The fact is that this love triangle ended up badly, the song stopped being broadcast and later Serge Gainsbourg met Jane Birkin, who would become his romantic partner and they recorded the song again.
And Serge was not wrong. The song, which was censored in several countries for being considered pornographic (yes, Spain was of course among those countries) became a resounding success. This representation of a sexual relationship in the form of a song reached the highest numbers on several music charts and has been endlessly covered.
Joan Manuel Serrat – Cantares
Since he began his musical career, back in the 60s, Serrat has become one of the great representatives of Spanish music. His characteristic voice and his poetic lyrics have accompanied us since then, and a few decades have passed…
Cantares is part of the tribute album that Serrat dedicated to the Spanish poet Antonio Machado. It was the singer-songwriter’s second album in Spanish and although few trusted the success of the album, luckily they were wrong. Serrat manages to make Antonio Machado’s poetry reach the entire world, at a time when this simple act could be considered an act of rebellion.
And the Cantares perfectly represented the moment that the country was experiencing, Machado spoke of his exile and Serrat was censored. Walker, there is no path, the path is made by walking.
Joan Manuel Serrat – La Saeta
Belonging to this same tribute album to Machado, La Saeta was considered a poem that praised Holly Week processions. It was, however, a criticism of religious devotion and fanaticism from which Antonio felt very far away. The poet published it in 1914 in his book Campos de Castilla and Serrat gave it voice and strength in 1969.
As I have already said, publishing this album was a brave thing for Serrat to do, a way to honor the memory of a great poet at a time when others were trying to erase him from Spanish history.
Joan Manuel Serrat – Penélope
Penélope was the song chosen to represent Spain at the Rio de Janeiro International Popular Song Festival. Serrat composed it with Augusto Algueró and it came in sixth position. In addition, he won the awards for best lyrics, music and interpretation, which opened the doors to the Latin American world.
Penélope is a beautiful and sad song that tells us about a girl who waits every Sunday with her brown leather bag for her lover to return by train, just as she promised him. And when he arrives, Penélope doesn’t recognize him. The song is based on a passage from the Odyssey that I invite you to look up if you don’t know.
Joan Manuel Serrat – Tu Nombre Me Sabe A Yerba
Tu Nombre Me Sabe A Yerba is part of Serrat’s first album in Spanish, it is a simple song in terms of theme, it is a love song, but beautifully written as if it were poetry. And Serrat is a poet, he has a unique ability to express what he feels and do it in his own way.
The singer Marisol performed this song in 1971, Antonio Flores in 1995 and Serrat himself has sung it with Sabina. Different versions that we like equally.
Joe Dassin – Les Champs-Élysées
Joe Dassin was a citizen of the world, he was born in New York, he had Jewish, Russian, Polish, Ukrainian roots on the one hand and Austro-Hungarian on the other. He and his family had to go into exile in Europe and ended up in France where Joe would begin his musical career. The man had talent not only for music, but he was also polyglot and sang in German, Spanish, Italian, Greek and Japanese, apart from English and French, of course.
Les Champs-Élysées is an emotional song that talks about that area of Paris where anything is possible, whether day, night, rain or shine. Chance is always there to bring about the most longed-for encounters that we didn’t know we longed for.
Juan Erasmo Mochi – Mamy Panchita
This Barcelonan singer got his start in music covering songs by Georges Brassens and Jacques Brel throughout Europe accompanied by his guitar. Later he was briefly part of the groups Beta Cuartet, The Runaways and Los Bravos, which I already talked about recently reviewing the music of many Spanish groups of the 60s. He combined his solo career with his film career and as a composer for other artists such as Nino Bravo.
Mamy Panchita is a fun song that tells us about a unique, happy woman, with an incomparable smile, a dancer with a charisma that makes everyone like her. In addition to Juan, it was performed by Marisol, with that grace and elegance of hers.
Julio Iglesias – La Vida Sigue Igual
Regardless of whether we believe his love affairs, what cannot be denied is that Julio Iglesias is a machine, but one for making hits. And since the 60s, in which he became known with La Vida Sigue Igual, there are dozens of albums and awards that accredit the talent of the Madrid native.
With this song Julio Iglesias entered the Benidorm Song Festival and won. In it he speaks to us, not without a certain nostalgia, about how life is a cycle that repeats itself, we will leave but others will arrive and there will continue to be the same concerns, the same reasons to live or to fight.
Karina – El Baúl De Los Recuerdos
If Karina has stood out for something and continues to stand out for something, it is for that contagious joy that she always has and that she transmits to us in each of her songs. A multifaceted woman who has known how to adapt to the times and today she is an Instagrammer who has stolen our hearts. Let it continue like this, because we live in times in which good vibes are appreciated.
As happens in El Baúl De Los Recuerdos, where she reminds us that we may have bad times, but that good times will always come. And that it is not bad to look at the past, but to a certain extent, because we have a whole life ahead of us and there is no point in anchoring ourselves in it.
Leo Dan – Te He Prometido
Leopoldo Dante, better known as Leo Dan (I don’t know if because at that time they charged per character) is an Argentine musician who showed his interest in music from a young age. At the age of 20 he published his first album in Buenos Aires where he triumphed in just one week. His success spread not only through South America, he was also successful in Spain and cover versions of more than 1,500 of his songs have been made in different genres and in different languages.
Te He Prometido is the typical song about a poor boy who is left by his sweetheart and then suffers, but not much, because he spends half the song with the typical “you miss it.” And let’s see, maybe no, maybe he wins, but hey, everyone has their self-esteem the way they want.
Lola Flores – Que Me Coma El Tigre
La Faraona (The Pharaoh) Lola Flores could well be considered the cultural heritage of Spain, because we have to see what legacy this great multifaceted woman left us. Dancer, copla, rumba, even ranchera singer and actress. And on top of all that, she was daring, she spoke about whatever she wanted without any fear.
Her repertoire of hits includes happy and fun songs that we have all danced to at some point, for sure. Like, for example, Que Me Coma El Tigre, a suggestive song if there ever was one, full of hints that, for a good listener, few words are enough. Although we don’t know if when she says “quieres que me coma el tigre”, she means that “you want the tiger to eat me” or “you want me to eat the tiger”.
Lone Star – La Trilogía (Dios, El Hombre Y El Amor)
At a time when all rock groups were “Los X” or “Los Y” (similars to “The X”), Lone Star broke the rule and dazzled the public with their exquisite versions. Furthermore, they were one of the first to sing in English in a country that at that time was more interested in the Swedish language, hehe.
La Trilogía (Dios, El Hombre Y El Amor) is part of the group’s repertoire of tracks, a song performed with great mastery that poses metaphysical as well as religious, ethical and moral dilemmas. And what sense does it make that we exist to do evil, that we use words to lie or that we have hands to later stain ourselves with blood? It seems like a simple question, but anyone with even the slightest scruples has probably asked themselves this kind of thing more than once.
Los Javaloyas – El Beso
Los Javaloyas, one of those groups that followed the “Los X” trend, were a pop band that began their musical adventures in the 1950s. They mainly succeeded in Mallorca, at a time when the island was dominated by tourists, but its success reached Europe. They even had the opportunity to play with The Beatles.
El Beso is probably the group’s best-known song, a pasodoble that may be somewhat politically incorrect, but it is certainly right when it says that a kiss of love is not given to just anyone. Olé!
Los Mismos – Voy a Pintar Las Paredes Con Tu Nombre
Los Mismos, the Valladolid trio led by Helena Bianco became known in the 1960s thanks to their version of Supercalifragilisticexpialidoso, from the film Mary Poppins. However, it was not until El Puente, when they confirmed their success. And there is no one who has never sung “it will be wonderful to travel to Mallorca”.
Another of their hits was their version of Voy A Pintar Las Paredes Con Tu Nombre, a naive song in which just decorating the walls is enough to show how much you love someone. Don’t let the children listen to this, because it can be apocalyptic.
Los Mitos – Es Muy Fácil
The classic Es Muy Fácil by Los Mitos has survived decades and decades in the collective memory of an entire country. A catchy chorus like itself, along with a hum that invites you to be happy, serve as the basis for creating an unforgettable hit. This trio formed by Carlos Zubiaga, Ramón Elorrieta and Tony Landa have lived up to the name of their band throughout their career (from 1966 to 1975) with songs like this one or Cuando Vuelvas.
Los Payos – Compasión
Despite not being the most famous song by Los Payos, this group that pioneered genre mixes gave Compasión a real hit. They hooked many, becoming one of the most important groups of 1969 in Spain without a doubt. Not in vain, we are talking about the B-side of the star single, which I mention below. That was the level.
Los Payos – María Isabel
We associate María Isabel with summer songs (as if we had lived it then), perhaps as knowledge acquired through television, our parents or our grandparents. The truth is that, having reviewed the song’s Wikipedia right now to ensure that this information is correct, I have confirmed that yes, it was the song of the summer in 1969 (and one of the biggest hits of the decade).
Nor can we deny that the lyrics of the song, to the rhythm of rumba and Latin music, also give us some clues about the time of year that it is remembering, through a summer love that movies and songs have so often developed.
Los Z-66 – Noches De Blanco Satén
One of the greatest hits of 1967 worldwide, originally from the band The Moody Blues, was translated and covered with great quality by Los Z-66, a group perhaps not as remembered as other expert “translators” of foreign hits, but who here they knew how to make this Nights In White Satin his own, without removing any of the essence from the original and maintaining a very natural tone.
If you’re wondering what other music groups were the experts in translating songs from English to Spanish, well, you’ll see:
- Lone Star were The Animals
- Los Salvajes were Rolling Stones
- Los Mustangs were The Beatles
Of course, many other bands made Spanish versions of greatest hits in other languages, but not all of them became literally the Spanish translation of the Anglo-Saxon versions. Of course, all of them showed years later (or even at that time with their B-sides) to have a high level, but hey, some things come with the time.
Los Íberos – Las Tres De La Noche
For many, Los Íberos were the great Spanish group of the 60s and 70s that could have been and was not. That is: in a very few years, they showed enormous quality on a musical level, with harmonious compositions, generational lyrics and a sound quite adjusted to the times, although perhaps they appeared on the market a little late. In fact, at first their career was based, with less success than Los Mustang, on making covers of songs by The Beatles and other similar groups.
In any case, songs like Las Tres De La Noche that we take with us, since they only published one LP throughout their career (they were the first Spanish band to record an album in London), and in it we find two unforgettable songs by 1969. If you didn’t know them and you like the music that Módulos made, for example, this band is a good recommendation.
Lourdes Iriondo – Ez Gaude Konforme
María Lourdes Iriondo Múgica was, despite not appearing on our list of Spanish singer-songwriters, one of the most relevant singers of the New Basque Song, singing and composing in Basque. Despite enjoying quite a bit of success (given the circumstances of Spain in 1969), her career was quite short. She started around 1964, giving over the next two years more than 150 live concerts. Her sweet and happy voice accompanied by her guitar attracted the attention of many music lovers, thanks also to the Basque versions of popular songs.
She joined the group Ez Dok Amairu, the popular cultural movement, and performed with this group in Barcelona and many other places in the country. When the group dissolved in 1972, Iriondo left the stage and never set foot on it again, dedicating herself to writing children’s literature and theater.
Lucio Battisti – Non È Francesca
The Italian singer Lucio Battisti, whom many will remember for the 1972 song Il Mio Canto Libero, felt to a lesser extent what success was with the song Non È Francesca. Thus, a movement mainly coming from Italy began to explode, but which was soon adopted by other nearby countries, mixing rock, ballads and light music: the melodic song.
Of course, here Battisti ends with a few psychedelic touches that we won’t see as much years later in this type of songs.
Manolo Escobar – Mi Carro
We return to Spain with the classic Mi Carro by Manolo Escobar, another of those songs that we can still often hear today in the voice of a friend, acquaintance or family member. Whether ironically or seriously, the truth is that it endures, thanks to fun lyrics that actually hide a drama, and to a very pleasant rhythm.
Matt Monro – No Puedo Quitar Mis Ojos De Ti
The truth is that there is no need to say much about No Puedo Quitar Mis Ojos De Ti, a tremendous song, regardless of the language in which it is sung. Matt Monro, largely thanks to those wind instruments that make us all dance or at least move our arms very happily.
Miguel Ríos – Himno A La Alegría
Beethoven’s famous piece of music was used by Miguel Ríos to turn his career into gold many years before he produced Rock and Ríos and sang Bienvenidos in 1982. Before that and publishing Himno A La Alegría, he had already published El Río, that you can find in my list of music from 1968 in Spanish, but it seems that few things can compete against classics like the first mentioned or Santa Lucía. In any case, the immortality of this song is undeniable; a true classic.
Mike Kennedy – La Lluvia
The voice of Los Bravos tried to fly solo with La Lluvia, with which he tried to maintain a bit of the tone of his old band, especially thanks to the personality of his unique voice (when singing in Spanish), but more danceable and supported by greater instrumentation. Success did not take long to come, although it probably did not last as long as he would have liked.
Os Brazões – Tão Longe De Mim
Long live psychedelia! Especially everything that came from Brazil. An example is Os Brazões, a Brazilian psychedelic rock and tropicalism band that had among its members future stars such as Gal Costa and Tom Zé, who I will talk about again in the decade that follows this one.
Paco Ibáñez – A Galopar
After having published the album La Poesia Española De Ahora Y De Siempre in 1967, Paco Ibáñez returned to the musical scene in 1969 with the LP La Poésie Espagnole De Nos Jours Et De Toujours, the album that definitively catapulted him to fame in France, where he recorded a live album at the legendary Olympia Theater (founded in 1888 by the Spanish Josep Oller).
In this case, the poem set to music by Ibáñez belongs to Rafael Alberti, who in 1991 would recite it live with him in a unique concert performed at the Teatro Alcalá (Madrid) and which I strongly recommend from here.
Paco Ibáñez – Palabras Para Julia
This is one of my favorite songs of all time. If you are a follower of this blog, you may already be familiar with the selection I made of the best song lyrics in Spanish, but it is not the only one. The truth is that I also talked about Palabras Para Julia, the musical version of the poem by José Agustín Goytisolo, in the list of songs for Father’s Day.
Perlita De Huelva – Amigo Conductor
As we reach the final stretch of the list of songs from 1969 in Spanish and other Romance languages (and also in Basque, because it is not good to narrow it down for the sake of narrowing it down), we continue to remember great unforgettable classics not only of our music, but above all of our popular culture. Who has not ever sung this song by Perlita De Huelva composed by José Espinosa and Felipe Campuzano before a long trip? At least I do, and from a very young age.
So from here we repeat it again: caution, driver friend. The path is dangerous. Although we want to update it to hope that the drivers are also careful, that not only our mothers or wives are waiting for us.
Ronnie Bird – Sad Soul
Pay attention to the change in tone that I suddenly add to my playlist. The song Sad Soul by Frenchman Ronnie Bird is a real great song. A demonstration that in continental Europe they also knew how to make psychedelic mod anthems and even in English. Although Ronald Méhu (the real name behind Ronnie Bird) is not well known in Spanish-speaking countries, I love this song. In fact, it is perfect as music to start the day in a good mood. If I had a seal of quality, we would put it on this song to endorse what I just said so assertively.
Salomé – Vivo Cantando
The winner of the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest is still the last to do so in favor of Spain (2024). Many, due to age, will rather remember the parody perpetrated by Martes y 13, and not so much the original performance, which from here I recommend to all fans of the contest who do not know it.
Written by María José de Ceratto (music) and Aniano Alcalde (lyrics), and arranged by the – omnipresent throughout this decade – composer Augusto Algueró, Vivo Cantando remains one of the best happy songs in Spanish despite all the years that have passed since its publication.
Up With People – Viva La Gente
However, the above is not the only happy song on this list. Although for me it is not as enjoyable as the previous one, Viva La Gente is still a hit from 1969 that many children at the time can still remember with a big smile. That is what the group Up With People then produced with a title that translated their own name wherever they went.
Víctor Jara – Te Recuerdo Amanda
Despite all the joy we come from, now it’s time to tune it down a little with one of the most memorable songs in Latin American music, by the great Víctor Jara. A lyric that in its simplicity hides a beautiful and sad love story that goes beyond the relationship itself, since the loss or disappearance of its protagonist actually hides repression, struggles in favor of social justice and a condensed eternity in 5 minutes.
Víctor Manuel – El Abuelo Vítor
I don’t know if it is something that has only taken place in my family or was generalized, but in my house every once in a while someone would say (not necessarily singing) “grandpa was a minelayer there in the mine.” You can imagine what my surprise was when, as an adult, I heard this song by Víctor Manuel and discovered that it belongs to the lyrics of El Abuelo Vítor.
Apparently, with this song the artist took a turn in his musical career, less political until then, fully entering into the powerful author’s song with a more critical base and that little by little was entering the market and people homes.
Discover more old music with the best songs of other decades
For the rest, I remind you that, in addition to the playlist with songs from the 60s, I have also created lists for the entire 30s, 40s and 50s and I am developing the rest of the decades at the same time as I write about them.
(Madrid, 1987) Novelist by vocation, SEO specialist by profession. Music lover, cinephile and reading lover, but in “amateur” mode.