Billboard has released its ranking of the 50 Best Female Latin Pop Artists of All Time, highlighting the visionaries and pioneers who have helped transform Spanish language music. The list, which was compiled by the outlet’s staff, honors the trailblazers and icons who have inspired generations with their music.
For their list, Billboard defined latin pop as “characterized by a strong melody and beat, and the use of electric instruments and amplification” but of course with the songs being sung in Spanish. Both the Billboard Latin and Billboard Español teams took into account the following criteria into their decision making: body of work/achievements, cultural impact/influence, longevity, musicianship and vocal prowess and innovation.
The Top 50 featured iconic artists like the queen of salsa herself, Celia Cruz, the queen of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla-Perez, Argentine folk music icon Mercedes Sosa and many more. But just who reigned supreme as the greatest female latin pop artist of all time? Let’s check out the top 10.
10. Mercedes Sosa
Mercedes Sosa is considered as one of the greatest voices of Latin America. With roots in Argentine Folk music, she was hailed as the “voice of the voiceless ones”. She reached a career milestone in 2009 when when her album Cantora earned her a top 10 spot on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart. Her career spanned four decades and she was the recipient of 6 Latin Grammy Awards.
9. Laura Pausini
Laura Pausini has sold more than 70 million records worldwide. In 2023, the Italian-born Pausini became the first artist born outside of Latin America or Spain to receive the Latin Recording Academy’s Person of the Year.
8. Olga Tañón
Olga Tañón is without a doubt one of the most iconic artists in modern salsa music. The Puerto Rican born artist has won two Grammy Awards, 3 Latin Grammys and 29 Premio Nuestro awards. She was the first female Puerto Rican artist to be certified gold in the U.S., selling more than 500,000 units of the 1996 album Nuevos Senderos. To date, she has placed nearly 40 singles on the Hot Latin Songs chart.
7. Ana Gabriel
Mexican powerhouse Ana Gabriel has 20 top 10 hits on Billboard’s Hot Latin songs chart, including an impressive six No. 1s. She not only has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but she was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017. With over 40 million records sold worldwide, Ana Gabriel is the best-selling Mexican female artist, and one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time.
6. Rocío Dúrcal
Rocío Dúrcal’s career spanned over four decades and she is widely regarded as one of the greatest Spanish singers of all time. She received the Billboard Hall of Fame Award in 1999 and was posthumously honored with the Billboard Latin Music Award for Latin album of the year for Amor Eterno: Los Éxitos in 2007.
5. Karol G
Karol G is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in music today. She’s placed 67 entries on Hot Latin Songs chart. Karol G made music history in 2023 when her album, Mañana Será Bonito became the first all-Spanish-language album by a female artist to top the Billboard 200.
4. Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was the Queen of Salsa music whose music defined the genre for generations. Her legendary career spanned over 80 albums, 4 Grammy Awards, 3 Latin Grammy Awards and the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. Her iconic “¡Azucar!” is instantly recognizable and more than 20 years after her death, her music continues to generate millions of streams worldwide.
3. Selena Quintanilla-Perez
Selena (alongside her band Los Dinos) revolutionized Tejano music. Seven of Selena’s studio albums hit No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart. Her posthumous album, Dreaming of You made history as the first bilingual album to debut at the top of the Billboard 200 chart. 30 years after her tragic death, Selena’s music and legacy continues to impact generations of fans, cementing her status as an iconic figure in music.
2. Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan has been a trailblazer in music for over 4 decades. She consistently turned out hits in the 1980s with her band, Miami Sound Machine, introducing latin beats into the mainstream before embarking on a successful solo career. Gloria Estefan has won 8 Grammy Awards, is a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient and has been named one of the Top 100 greatest artists of all time by both VH1 and Billboard. Her record sales exceed over 100 million worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female singers of all time.
1. Shakira
Shakira remains one of the most successful Latin American artists of all time. With over 125 million records sold worldwide, Shakira is one of the world’s best-selling musicians of all time. To date, Shakira has won 15 Latin Grammys and 4 Grammy Awards. Billboard named her the Top Female Latin Artist of the Decade twice (2000s and 2010s). Shakira continues to make history with her first ever global stadium tour which is currently setting records.
