Earth’s cry heaven’s smile...

Santana is an American group formed in 1966 in San Francisco by the American-Mexican guitarist Carlos Santana, who will be quickly joined by Marcus Malone, Rod Harper, Gus Rodriguez and Gregg Rolie. A group that can boast of having sold no less than 90 million records worldwide to date, making them one of the best-selling groups of all time.

A first eponymous album was released three years later in 1969 and for a first opus, it was rather successful. In particular thanks to titles like "Jingo" or "Evil Ways". But also, and above all, with the title "Soul sacrifice", a title that will do wonders when they will perform it at the now legendary Woodstock festival.

The beginning of consecration came the following year when the album "Abraxas" was released, an album that would make a real worldwide hit and make the group one of the phenomena of the moment. Album from which will be extracted mainly "Black magic woman", a luxury cover of the title of Fleetwood Mac dating from 1968. And to a lesser extent "Oye como va".

New album "Santana III" a year later in 1971. The album did a little less well than its predecessor in terms of sales but still produced the top hit "Everybody's everything". But still does better than "Caravanserai" which came out the following year in 1972 and which produced no hits. As for the album "Welcome" which came out in 1973, it simply did not produce any single. No better for the album "Borboletta" which was released in 1974.

It was not until 1976 and the release of the album "Amigos" to finally see the group take off in a resounding way. Indeed, the album made a real worldwide hit and became the group's biggest success to date. Notably thanks to the track "Europa (Earth's cry heaven's smile)" which will remain the highest ranked track on the album.

New hole in the air with the album "Festival" which was released the following year in 1977. The album sold well but did not produce any hits. This is not the case with the album "Moonflower" which came out the same year and which, for its part, was to meet a very different fate. Thanks to a much more adapted sound and carried at arm's length by the flagship track "She's not there", it has recorded more than impressive sales scores.

Nice performance from the album "Inner secrets" which was released a year later in 1978, an album with a much more rock sound and from which one of the group's biggest hits, "Well all right", was to be extracted. The album "Marathon", which was released in 1979, was to achieve only limited success and did not produce any notorious hit except "You know that I love you" which was more or less successful.

A little sluggish end of the 1970s, which will not be the case at the beginning of the 1980s thanks to the release of the album "Zebop !". Once again a rock-oriented album, which will perform well in the Charts and produce a plethora of singles. Paradoxically, only the title "Winning" will know the favors of the public.

Conversely, the album "Shango" which came out in 1982 was only a limited success but produced several hits including the hugely huge "Hold on".

We will have to wait three years and the year 1985 to see the release of the next album called "Beyond appearances", album which will produce only one single "Say it again". Unique single but quality single in view of its results in the Charts.

Then big air hole for almost 15 years despite the release of 3 new albums. The group no longer manages to keep up with the times and sinks slowly, but surely, into the depths of the Charts. The decline seems inevitable ...

Until the Phoenix rose from its ashes in a spectacular way in 1999 thanks to the album "Supernatural", album which will be one of the album events of that year and give the group the biggest success of its entire career. album, just that !

Flagship album which will produce no less than 5 global hits including 3 mega with "Put your lights on", "Maria Maria" but also, and above all, "Smooth". Which will also remain as the group's biggest single success. An unexpected double that will put the group afloat and allow him to rebound impressively during the 2000s. But that’s another story.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

60s Decade :

Jingo 1969
Evil ways 1969

70s Decade :

Black magic woman 1970
Oye como va 1971
Everybody’s everything 1971
Samba pa ti 1973
Europa (Earth’s cry heaven’s smile) 1976
Let it shine 1976
Let the children play 1976
Revelations 1976
She’s not there 1977
Well all right 1978
Stormy 1979
You know that I love you 1979

80s Decade :

Searchin 1981
Winning 1981
Hold on 1982
Nowhere to run 1982
Say it again 1985
Veracruz 1987

90s Decade :

The healer 1990
Somewhere in heaven 1992
Smooth 1999
Maria Maria 1999
Put your lights on 1999

2000s Decade :

Corazon espinado 2000
Primavera 2001
The game of love 2002
You are my kind 2002
Nothing at all 2003
Feels like fire 2003
Hoy es adios 2003
Why don't you and I 2003
I'm feeling you 2005
Just feel better 2005
Cry baby cry 2005
Into the night 2007
This boy's fire 2008

2010s Decade :

While my guitar gently weeps 2010
Photograph 2010
Fortunate son 2010
Under the bridge 2010
Dance the night away 2010
Sunshine of your love 2011
La flaca 2014
Saideira 2014
Mal bicho 2014
Margarita 2014
Feel it coming back 2014
Anywhere you want to go 2016
Choo choo 2016
Suenos 2016
Forgiveness 2016
Yo me lo merezco 2019
Breaking down the door 2019

2020s Decade :

Move 2021
She's fire 2021
Whiter shade of pale 2021
Joy 2022
Energia 2023
Let the guitar play 2023

Tracks :

1969 ... a startling to say the least with a first classified title. The first in a long series for this group which, in a few years, will become one of the most striking of the end of the 20th century ...

1969 ... the group imposes from the second title a style that will quickly become its trademark. A unique style ...

1970 ... the rise in power is linear year after year. Just like the recognition of the public who propels this title to the top of the Charts

1971 ... the fame of the group now extends to the whole planet. In particular thanks to this luxury cover of Tito Puente's title dating from 1963 and which will undoubtedly remain as one of their most emblematic titles. HU-GE !

1971 ... the rest will be a little lower. This does not prevent the group from being on a dynamic of the most promising which will take him far, very far

1973 ... after a year 1972 when not much will happen, the group returns in great shape in this year 1973 and delivers a highly inspired track. All good !

1976 ... not much for 2 years before THIS title arrives ! A title in the modest classification in the Charts and which nevertheless will make the fortune and the glory of the group which signs here one of its titles among the most emblematic. MAS-TER-FUL !

1976 ... a sequel that will have little to do with the previous title on the inspiration side. And yet who will experience almost the same level of success in Charts ...

1976 ... a bloated year in terms of titles with very diverse destinies. This will be put in the category of titles that will pass through despite a non-negligible quality ...

1976 ... this one will hardly do better on the ranking side and this once again despite a certain melodic quality. Sometimes you don't have to try to understand ...

1977 ... business resumes in the new year 1977 thanks to this luxury cover of the Zombies title dating from 1964. It just goes to show that the best soups are made in old pots !

1978 ... surprisingly, the group signs here one of its biggest successes of the decade. Not necessarily the most inspired but with obvious rhythmic efficiency

1979 ... a year 1979 equal to 1976 with a plethora of titles and a quality which fluctuates according to the titles. We start with this title which will remain as their biggest success of the year

1979 ... this one will experience slightly less success. The last success of a decade which saw the group literally explode and become one of the sure values of the moment. Will it still be so for the next decade ? To be continued ...

1981 ... the group is struggling to situate himself in this new decade, that's obvious. His style has changed little since its inception and does not really correspond to the new trends of the moment. Attention danger...

1981 ... the group will save the furniture in this year 1981 with this title. But it is clear that they will have to evolve and quickly, for lack of purely and simply disappearing ...

1982 ... an evolution which finally takes place on this title and as luck would have it, the group will sign here its biggest success of the 1980s. Like what, not much was enough. HU-GE !

1982 ... even if this title will not know the same level of success as its predecessor, the dynamic of renewal is underway and that is the essential !

1985 ... a dynamic which unfortunately quickly runs out of steam resulting in a 3 years air gap. We therefore find them in this year 1985 in a relative form, a relative form which allows them all the same to continue to exist and to add with this title a new line to their prize list

1987 ... new unscrewing with a year 1986 empty. Back in 1987 with this title which will have only a very limited success. The group gets lost once again ...

1990 ... the air holes succeed the air holes. New break of 3 years and return to the beginning of the 90s thanks to this collaboration with John Lee Hooker. A decade of 90 which will not really put them back in the race unfortunately ...

1992 ... a nice Intimist title that will go completely under the radar. The group is now part of the past and can no longer reverse the infernal spiral of the passage to oblivion ...

1999 ... new 7 years air hole this time. On the other hand, the return on this blow is more than a winner. The group quite simply obtains its best ranking in the Charts of all times, just that. HU-GE !

1999 ... we thought the group was dying and here it is at its best. It is the young generation who will allow this miracle by putting the group back in the saddle in a spectacular way. Astonishing paradox ...

1999 ... third and last global mega hit of the year. An absolutely incredible triplet of mega hits and above all totally unexpected. Like what, nothing is ever finished. Especially since the group will do it again the following decade !

2000 ... and that, to put it back, they are going to put it back ! But this time, most of the major titles will be in duo, or even in trio. And why not...?

2001 ... surprisingly most of the tracks that will now pass 'through' will be 100 % Santana tracks. And yet, quality is always the order of the day. Sometimes you don't have to try to understand ...

2002 ... all you have to do is add one of the female stars of the moment to their side and it's a hit. The proof with this enormous title which will make a real planetary hit. HU-GE !

2002 ... one could also have imagined that the reinforcement of Seal on this title would allow the group to add one more star to its prize list. And as surprising as it may seem, it won't ...

2003 ... it won't work any more than that on this track either. There are winning pairs and losing pairs. This one will rather be part of the second category as well ...

2003 ... in vain they push the song with stars of the moment, nothing helps in this year 2003. When it does not want, it does not want ...

2003 ... another 100 % Santana title that will go unnoticed. And once again we really wonder why ...

2003 ... the only title of the year that will succeed in getting people talking about it. It was high time because we were really starting to wonder if the group had not indeed arrived at the end of its adventure ...

2005 ... nothing during the year 2004. Here they are back in this year 2005 in a form that we will qualify as certain. An adventure that lasts, lasts, lasts ...

2005 ... the group did not take much risk by partnering with the charismatic leader of the Aerosmith. And inevitably, the result is largely up to par !

2005 ... two top hits and a mega hit just for this year 2005, the least we can say is that the group is on a dynamic which still does not weaken. Hope it lasts ...

2007 ... new break in 2006 and return once again a winner in 2007. Breaks do not penalize them, on the contrary ...

2008 ... the presence of Jennifer Lopez and Baby Bash should have brought this title to the top of the Charts. We are far, very far unfortunately ...

2010 ... after a year 2009 when nothing will happen concerning them, here they are entering their 5th decade of existence, who would have believed it ? Exceptional longevity for a group that is no less !

2010 ... a year 2010 which will once again be placed under the sign of collaborations of all kinds. Unfortunately, all the duets of that year will only experience a very mixed level of success ...

2010 ... only this title will manage to pull out painfully. The 2000s will have been the most favorable, not sure that the 2010s will be so much ...

2010 ... and yet the group is far from demerit, it is clear. So he's going to have to find a way to win back the hearts of the audience one way or another and the sooner the better ...

2010 ... a bloated year in terms of production of titles but with the most disappointing results in the Charts. Cruel paradox ...

2011 ... they will not find the answer any more during this year 2011. Their will to believe in it always and again forces respect no matter what !

2014 ... big air gap of 3 years and here they are again in this year 2014 in a form that we will qualify as relative. The times are getting harder and the results in the Charts are strongly affected ...

2014 ... regardless of the results in the Charts, they continue to believe in it. Rightly or wrongly, that's something else ...

2014 ... and always this inimitable style which is now as much their strength as their weakness. The same recipe had worked well so far. It seems that the tastes of the public are no longer really in line with what the group is producing now ...

2014 ... a style which may not be as trendy as it used to be, but with still formidable efficiency. At least for Latino music fans because on the Charts side, no notorious improvement in sight for the moment ...

2014 ... and nothing helps even the prestigious duets. After that, do we necessarily need classified titles to estimate that the group still has its place among the best ? Just at the sight of the group's overall prize list, he will always have its place among the Greats, that's clear ...

2016 ... besides the sale of albums, it continues to do very well. Especially this new album which will remain as the best ranked of the whole decade. Like what, there are still reasons to hope ...

2016 ... what's amazing about this group is his ability to bounce back no matter what. He will have known how to cross all eras and all fashions without ever being discouraged for a single moment. Respect as they say !

2016 ... on this track we really have the impression of having gone back 40 years. Time seems to have stood still and we find the Santana of the Grande Epoque. At least for the early fans ...

2016 ... in the same vein. An album that fully plays the card on the side "Nostalgia when you hold us". And it works perfectly !

2019 ... the basic idea might seem interesting : to mix Latin American rhythms with African sounds. Unfortunately, the result will be somewhat disappointing ...

2019 ... the mix of sounds is original to say the least, but the General Public will not follow more than that. Copy to review for the next album ...