10 Essential Luis Miguel Songs for Your Playlist
Thanks to Luis Miguel – The Series, the famous Mexican singer has broken records on Spotify. He has a vast music catalog, and today I’ll be sharing my favorite Luis Miguel songs to add to your playlist today!
I encourage you to follow along with lyrics when you’re using music to learn a language. (And don’t forget to write down your new Spanish vocabulary.) There is an abundance of fun music in Spanish to check out and dance along to!
Read this blog post to discover his hit songs and learn more about the superstar Luis Miguel.
Who Is Luis Miguel?
Luis Miguel recently celebrated a record-breaking 5 billion streams on Spotify. He is the first Mexican artist to achieve this feat. His most streamed song is Ahora te puedes marchar (You can leave now) from the 1980s.
Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri was born in Puerto Rico but moved to Mexico as a child. He’s called El Sol de México (The Sun of Mexico) because he shines so brightly.
Luis Miguel rose to fame when he was underage and his dad exploited him. He later found a manager who was like a father to Luis Miguel.
Luis Miguel is one of the most successful singers in the history of Latin America. Some consider him to be the Sinatra of Latin America. He likes to sing a variety of genres such as pop, tangos, jazz, boleros, and ballads.
In his 4-decade career, Luis Miguel has recorded 22 studio albums, 8 compilation albums, and 64 singles. He has won 5 Grammys, 6 Latin Grammys, 11 Lo Nuestro Awards, among others. Since 1990, Luis Miguel has earned about $300 million from his concerts.
10 Essential Luis Miguel Songs for Your Playlist
As you listen to these Luis Miguel songs, follow along with the lyrics to learn new vocabulary words. See how many of the listed words and phrases you can identify as you listen.
See also: 12 Gloria Estefan Songs That Can Teach You Spanish
1. I Like You Just the Way You Are (Me gustas tal como eres)
Luis Miguel was just 14 years old when he recorded this mellow yet fun song that became a hit in Latin America. Luis Miguel was worried when his voice developed, but he learned how to adapt and was just as popular singing as an adult.
English | Spanish |
talking | hablando |
I don’t know | no sé |
world | el mundo |
you and me | tú y yo |
I like you | me gustas |
just as you are | tal como eres |
2. When the Sun Heats Up (Cuando calienta el sol)
In 1987, heartthrob Luis Miguel took this classic Spanish song and turned it into a beach-themed tune. He made the melody faster and gave it a synth-heavy arrangement. This is a perfect song to listen to at the beach and sing along. The lyrics are simple and fun!
English | Spanish |
when | cuando |
the sun | el sol |
your face | tu cara |
your hair | tu pelo |
insanity | la locura |
3. I Don’t Know About You (No sé tú)
Luis Miguel is known for his ballads because of his vocal skills. He loves singing about love and does it incredibly well. His 1991 album Romance was Luis Miguel’s first album dedicated to classic Latin American boleros. No se tú spent seven weeks at No. 1, and it’s one of Luis Miguel’s best songs.
English | Spanish |
your hugs | tus abrazos |
repeat | repetir |
you built | construiste |
my friends | mis amigos |
the streets | las called |
4. Maybe You Don’t Love Me (Será que no me amas)
Here’s another pop song to add to your Spanish playlist. Luis Miguel songs from the 80s make you want to dance. This is a cover of the Jacksons’ “Blame It On the Boogie.” It captures the groove from the original song, but because Luis Miguel sings it in Spanish and uses playful vocals, many don’t even know it’s a cover.
English | Spanish |
what is happening | qué está pasando |
everything | todo |
yesterday | ayer |
the beach | la playa |
the rain | la lluvia |
apologies | las disculpas |
5. You Can Leave Now (Ahora te puedes marchar)
As I mentioned before, this is Luis Miguel’s most streamed song on Spotify. It’s a catchy feel-good song that will pump up your day and have you singing along in no time. The upbeat melody has become a classic. It’s a breakup song that many can relate to.
English | Spanish |
you should have told me | me hubieras dicho |
the truth | la verdad |
my dreams | mis sueños |
you call me | me llamas |
why | por qué |
get away from me | aléjate de mí |
6. Soft (Suave)
This R&B song is great for practicing adjectives. Kirk Whalum plays the saxophone solos. If this song had been released in English, it would’ve ruled the smooth jazz radio stations. Luis Miguel could have succeeded in the English market, but he never wanted to.
English | Spanish |
how to explain | cómo explicar |
magic | la magia |
music | la música |
our destiny | nuestro destino |
your look | tu mirada |
always | siempre |
7. Love Love Love (Amor, amor, amor)
This song is from Mis Romances (My Romances), which was Luis Miguel’s third bolero album. Luis Miguel’s romantic songs feature horns, an orchestra, and his timeless vocals. This was a 2001 hit. This is a more upbeat bolero but just as romantic and easy to listen to
English | Spanish |
born in me | nació de mí |
hope | la esperanza |
god | dios |
the soul | el alma |
white doves | las palomas |
8. If They Let Us (Si nos dejan)
Luis Miguel also loves to sing rancheras. A ranchera song is a Mexican country genre that is typically played with guitars and horns. Luis Miguel also adds his orchestra to these epic songs. This song is from his 1995 album El Concierto (The Concert). In the US it also became his first song to top the Mexican charts.
English | Spanish |
let’s go | nos vamos |
a new world | un mundo nuevo |
a new day | un nuevo dia |
a corner | un rincón |
the clouds | las nubes |
close to god | cerquita de dios |
Hand-picked for you: Mariachi: The Melody of Mexico
9. Not Until You Forget Me (Hasta que me olvides)
There’s something special about Luis Miguel’s voice. He can sing almost any genre in Spanish and make it a hit. When I heard him perform this song live, I was blown away. He can hit every single note flawlessly. This song is a ballad and another heartbreaker with deep and heartfelt lyrics.
English | Spanish |
i will try | voy a intentarlo |
your smile | tu sonrisa |
the tear | la lágrima |
so much | tanto |
your arms | tus brazos |
10. Unconditional (La incondicional)
This 1988 song is another Luis Miguel hit! The song was promoted with an ambitious video where Luis Miguel had to learn how to fly a plane. The gorgeous ballad was written and produced by the great Juan Carlos Calderon. La incondicional spent seven weeks at the top of the Billboard charts.
English | Spanish |
you | tú |
friendship | las amistad |
the story of a love | la historia de un amor |
eternally | eternamente |
a hotel | un hotel |
my hidden friend | mi oculta amiga |
What’s Your Favorite Spanish Song?
I’ve been a Luis Miguel fan since I was a kid. I recommend Vivo, a live album where he shines the brightest! Using music for language learning is helpful in many ways. Nothing works better than enjoying the learning process, and music can really help with that.
Spanish continues to grow in English-speaking countries. In the United States, more than 50 million people speak Spanish. The US is the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. After working so hard on your listening comprehension, it’s time to put it to good use. To engage in a real-time Spanish conversation with one of our certified teachers from Guatemala, sign up for a free trial class.
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