100 Greatest Reggaeton Songs of All Time

By December 2017, Cardi B hadn’t quite become a hip-hop megastar just yet, but was well on her way with hits like “Bodak Yellow.” Still months before unveiling the monster single “I Like It,” the South Bronx rapper linked with Ozuna for a dancehall-tinged cut that melted away all winter vibes and further bolstered New York hip-hop’s ongoing familial connection to reggaeton. —G.S.

Zion stepped away from the beloved duo Zion y Lennox to record his solo debut, The Perfect Melody, and from the very first song, it was clear he could hold his own. “Zun Da Da” opens with dramatic violins and production that don’t exactly reflect the thudding BPM of reggaeton’s discoteca go-tos, but still capture the tension and yearning of the dance floor. The fact that it’s been sampled — Ivy Queen’s “787” and Zion’s own 2022 track “Tu Amigo” — and remains a classic for DJs and genre-heads alike proves its longevity. —E.L.C.

At a time when artists were toning down reggaeton’s historically explicit lyrics, Tomasa del Real looked to the genre’s nastiest cuts and released “Barre Con El Pelo.” Off her 2018 album, Bellaca del Año, the track is all Auto-Tune, unabashed sexuality, and driving beats, courtesy of genre OG DJ Blass — the perfect recipe for perreo. Though the neo-perreo scene del Real leads can feel uncomfortably separate from mainstream reggaeton, she made sure “Barre Con El Pelo” gave plenty of love and respect to the genre’s origins. —V.B

Having witnessed reggaeton’s many evolutions working with Luny Tunes as a kid, Tainy continues decades later to push the genre into the future. In 2020, the Puerto Rican hitmaker beautifully melded forward-thinking pop with the beats he grew up on by building the dreamy “Un Día (One Day).” Dua Lipa’s voice soars over lofty dembow, while dynamic duo Bad Bunny and J Balvin embrace the electronic soundscape Tainy has laid out for them. The song’s fresh production earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Pop/Duo Performance. —L.V.

The summer of 2014 belonged to Enrique Iglesias. The Spanish pop king teamed up with Cuban acts Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona, and together they invited the world to dance alongside them in “Bailando.” The song, with its flamenco guitar accents, ended up to be one of the buzziest fusions in Latin music at the time — and the trio later clinched the Song of the Year at the 2014 Latin Grammy Awards. —L.V

Kali Uchis enlisted reggaeton veterans Jowell & Randy for one of the most surprising tracks on her stunning 2020 album, Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios). Listeners had already heard her slippery voice gliding over reggaeton beats on “Nuestro Planeta,” from 2018’s Isolation, but on “Te Pongo Mal (Prendelo),” she fully embodies reggaeton-era pioneers like Ivy Queen as she empowers herself and asserts her sexuality. Her voice, sultry and confident, fits right in with Jowell & Randy as they give the track an energetic boost. —M.M.

Tainy’s limitless vision for reggaeton has always been experimental and futuristic, and “Lo Siento BB:/” was one of the best examples of all the influences and references that live inside his head. Released in 2021, the song opened with early-aughts indie darling Julieta Venegas singing over an otherworldly piano — an unexpected and inspired choice that fit right into the dreamy production. The second surprise came after: Her voice was joined by Bad Bunny’s hilarious, heartsore verses, shaping a moment that was endearing and exciting. —L.V.  

Some might not consider this Venezuelan singer-songwriter a proper reggaetonero, as his choice of rhythms tend to swing beyond the confines of the foundational dembow riddim. Yet his breakthrough 2016 single encapsulates the genre’s most romantic inclinations perfectly over its polyrhythmic base. As Ocean pleads with a lover at the likely end of a relationship, one can’t help but get caught up in it all. —G.S.

Don Miguelo’s first hit in the mid-2000s was “Que Tu Quieres,” and his stunning follow-up was a David-and-Goliath story of epic proportions. When he’d finished “Como Yo Le Doy,” few people believed in the track, which came at a time when media had declared reggaeton dead. But the Dominican artist broke through triumphantly, becoming a mainstream star. It also spun off two buzzy remixes, including one with Pitbull and another with J Alvarez and Zion. —J.M

Nicky Jam is one of reggaeton’s most enduring veterans, with a career spanning all the way back to 1995. He’s also had the remarkable ability to reinvent himself: After his momentum screeched to a halt in the early 2000s, he relaunched his music from Colombia, architecting the sound of Medellín in the process. “X” is a reflection of just how well things worked out. The reggae- and dancehall-infused collaboration with J Balvin was a viral hit that blasted up the charts everywhere. —M.M.

Always a fan of old-school reggaeton, Rauw Alejandro turned to a special veteran for this upbeat track from his chromatic album Vice Versa: Seconds into the song, the instantly recognizable voice of Plan B’s Chencho Corleone braids into Rauw’s smooth singing, and the two of them trade audaciously sexual lyrics over a galloping dembow beat, haloed in an electronic glow. “Desesperados” went quadruple-platinum, successfully embodying both the genre’s past and present.  —L.V. 

An underrated force, Alex Gargolas has left a mark on the genre with plenty of songs — especially “Soy Una Gargola.” In 2006, the Puerto Rican producer teamed up with Randy Ortiz to deliver this slinky, electronic-infused track that personified the nocturnal spirit of the club. As Ortiz sings about being a gargoyle-like creature of the night, his slick vocals emphasize the rich darkness of the production and bring out the freaky side of perreo. —L.V.

Nio Garcia was already having a breakthrough moment with the smooth romance of “AM,” and then his seismic remix amplified the song’s powers even more. He tapped J Balvin and Bad Bunny, which proved to be a brilliant move not just because of their renown in the industry, but because of how easily they slid over breezy production that had been refined by the late Flow La Movie. Together, they each brought out a softer, more sensual side of the genre. —L.V.  

Following a brief fling with reggaeton influences on 2005’s “La Tortura,” Shakira slithered back to the genre with 2016’s “Chantaje.” This time, the Colombian pop diva was accompanied by one of her compatriots on the rise, Maluma. Backed by slinky beats with an electronic touch, courtesy of Medellín production mavericks the Rudeboyz, Shakira’s sensual delivery collided with Maluma’s flirty flow, resulting in a steamy collaboration and multiple Latin Grammy nominations. —L.V.

“Na De Na” is immediately recognizable from the snaps at the beginning alone. The song, led by the kinetic duo Angel y Khriz, builds up to its first chorus, which features a beat drop that’s prime for any club setting and the easily screamable chant “Ella no suelta na’ na’ na’/Dice na’ na’ na’/Que no hay na’ na’ na.” It was a precursor to the boisterous anthemic club songs that would come in 2009, when people needed to let it all out on the dance floor. —M.M.

Save for a few pioneers like Ivy Queen, the reggaeton space has been woefully male-dominated for years. Luckily, that’s starting to change, and one track that helped move the needle was 2018’s “Sin Pijama.” Becky G, who had been pivoting from upbeat English-language pop, enlisted Natti Natasha for the unapologetic, sexually empowered anthem. Though it saw some controversy, the two singers stood by it, with Natti saying at the time that women “want to see themselves portrayed in music as they really feel.” —M.M.

Puerto Rican rapper Farruko built a long and successful career mainly doing reggaeton and trap, but he had his biggest hit by far with this inventive left turn: a sped-up nod to the EDM-hybrid sound guaracha, driven home by a huge shout-along chorus. The carefree, hard-partying spirit of “Pepas” hit the perfect note of optimism post-pandemic, and the song became a huge global smash. As Farruko told Rolling Stone, “It was a risk, but it worked.” —J.D.

Hip hop and reggaeton have always been inextricably linked, and Nineties rap influences left a deep mark on the genre’s Puerto Rican artists in particular. Spitters like Wiso G embodied the best of rap en espanol as they let their impeccable flows unfurl over non-stop dembow loops in shows of stamina and skill. The early track “El Domingo Por La Tarde” was a hilarious, off-the-dome account of a day in the life of Wiso that showed how irresistible his delivery was, no matter what he was rapping about.  —J.L

​​“23” was bound to become a viral hit. The master collaboration brought together Randy Ortiz, the king of perreo; taste-making DJ-producer Ape Drums; and and wordsmith and freestyle champion Yartzi “El Cacique,” who each helped shape an indisputable perreo blockbuster for modern times. With an iconic sample of Young Gunz’ 2003 “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” at the beginning, the track moves to a quake, offering a suitable background for proper ass-shaking that took over clubs and TikTok alike. —J.M.

Anitta’s global success reached critical mass this year with “Envolver,” the viral hit from her 2021 album, Versions of Me. The Brazilian superstar tapped Bad Bunny’s frequent collaborators Súbelo NEO to produce the reggaeton romp, which is driven by unabashedly provocative lyrics about taking control. The reaction was next level: Fans jumped on the “Envolver” dance challenge on TikTok and helped shoot the track to Number One on Spotify’s Global charts, landing her a Guinness World Record as the first solo Latin act to reach that peak. —L.V.  

In the Nineties, rappers Baby Rasta and Gringo laid the groundwork for reggaeton by lighting up marquesina parties and underground clubs in Puerto Rico with their hard-hitting, rabble-rousing style. The duo, associated with the collective the Noise, weren’t afraid to get confrontational, and that bellicose energy is all over their OG anthem “La Competencia.” Baby Rasta’s melodic tenor offsets Gringo’s gruff, aggressive bars as they race over dembow riddims and flashes of hip-hop beats in a bold song that seemed to predict reggaeton’s potential for exciting genre fusions. —L.V.

The sounds used in reggaeton often mirrored those used in electronic dance genres—the simple result of artists mining whatever was available on Fruity Loops and easily accessible production computer programs. That explained a particular moment when the genre went techno and produced hits such as “Sexy Movimiento” from Wisin & Yandel’s 2007 Los ExtraTerrestres. Distorted voices, wild synths, and intergalactic flourishes joined themes of sexy moves, sexy bodies, and sexy women, announcing to the world that rave perreo was in full effect. —V.B.

Although Becky G had been making music since 2012, she found her sound through reggaeton and Latin pop — and “Mayores” showed her landing on her own style. Suggestive lyrics about wanting to be with more, ahem, mature men was risqué for the “Shower” singer, but she was able to blend her pop tendencies with the sensual underpinnings of reggaeton. A feature from a then-rising Bad Bunny, who playfully suggests she should go for younger guys, was the touch of danger needed to nail its grown-and-sexy vibe. —M.M.

“Ella Se Arrebata” needs to be celebrated as reggaeton music in one of its earliest forms. With strong dancehall and reggae influences running through the beat, the Panamanian singer showed off his kinetic flow, which brought in elements of rap and hip-hop, while serenading the women who caught his attention on the dance floor. The track is a brilliant call-back to the genre’s roots in Panama and the MCs whose flows continue to inspire artists today. —L.V.

After years performing as a duo with Arcángel, De La Ghetto propped up his solo career and began experimenting with everything he could, casting a wide net across all his influences. He proved himself a versatile talent who could flit between hard-hitting trap and party reggaeton, but “Sensacion Del Bloque” was a softer entry into his catalog, constructed on piano riffs, a catchy beat, and silky vocals that were right at home with the English-language R&B scene at the time. —V.B.

Throughout her career, Karol G has shown she refuses to stay static. The Colombian artist keeps evolving, with blockbuster bangers that push beyond the genre and land in surprising sonic territory. One of the early tracks that showed her versatility was “Mi Cama,” an upbeat, empowered hit that inspired a remix with J Balvin and Nicky Jam. She sidled right up to guys and held her own, letting the world know she was a star in the making.—J.L.

Sech’s “911” is the breakup song every adult has been craving: It’s deliciously petty, hysterically funny, and incredibly emotionally intelligent, reflecting the best of pop culture’s “sad boy” era. Lines such as “Tú no eres mala, tú eres maldición” are more lacerating rendered through Sech’s syrupy voice, and though the lyrics are a little cruder than Panama’s typical romantic style, “911” lands as one of the most versatile, layered heartbreak tracks in the genre’s recent history.—K.E.

Collaborating with the likes of Bad Bunny, Becky G, and Ozuna raised this Dominican artist’s profile considerably in the mid-to-late 2010s. Though firmly established as a star in her own right by that decade’s end, she still had to show and prove ahead of her major-label debut, IlumiNATTI. The simmering hit “Me Gusta” benefitted from its otherworldly atmospheres and promise of forbidden kisses. —G.S.

Before Héctor turned to religion and Tito went solo, the Puerto Rican duo were setting parties ablaze with their raucous energy. For “Baila Morena,” the two called in reinforcements: Don Omar and Glory, some of the most hard-hitting acts in the game, joined them while they threw down over an aggressive dembow beat, fired up with the sound of AK-like gunfire. Together, they turned out a hit that lit the airwaves, or as they put in the lyrics, “a fuegote.” —L.V.

Speedy’s idiosyncratic, somewhat nasally voice had a magnetic-like quality that made fans flock to him during reggaeton’s budding days. To hear the appeal, you just have to hear him lose it on the ominous groove of “Amor Con La Ropa,” an old-school banger that gets completely turned on its head when the beat speeds up out of nowhere. Speedy erupts into a vowel-led freestyle that adds the necessary fireworks to the legendary track. —J.L.  

The title translates to “Me for You, You for Me,” and that’s definitely the vibe on this Latin Grammy-winning cross-Atlantic collaboration. Everything about this tune exudes warm, playful generosity, from the way the track gracefully brings together R&B, reggaeton, tropical house and flamenco, to the flirty chemistry Rosalia and Ozuna enjoy as they trade verses. It’s a reggaeton track that feels downright pastorale in its bright, easeful elegance, like finding an open, airy park to hangout in the midst of a bustling city.—J.D.

“Verme” felt like a sonic snapshot of the twinkling, sun-lit beauty of the Caribbean. The Puerto Rican and Dominican singer Baby Ranks teamed up with Jamaican American artist Notch, who brought an R&B vibe to their feel-good collaboration. Production duo Luny Tunes blended reggaeton with elements of ragga soca music, offering a refreshing moment in the genre as both artists sang breezily about moving on from their exes with punchy lyrics in English and Spanish. —L.V.

With his breezy delivery and knack for freestyling, Frankie Boy was a regular fixture on underground mixtapes in the early days of the genre. Songs like the skittering Playero favorite “Liza Love” captured the way DJs at the time would keep the beat going as long as they could, leaving it to the most talented MCs to improvise and introduce new dynamics to the track. Frankie Boy was among the best, hooking himself into anything that got thrown his way and setting a standard for reggaeton’s future rappers. —J.L. 

Based on a style of dancing and music that originated in Angola, this infectious chart-topper from Puerto Rican artist Don Omar and Portuguese-French singer Lucenzo rides along on a galloping hand-clap beat and a melody that blurs a synth and an accordion, feeling at once modern and traditional. The tune’s joyous sense of release was hard-won: The kudoro dance style developed in Angola as a good-time means of uniting a society that had experienced decades of civil war. —J.D.

Daddy Yankee has always come through with music that keeps his fans moving. In 2018, almost as though he was predicting the rise of TikTok, the Puerto Rican icon inspired a number of dance challenges with his colorful hit “Dura.” A magnetic remix, featuring Natti Natasha, Becky G, and Bad Bunny, emphasized the song’s buoyant dembow beats, with each artist taking a moment to drop a bright, beaming verse that quickly made the track one of the biggest hits that summer. —L.V.

In a genre still largely dominated by men, Becky G and Karol G seized the spotlight with a gigantic, female-empowered anthem that showed why they’re some of the genre’s leading ladies. As soon as Becky G heard the track, produced by Ovy On The Drums with a co-writing credit from rising artist Elena Rose, she added a few gritos and guitars and brought it to Karol G. The final result captures the best of their personalities — sweet and brazen — with belt-ready verses and punch lines celebrating self-reliance and independence. —E.L.C.

Héctor El Father has tons of bangers that still hit, which is no small feat considering he has been out of the game for years following a religious conversion. He was possibly at his best here with a secret weapon: the rapper Yomo. Thumping kicks and dramatic strings on the production set the stage for Yomo as he delivers one of the best malianteo romántico lines in the genre: “pa’ los enemigos plomo y pa’ las gatas besos.”—V.B.

Bachata renegades Aventura and reggaeton maverick Don Omar have had one thing in common throughout their lengthy careers: They’ve never done what people have expected. “Ella Y Yo” was one moment no one saw coming, where both acts mixed the best of their respective genres and served up a masterclass in lyricism, storytelling, and bachaton. The song unfolds like a back-and-forth conversation between two men at a bar and Don Omar slowly reveals that he’s been with Romeo Santos’ woman, the drama and tension rising alongside the production. —J.L.

Ozuna’s silky soprano has become a pop mainstay, but his finest solo track is this supple, smooth highlight from his excellent 2017 LP, Odisea. Over a plush keyboard melody and an easefully body-moving reggaeton groove, the singer delivers a vaultingly heroic romantic entreaty, stretching syllables to the sky in a striking showcase for his athletic natural talent. In a world that too often equates hardness with realness, the openhearted buoyancy of his performance is reassuringly old-school in the best way. —J.D.

​​“Hawái” avoided the pitfalls of clichéd reggaeton and enamored millions with its potent, infectiously catchy chorus, sticky and melodic enough to be one of the greatest songs in the genre. Released as part of Maluma’s 2020 album, Papi Juancho, the Colombian singer luxuriates in the best of Medellín’s silky sound while laying out the intricacies of love in times of social media. Maluma knew he’d struck something special: In 2021, he described “Hawái” to Rolling Stone as “the biggest song of my career.” —R.D.

Dominican production duo Luny Tunes sprinkled “Gata Fiera ” with their signature bachata guitars as the song lays out the story of a woman who leaves a trail of broken hearts wherever she goes. Brilliantly centered on the push and pull of male and female vocalists, the narrative-driven track features Trebol Clan, Joan, and Héctor El Father, who split their time claiming they won’t be the next victims of a dangerous love game. —V.B.

The Panamanian group La Factoría, which included reggaeton luminary Demphra and Joysi Love, often embodied female strength and power — yet their memorable smash “Perdóname” remains one of the most respected and unabashedly sentimental reggaeton ballads ever written. From the very first line, featured artist Eddy Lover sings in a falsetto so gentle that it sends listeners soaring into their feelings. And though the song pulled from the most emotional strains of R&B, the track never loses its momentum, thanks to rapid-fire verses from La Factoría’s powerhouse women. —J.L.

By the time this song appeared on Luny Tunes and Tainy’s Mas Flow: Los Benjamins, reggaeton was a worldwide phenomenon. The production tips its hat toward that global success, incorporating instrumentation from the Andes to the Caribbean in a kind of pan-Latin solidarity: Opening with dramatic strings and drum rolls, the track switches into an unexpected pan flute melody and reveals a vallenato-like accordion. Daddy Yankee steals the show on a star-studded cast of vocalists, Daddy Yanke, though Héctor El Father gives him a run for his money. —V.B. 

When Oasis dropped, that monumental pairing of two of contemporary reggaeton’s superstars shook the Latin-music world. It followed two tremendous solo efforts from the artists, Vibras and X100PRE, respectively, and yielded this slow-burning single. With its muted thump, plaintive keys, and street-corner jazz accents, “La Canción” finds both artists sharing a wistful moment over a former lover conjured by hearing a certain song. —G.S.

There is truly nothing like La Caballota on the Noise’s early tapes, all braggadocio and raw force. This 1997 song off The Noise 7 mixtape references “Muchos Quieren Tumbarme” from her past repertoire, which despite having come out only a few years earlier, was already becoming a deeply ingrained classic. The grit in Ivy Queen’s voice gives way to the deep timbre that established her as a heavy-hitter and shows off the authority that her fans have come to know and love. —V.B.

While explicit songs about sexy women can easily tip into sexual objectification, “Candy” expressed something closer to reverence for women who love sex and refuse to be pinned down. From Plan B’s 2014 album, Love And Sex, “Candy” put a spotlight on women who make pleasure their main pursuit, to Chencho and Maldy’s great admiration and bewilderment — and to the delight of listeners who continue blasting the track, which is name-checked and referenced across reggaeton even today. —V.B.

“Permitame” felt like a projection of the flexibility and range reggaeton lovers had — and continue to have — for a wide range of sounds. The electronic-dance track was produced by a young Tainy, who actually gets a shoutout on the song for being an all-time great at the tender age of 16 (“Que a los dieciséis año’ anda en Mercede”), and features Yandel and Tony Dize on the beat, wooing girls at the club and taking dance floors by storm. —V.B.

When J Balvin joined Rosalía on “Con Altura,” the Spanish singer was coming off the critical acclaim of her experimental second album, El Mal Querer, heavily rooted in flamenco traditions. On this mega-collaboration, she mixed her signature style with Balvin’s verses, El Guincho’s production, and Caribbean influences that ranged from Playero mixtapes to an audio sample of Dominican artist Mariachi Budda, who coined the phrase “con altura.” The final result was an ubiquitous flamencotón hit that propelled Rosalía to new audiences and scored a Latin Grammy. —M.M.

“Pa’ Que La Pases Bien” is an example of what happens when an artist proves the industry wrong. At a time when many label insiders were convinced reggaeton had stalled, Arcángel freshened things up with a little perreo-galactico, a slightly cosmic, electro-tinged take on the genre. Production from Luny Tunes cleverly fused hyper-techno and trance with Caribbean instrumentation, and the final result became a trippy favorite played in mainstream clubs and basement parties alike. —K.E.

“Un Poco Loca” benefits from Jowell & Randy’s long-standing connection and a clutch sample of Chaka Demus & Pliers’ “Murder She Wrote.” The back-and-forth between the duo is seamless, but the interplay is made more impressive with the addition of De La Ghetto, the reggaetonero who was making a solo name for himself at the time after years on the road with Arcángel. By the end of the song, they’ve lived up to the “musical massacre” they refer to in the lyrics. —E.L.C.