The 22 Best-Selling Hispanic Singers Ever

Who are the best-selling Hispanic music artists of all time? We’ve crunched the numbers to bring you a clear-cut ranking of the artists who’ve crossed 25 million in global equivalent album sales—a mark of real, sustained commercial impact.

Latin music isn’t one sound—it’s dozens. It emanated from folk traditions, street rhythms, and evolving styles that have shaped mainstream pop far beyond the Spanish-speaking world. From rancheras and reggaetón to sleek ballads and genre-bending hybrids, Latin artists have built fan bases across continents.

In the US, the influence of Latin music dates back decades and extends beyond the obvious hits. In addition to the pure Latin legends listed below, some of the country’s biggest pop stars have Hispanic roots. In recent years, notable artists include Christina Aguilera, Selena Gomez, Bruno Mars, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Miguel, and Kid Cudi.

It’s important to note that this ranking is specifically focused on artists who have primarily released their music in the Spanish language. This means that while artists like Gloria Estefan and Jennifer Lopez have undoubtedly made significant contributions to the music industry, their inclusion in this particular ranking is not applicable as they have achieved their mainstream success with English-language material.

That’s also why the scope is limited to Hispanic artists. You won’t find Brazilian, Italian, or French acts here—not because they lack impact, but because they assembled their success in different markets with different dynamics, so comparing their sales figures with Hispanic artists isn’t too meaningful.

To maintain fairness across generations, we utilize Equivalent Album Sales (EAS). It combines physical and digital album sales, singles, and streaming into a single metric. It doesn’t matter if an artist’s heyday was in the cassette era or the streaming boom—EAS lets us compare them on equal terms. In all fairness, as various Latin American markets were plagued by piracy during the 1970s and 1980s, more recent artists tend to perform better.

It’s worth mentioning that many online sites, led by Wikipedia, especially its Spanish version, are full of misinformation, with vastly inflated claims about Latin artists. We can read that, for example, some albums sold 8, 12, or even 20 million copies in Mexico. To put things into perspective, the Latin music markets combined (Spain plus Latin America minus Brazil) have been roughly the same size as the French market alone. They are lower than the UK or Germany. Sales of even 10 million copies in this region are already an outstanding achievement throughout a career.

So, who made it up to 25 million? The list includes heavyweights like Julio Iglesias, Luis Miguel, Shakira, and Bad Bunny, whose catalogs have reached audiences worldwide. It also shows how high the bar is—beloved icons like Pedro Infante (13.6m), Raphael (16.0m), Rocío Dúrcal (21.1m), Ana Gabriel (20.0m), Carlos Vives (12.7m), Alejandro Fernández (21.7m), Romeo Santos (16.2m), Thalía (13.4m), and Maluma (23.8m) didn’t quite cross the 25 million line. Marco Antonio Solís also falls short as a solo act (21.3m), but he makes the cut as the driving force behind Los Bukis, one of Latin music’s top-selling groups.

Sales numbers can’t tell the whole story, but they do reveal who truly moved the most listeners over time. Here are the Hispanic artists who did just that.

Best-selling Hispanic artists of all time

#1 – Julio Iglesias – 109.2 million EAS

Julio Iglesias dominated the physical era more thoroughly than any other Hispanic artist. With a career that began in the late 1960s, his commercial peak spanned the 1970s through the early 1990s, during which he consistently released albums marketed in multiple countries. When he debuted, selling 100,000 copies of an album in Spain was nearly impossible, and crossing boundaries was unheard of in the fragmented Latin music industry. Yet he went on to sell almost 110 million EAS, a remarkable achievement.

It did so in a step-by-step way, progressively opening new markets like Italy and France, recording his biggest hits in local languages. His albums became blockbusters each time, even in Japan, where Moments topped a million sales. He concluded his triumphant march in 1984, attacking the US market with 1100 Bel Air Place, only to succeed once again with a 4-million-selling album stateside.

His total includes 77.5 million studio album sales, complemented by 22.2 million in compilations and nearly 22 million in physical singles. These sales place him among the top-selling male solo artists worldwide, regardless of language. In contrast, his streaming total stands at just over 2 million EAS, the lowest of all artists listed in this ranking.

While largely inactive in recent years, his catalog volume alone sustains his place as the best-selling Latin artist of all time.

#2 – Bad Bunny – 108.6 million EAS

Bad Bunny has generated the most remarkable commercial run of any Spanish-language artist in the streaming era—by some measures, in any era. His 2022 release, Un Verano Sin Ti, is the most-streamed album of all time on Spotify across all languages and genres. That alone explains much of his standing here, but the depth of his catalog goes further.

He has amassed 107 million EAS from streaming alone, with minimal input from traditional formats. His 2020 album YHLQMDLG was the highest-charting all-Spanish album ever on the Billboard 200 at the time until he topped that with Un Verano Sin Ti, which spent 13 non-consecutive weeks at #1 in the US—a record for any Latin album. Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana and Debí Tirar Más Fotos kept his momentum intact, also hitting #1. He owns four of the six Latin albums that made the top in the US.

No other artist in this ranking has reached the 100M EAS mark in such a short span or done it without relying on physicals, compilations, or significant bilingual crossover. His position isn’t just current—it’s historic. Currently second overall, it’s only a matter of weeks until Bad Bunny dislodges Julio Iglesias from the top of this ranking.

#3 – Shakira – 89.8 million EAS

The trajectory of Shakira spans multiple phases: early Latin pop success in the 1990s (¿Dónde Están los Ladrones?), global crossover with Laundry Service (2001), and digitally dominant singles like Hips Don’t Lie, Waka Waka, and Loca. Later hits like Chantaje and BZRP Music Sessions #53 extended her relevance into the streaming era, contributing over 33 million EAS from that format.

Her total includes 62.7 million in downloads, where she outperformed every other Hispanic artist, well ahead of Enrique Iglesias, Daddy Yankee, or any of her pop peers. She also ranks third in album sales, third in physical singles sales, and third in streaming units. These remarkably well-balanced sales across all formats —a feat that no one else in this ranking has achieved —highlight her status as the most consistent Latin artist over the last 35 years.

Unlike many bilingual artists, Shakira also maintained significant traction in both Spanish and English markets without sidelining one or the other. The best-selling female Latin artist of all time, the Colombian icon is also arguably the most globally successful star on the Hispanic roster.

#4 – Luis Miguel – 74.8 million EAS

Luis Miguel has maintained one of the most stable and commercially durable careers in Latin music, achieving stardom as an 11-year-old phenom in the early 1980s and remaining a dominant force through the 2000s. His ability to evolve stylistically—from pop and ballads to boleros and mariachi—allowed him to expand across Latin America without altering his record-breaking sales in his homeland.

After numerous successes during the 1980s, including evergreen hits such as Ahora Te Puedes Marchar and La Incondicional, he raised the bar once more with the blockbuster album Romance (1991), which revived the bolero genre and became, at the time, the best-selling Spanish-language album ever. While he never crossed into English-language releases or international charts, such as Billboard’s Hot 100, his presence in Latin America, especially in Mexico and Argentina, was unmatched during the CD era.

With over 13 million EAS from streaming alone, Luis Miguel also ranks among the top-tier catalog performers on digital platforms, topping even global 1980s superstars like Madonna and U2. On his way to surpassing 75 million EAS overall, Luis Miguel is the fourth-highest-selling Hispanic artist of all time.

#5 – Enrique Iglesias – 66.5 million EAS

Enrique Iglesias is the most format-balanced act of the ranking after Shakira. His catalog spans three commercial eras—CDs, digital downloads, and streaming—with significant output in both Spanish and English. He claims high sales in each: 33.9 million in studio albums, over 50 million in downloads, and 17 million in streaming EAS.

His early career, rooted in Spanish-language pop (with his self-titled debut, Vivir, and Cosas del Amor), transitioned seamlessly to global dance-pop with Enrique (1999) and Escape (2001), then to reggaetón-infused bilingual singles in the 2010s. Hits like Bailando, Duele el Corazón, and El Perdón have extended his relevance in Spanish-speaking markets even after his English output slowed.

On Billboard’s Hot Latin Tracks chart, he held the record for the most #1s (27) for years, a metric that reflects his sustained presence across airplay and digital platforms. While he has slowed his releases in recent years, his catalog performance remains incredible. With 66.5 million EAS, he joins his father in the elite of the best-selling Latin artists.

#6 – Ricky Martin – 49.0 million EAS

Ricky Martin had one of the most visible Latin-to-global crossover moments of the late 1990s. After building a strong career in Latin America with albums like A Medio Vivir and Vuelve, his 1999 self-titled English-language debut, Livin’ la Vida Loca, launched him into global ubiquity and reached #1 in numerous countries across five continents.

His catalog shows strong physical single sales—over 12 million units—which is high for a Latin artist, as Spanish-language markets had abandoned this format by the end of the 1980s. Studio albums account for just under 34 million. On the other hand, streaming contributes a modest 4.9 million EAS, which explains the gap to his contemporaries, Shakira and Enrique Iglesias, despite a peak just as prominent as theirs.

Although his English-language output brought him international fame, most of his discography remains in Spanish, which hasn’t prevented him from achieving success from France to Taiwan with songs like Maria. Even if he slowed down lately, he is on his way to surpassing 50 million EAS shortly.

#7 – Juan Gabriel – 44.0 million EAS

Juan Gabriel is one of the most prolific and influential singer-songwriters in Mexican music history, active from the early 1970s until his passing in 2016. Known for his work across ranchera, ballads, and pop, he built a massive catalog that received heavy radio rotation for decades.

Compilation albums represent a disproportionate share of his total—nearly 20 million units—more than his studio albums and physical singles combined. This reflects the enduring appeal of his best-known material in reissued and repackaged form. It also reveals that the album market was still weak when he released his first smash LPs. Streaming sits at around 5.2 million EAS, a solid figure for an artist who debuted in 1971.

Juan Gabriel’s cultural footprint in Mexico and among Spanish-speaking audiences in the US is so significant that he became the best-selling Latin artist who did not crossover to the entire region.

#8 – J Balvin – 42.9 million EAS

J Balvin rose to prominence in the mid-2010s as one of the key figures in reggaetón’s global revival. Albums like Energía and Colores, along with major collaborations such as Mi Gente and Ginza, helped him expand the genre’s reach beyond its traditional base.

Streaming dominates his total, with over 42 million EAS—runner-up to Bad Bunny in the ranking. His chart presence has cooled somewhat compared to his peak years. Still, his contribution to reggaetón’s mainstream resurgence remains significant, as illustrated by his 68 million monthly listeners on Spotify at the moment—another tally only topped by Bad Bunny.

#9 – Vicente Fernández – 41.8 million EAS

Vicente Fernández, often regarded as the voice of ranchera music, enjoyed a long and productive career until his death in 2021. His chart success was rooted almost entirely in Mexico and among diaspora audiences, but the volume of his catalog—spanning 53 years—drives a large share of his total.

Album sales account for over 22 million EAS and compilations another 12 million. His catalog remains incredibly valuable, as shown by his 6 million EAS from streaming. Downloads and singles play only a minor role.

With limited international promotion and minimal crossover exposure, his ranking is a testament to his sustained domestic popularity and the enduring appeal of traditional Mexican music among older and regional audiences.

His omnipresent figure is accentuated by the success story of his son, Alejandro Fernández, who narrowly misses this ranking (21.7m) and continues to thrive.

#10 – José José – 41.8 million EAS

José José, active from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, has been a master of romantic ballads, achieving enormous popularity in Mexico and throughout Latino communities in the US. His 1983 album Secretos became one of the earliest million-sellers in his homeland, thanks to monumental hits such as Quiero Perderme Contigo and He Renunciado a Ti.

He accumulated over 20 million sales with his studio albums and 14 million EAS with compilations, while physical singles totaled 7.3 million. Like others from his era, digital formats make up a small portion of his total—around 4.5 million EAS from streaming and 2.5 million downloads sold.

Though less known outside of the Mexican culture, José José remains one of the best-selling voices in the region’s music history, with catalog demand continuing well into the streaming era—albeit at lower volumes. He closes out the top 10 best-selling Latin artists.

#11 – Los Tigres del Norte – 40.3 million EAS

Los Tigres del Norte have been a cornerstone of regional Mexican music since the 1970s, with a catalog ingrained in norteño and corrido storytelling. Their appeal lies in a deep connection to working-class narratives, especially across Mexico and US Latino communities.

Their sales are led by studio albums (25.5 million) and compilations (8.4 million), with modest contributions from physical singles and digital formats. Streaming adds about 5 million EAS—respectable for a group whose audience base leans older.

Their position reflects catalog endurance more than hitmaking, as few of their songs were major chart staples. Instead, 10 of their albums have been certified Gold by the RIAA for sales exceeding 500,000 units in the US, with Jefe De Jefes topping one million.

This fact is a good opportunity to mention that Billboard notably excluded sales at Latin retailers until the mid-2000s, explaining why a band like Los Tigres del Norte could shift half a million units in a couple of months without ever making the Billboard album chart top 40.

#12 – Daddy Yankee – 34.0 million EAS

Daddy Yankee’s career arc spans from the early 2000s reggaetón boom to the global digital surge of the 2010s. He is often regarded as the godfather of the current success of the genre, thanks to the groundbreaking success of 2004’s Gasolina, which became an international hit the following summer. More than a decade later, he featured on Luis Fonsi’s Despacito, one of the biggest Latin hits of all time. It remains the most-streamed song on Spotify, with over 3.8 billion streams across its various versions.

Streaming accounts for the bulk of his total, with nearly 28.4 million EAS. Downloads add over 12 million, reflecting his sustained success during the iTunes era. Albums and compilations contribute just over 4 million combined, a low figure relative to his visibility but an expected one, as the album market declined immediately after he broke through with Barrio Fino.

He announced retirement from music in 2022, shortly after releasing Legendaddy, although he has issued multiple stand-alone tracks since then.

#13 – Ozuna – 34.0 million EAS

Ozuna broke out in the second half of the 2010s, emerging as one of the most streamed Latin artists worldwide. His debut, Odisea (2017), and follow-up, Aura (2018), both posted strong streaming performances, supported by a heavy presence in collaborations. Among other things, he participated in the global smash hit “Taki Taki.”

Along with J Balvin and Maluma, they helped demonstrate the massive commercial potential of Latin artists in the streaming era—driven by a digitally active audience and the deep integration of music into daily life across Latin America.

Despite recent output receiving less attention than his early peak, Ozuna‘s presence on the list reflects his massive initial success and the replay value of his early catalog in Latin markets.

#14 – Maná – 32.0 million EAS

Maná have maintained a long-standing position as Latin Rock’s most commercially successful group. Active since the late 1980s, their biggest albums—¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños? and Sueños Líquidos—drove massive CD-era sales throughout Latin America and the US.

Their catalog is led by studio albums (14.8 million) and compilations (8.4 million). Their downloads are also strong at 10 million, in good part thanks to the success of 2006’s Amar Es Combatir, especially in the US. Streaming contributes around 7.3 million EAS—above average for a legacy rock act, indicating steady catalog appeal.

While not crossover-focused, Maná remain a top draw on tour and maintain catalog visibility thanks to their classic songs, including Oye Mi Amor, Clavado en Un Bar, En El Muelle de San Blas, and Rayando el Sol.

#15 – Los Bukis – 30.0 million EAS

Los Bukis, led by Marco Antonio Solís, dominated the grupera scene during the 1980s and early 1990s. Their inclusion here is based solely on group activity; Solís, as a solo artist, falls short of the 25 million threshold with 21.3 million sales.

Album sales (14.8 million) and compilations (10.6 million) make up the majority of their total, while singles and digital formats add modestly. Streaming sits at just under 3.7 million EAS—low but not insignificant for a band that peaked long before the digital era, with their signature song Tu Cárcel dating from 1986.

Their 2021 reunion tour revived interest in their catalog, but their position here is primarily the result of enduring consumption from longtime fans across Mexico and the US Southwest.

#16 – Karol G – 29.5 million EAS

Karol G is the highest-ranked female artist among recent reggaetón and Latin trap performers. Since her 2017 debut, she has scored a run of highly streamed albums, including KG0516 and Mañana Será Bonito, the latter becoming the first all-Spanish album by a female artist to top the Billboard 200.

Her rise reflects not only the genre’s growth but also her ability to headline in a space that male collaborators have long dominated. She achieved this thanks to a catalog that includes sizable hits, namely Tusa, Provenza, TQG, China, Qlona, Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido, Mamii, and Amargura, all of which have surpassed over a billion streams on Spotify.

She’s the most commercially successful female act of the streaming-native Latin urban wave. She also breaks barriers, ranking 8th among the most-streamed female artists, just ahead of Beyoncé and Adele.

#17 – Rauw Alejandro – 28.8 million EAS

Rauw Alejandro emerged in the late 2010s, part of the second wave of Latin urban stars following Bad Bunny and J Balvin. His commercial momentum accelerated with Vice Versa (2021), featuring the breakout hit Todo de Ti, one of the most streamed Spanish-language songs of that year.

Streaming makes up virtually his entire total—28.6 million EAS—with minor additions from downloads and physical formats. He has no compilation presence, reflecting a streamlined, digital-native catalog.

His fast rise, heavy collaborative output, and genre crossover with pop, dance, and electronic influences position him as one of the most dynamic artists among recent reggaetón entrants.

#18 – Alejandro Sanz – 28.5 million EAS

Alejandro Sanz was one of the dominant figures in Spanish pop through the 1990s and 2000s, best known for Más (1997), the best-selling album ever in Spain. His reach extended widely through Latin America, too, thanks to a consistent run of ballad-heavy albums.

Studio albums account for over 16.5 million of his total, with compilations adding another 4.8 million. Downloads are strong at 9 million while streaming contributes 5.9 million EAS.

Despite less international crossover than peers like Shakira or Enrique Iglesias, his commercial record in Spain is unmatched, and his catalog continues to chart well in the region.

#19 – Anuel AA – 27.2 million EAS

Anuel AA’s career took off in the mid-2010s with a blend of trap and reggaetón, initially shaped by controversy and street-centric lyrics. His 2018 debut, Real Hasta la Muerte, posted massive streaming figures and laid the foundation for one of the most rapid commercial rises in Latin music this decade.

While critical attention has shifted toward his contemporaries, Anuel AA‘s catalog remains one of the most heavily replayed in the Latin trap niche, especially among younger listeners in Latin America, the US, and Spain.

#20 – Selena – 27.1 million EAS

Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, though killed in 1995 at age 23, remains one of the most iconic figures in Tejano and Latin pop. Her commercial success surged posthumously with Dreaming of You (1995), a bilingual project that became the first majority-Spanish album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200.

Compilation albums account for nearly half of her total, at 12.9 million, reflecting decades of repackaged material. Downloads are high at 8 million, especially considering the timing of her death, which reveals her high popularity in the US, perhaps even higher than that of her remaining regional Mexican stars counterparts.

She remains a cultural reference point, as evidenced by the 1997 biopic Selena, the 2000 Broadway musical Selena Forever, the 2005 TV Special Selena ¡VIVE!, and the 2020 Netflix series Selena: The Series. The former was starred by Jennifer Lopez, becoming her breakthrough role.

#21 – Los Temerarios – 26.2 million EAS

Los Temerarios, active since the late 1970s, built their success on romantic ballads and regional Mexican stylings that resonated heavily in the 1990s and early 2000s. Their popularity was largely regional, but the consistency of their output translated into strong cumulative sales.

They logged over 20 million sales with their studio albums and compilations, with moderate physical single and digital sales rounding out the total. Streaming adds just over 5.1 million EAS.

With no crossover exposure and minimal promotional presence outside Mexico and US Latino audiences, they still add a whopping 26 million, placing them just outside the top 20 best-selling Latin artists and fourth among bands.

#22 – Peso Pluma – 25.4 million EAS

Peso Pluma is the most recent artist to break into this ranking, propelled by the 2020s explosion of corridos tumbados and Mexican regional trap. His 2023 album Génesis played a key role, entering the Billboard 200 Top 3—an unprecedented feat for a project in this genre.

Still in his early twenties, Peso Pluma is one of the fastest risers in Latin music sales history. Starting 2023 with 300 million career streams on Spotify, he posted insane back-to-back years with 10.54 billion plays in 2023 (5th biggest artist) and 9.38 billion in 2024 (8th biggest)—his continued climb will depend on how durable his audience proves beyond the current movement.

How Latin Music’s Evolution Shaped Its Best-Selling Artists

The ranking of the best-selling Hispanic artists by equivalent album sales (EAS) reflects more than just individual success—it maps the commercial evolution of Latin music through its sub-genres, market shifts, and format transitions. Rather than being divided by country or format alone, the key to understanding this list lies in how different Latin music styles have expanded (or not) across key consumption regions and eras.

Mexico leads in number of entries, with nine of the 22 artists originating there, plus Los Tigres Del Norte, who are Mexican-American. This isn’t accidental. For decades, the Mexican and US Latin markets were the two most significant revenue engines for Spanish-language music. Artists like Luis Miguel, Juan Gabriel, Vicente Fernández, and Los Temerarios achieved high physical sales in both countries—something that regional acts from other nations struggled to match. However, what distinguishes these artists is also what holds them back from reaching the very top of the ranking: limited crossover appeal outside of Mexico and the US Hispanic audience. Most didn’t chart heavily across South America or Spain and lacked the pan-Latin reach that global pop and reggaetón acts would later master.

On the other end of the spectrum, a newer cohort of artists associated with Latin urban music—Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Karol G, Ozuna, Anuel AA, and Rauw Alejandro—has achieved explosive growth in less than a decade. Their numbers are fueled almost entirely by streaming, and their success spans across all major Latin markets simultaneously. This genre’s dominance in the digital era isn’t simply due to its format compatibility but rather its ability to appeal across regional boundaries, creating a shared pan-Latin youth culture. These artists didn’t need to crossover—they started with a broad Latin reach from the beginning.

Sitting between these two poles are artists from Latin pop, a genre that dominated from the 1990s through the early 2010s. Figures like Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, and Ricky Martin benefited from international marketing support and bilingual output, enabling them to perform well across Latin America, the US, and parts of Europe. This group is notable not just for their chart presence but also for how well their catalogs have held up across multiple eras—on CDs, downloads, and streaming alike. They show the value of genre fluidity and regional adaptability before the algorithm-driven global Latin boom.

A final, critical angle is genre insularity. Regional Mexican artists comprise a significant portion of the list but remain mid-ranked due to their sales concentration within specific territories. Similarly, while commercially strong artists represent Spain, its contribution is genre-specific (ballads and pop), with no presence in Latin urban or regional styles.

In short, this ranking doesn’t just reflect who sold the most—it reflects which genres scaled, when they reached their peak, and how far they traveled. Market size, sub-genre flexibility, and regional reach all played bigger roles than language or country alone. The artists who reached the top did so not only because they dominated a format but also because their sound transcended the borders that others stayed within.

The best-selling artists list, updated

All-time lists evolve very quickly, as illustrated by the rise of Peso Pluma in this ranking. Soon, names like Feid and Maluma will enter it.

Our sortable and filterable list of the best-selling artists of all time is the perfect way to keep track of this ranking, and the sales and streams evolution of artists. If you want to dig deeper into one artist statistics, head to his Artist Dashboard page, as shown by this example of Bad Bunny’s. If you want to compare two latin singers across a large set of statistics, this tool is your dream come true.

Want clarification or just feel like discussing the ranking? Join the conversation on our forum!

We have more for you

This article is being discussed in our forum, join us to share your comments! »