Our top 10 Daddy Yankee songs list looks at the music catalog of a Puerto Rican artist considered among the pioneers of the reggaeton music genre. Daddy Yankee has been widely termed as the king of reggaeton, having him coin the name of the music genre back in the early ’90s. However, Don Omar fans have a different narrative about the “King of Reggaeton” title offered to Daddy Yankee by critics.
Nevertheless, it’s undisputed that their musical rivalry helped the two artists push the reggaeton music genre to the next level. Daddy Yankee’s musical career has been more than glamorous, with the Puerto Rican singer and rapper releasing smashing hits in a row multiple times. His impact and fame in the reggaeton music scene make him the undisputed most influential Hispanic artist.
Daddy Yankee’s Career Beginnings and Breakthrough
Initially, Daddy Yankee aspired to become a professional baseball player. However, after getting shot in his leg, Daddy Yankee decides to take his time to venture into the music industry. Daddy Yankee’s first musical appearance was in the 1994 mixtape by DJ Playero. The following year, Daddy Yankee released his debut album entitled No Mercy. No Mercy was produced by DJ Playero, with whom the Puerto Rican singer was credited to have “invented” the reggaeton music genre.
In 1997, Daddy Yankee released a compilation album, El Cartelo, featuring other Puerto Rican artists, including Baby Ranks, Héctor & Tito, and Alberto Stylee. One of the best Daddy Yankee songs from the LP is “Posición,” a hit featured in the 1998 action crime movie One Tough Cop. The singer later returned with his second compilation album El Cartelo II, featuring Nicky Jam, MC Ceja, and Karel & Voltio. “Tu Cuerpo En La Cama” and “Se Unen O Se Mueren” are some of the best Daddy Yankee songs from the compilation album El Cartelo II.
Later in 2002, Daddy Yankee released his sophomore LP, El Cangri.com. El Cangri.com catapulted Daddy Yankee to mainstream success peaking at number forty-three on the Billboard Latin Albums chart. The LP also made it to the thirteenth spot on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums chart. El Cangri.com saw Daddy Yankee collaborate with Nicky Jam, Divino, Yaga & Mackie Ranks, Lito & Polaco, and Speedy. “Latigazo,” “¿Recuerdas?” and “Ella Esta Soltera” are some of the best Daddy Yankee songs from El Cangri.com.
Daddy Yankee’s definitive moment in the reggaeton music genre was ushered in by his third LP, Barrio Fino, issued in 2004. Barrio Fino saw Daddy Yankee release songs that featured multiple diverse themes such as violence, romance, dance, and corruption. The album featured some of the best Daddy Yankee songs, including “Gasolina,” “Like You,” “Lo Que Pasó, Pasó,” and “No Me Dejes Solo.”
His songs “Gasolina” and “Like You” rose to the Billboard Hot 100 at number thirty-two and seventy-eight, respectively. Barrio Fino was Platinum certified in the US, Argentina, and Mexico. The album topped the Billboard Latin Albums and Billboard Tropical Albums charts. Barrio Fino also managed to peak at number sixty-seven on the Billboard 200. Thanks to Barrio Fino, Daddy Yankee rose to an international Latino sensation and a reputable reggaeton artist.
Daddy Yankee’s Album Releases over the Years
After the success of Barrio Fino, Daddy Yankee’s major challenge was to keep up with the same energy in his next releases. However, the stars aligned for the Puerto Rican artist, with most of his later releases still making it big both in the mainstream and commercially. His fourth LP, El Cartel: The Big Boss came through in 2007, featuring artists such as Akon, Scott Storch, will.i.am, Tainy, and Mr. Collipark.
The album managed to top three Billboard charts, including the Top Latin Albums, Latin Rhythm Albums, and Top Rap Albums charts. El Cartelo: The Big Boss peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200. “Impacto” and “Ella Me Levantó” are some of the best Daddy Yankee songs from the LP. However, the album’s sales failed to match Daddy Yankee’s breakthrough album Barrio Fino.
In 2010, Daddy Yankee released his sixth LP, Mundial. “La Despedida,” “Descontrol,” and “Grito Mundial” are some of the musical gems for the album. Once more Daddy Yankee topped the Billboard Latin Rhythm Albums and Top Latin Albums chart with Mundial. On the Billboard 200, Mundial managed to rise to the twenty-ninth spot. Mundial went on to win the Latin Rhythm Album of the Year accolade in the 2011 Billboard Latin Music Award ceremony.
Daddy Yankee issued his seventh LP Prestige, in 2012. The album topped the Billboard Latin Rhythm Albums and Billboard Top Latin Albums. On the Billboard 200, Prestige managed to rise to the thirty-ninth spot. The album blended reggaeton sonic vibes with electropop, hip hop, and Latin pop. Some of the best Daddy Yankee songs from Prestige include “Lovumba,” “Limbo,” “Ven Conmigo,” and “Llegamos a La Disco.”
On March 24, 2022, Daddy Yankee released his final album Legendaddy. The news about Legendaddy being his last LP has seen songs from the album received quite some attention. Some of the musical gems from the album include “Rumbatón,” “Agua,” “Impares,” and “Zona Del Perreo.”
Daddy Yankee’s Other Musical Pursuits
At the beginning of his musical career, Daddy Yankee collaborated with fellow reggaeton artist Nicky Jam to form a music duo under the moniker Los Cangris. However, the music duo was unofficial despite the two releasing reputable songs together. In 2003, Daddy Yankee was featured on Luny Tunes’ debut compilation LP Mass Flow. Other artists featured on Mass Flow include Don Omar, Wisin & Yandel, Nicky Jam, Baby Ranks, Héctor & Tito, and Tego Calderón.
Daddy Yankee was featured on N.O.R.E.’s hit “Oye Mi Canto,” alongside Big Mato, Gem Star, and Nina Sky. The Puerto Rican reggaeton star has made successful collaborations with other artists such as Ricky Martin, Inna, Romeo Santos, Janet Jackson, Alexandra Stan, Reykon, De La Ghetto, Anuel AA, and Farruko. Luis Fonsi’s hit “Despacito” is his most successful collaborative hit, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Daddy Yankee’s Accolades and Legacy
Daddy Yankee has been hailed the King of Reggaeton, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award in the Lo Nuestro Awards for his immense impact on the genre. The Latin singer has won over one hundred and forty awards throughout his music career. Daddy Yankee has won all his ASCAP Latin Awards nominations. Other notable awards the singer has won include the Billboard Latin Music Awards, American Music Awards, Latin Grammy Awards, and Lo Nuestro Awards.
Daddy Yankee is a proud holder of ten Guinness World Records. Seven of the Guinness World Records for the Puerto Rican star are credited to his collaborative hit with Luis Fonsi, “Despacito.” Other Guinness World Records he holds include the First Latin artist to reach No. 1 on Spotify’s Global Artist chart, Most titles charted on the Billboard Latin Rhythm Airplay chart, and the Most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Latin Rhythm Airplay chart.
With over sixteen songs on the Billboard Hot 100 by the artists (both as the lead and featured artist), Daddy Yankee proves to be a force to reckon with among other Latino artists. His impact on the reggaeton music genre remains unmatched by most artists, including his greatest challenger Don Omar. Nevertheless, the competition between the two reggaeton icons helped catapult the music genre to its next level. Here are the top 10 Daddy Yankee songs of all time.
#10 – La Rompe Corazones ft. Ozuna
Ushering us to the top 10 Daddy Yankee songs is the striking hit “La Rompe Corazones.” The song is a collaborative release between Daddy Yankee and his fellow Puerto Rican star Ozuna. Ozuna and Daddy Yankee collaborated with Jesus Benitez and Carlos Ortiz in penning the lyrics to the song.
“La Rompe Corazones” alludes to a lovesick lady who barely puts her trust in love and relationships. The song’s title is Spanish for “The Heartbreaker.” “La Rompe Corazones” topped the Billboard Latin Rhythm Airplay, making it one of the best reggaeton songs from 2017. The song was Platinum-certified seventeen times in the US, achieving three times Platinum certifications in Spain and a Gold certification in Italy.
#9- Gasolina ft. Glory
“Gasolina” is among the breakthrough hits by the Puerto Rican singer featured on his LP Barrio Fino. The song finds Daddy Yankee collaborating with then iconic female reggaeton star Glory. Its lyrics were a collaborative work between Daddy Yankee and the Puerto Rican hip hop artist Eddie Dee.
“Gasolina” proved to be an anthemic song after helping bring Daddy Yankee mainstream and commercial success. Additionally, “Gasolina” is among the definitive songs of the reggaeton music genre. The song rose to number thirty-two on the Billboard Hot 100. “Gasolina” has been covered by Papa A.P. and La Fabrica.
#8 – Impacto ft. Fergie
In 2007, Daddy Yankee collaborated with the American singer Fergie for the release of the hit “Impacto.” The song was among the reputable hits from Daddy Yankee’s fifth LP, El Cartel: The Big Boss. “Impacto,” Spanish for “Impact,” marked Daddy Yankee’s first collaboration with Fergie. The Black Eyed Peas artist Fergie is a renowned pop and hip-hop star famed for her hits “Glamorous,” “London Bridge,” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” as well as her work with the Black Eyed Peas .
“Impacto” was used in the video games Grand Theft Auto IV, Dance Central 2, and Madden NFL 08. The song peaked at number fifty-six on the Billboard Hot 100. “Impacto” also managed to top the Billboard Latin Tropical Airplay and Billboard Latin Rhythm Airplay.
#7 – Sígueme y Te Sigo
“Sígueme y Te Sigo,” Spanish for “Follow Me and I Follow You,” is one of the best Daddy Yankee songs from the unreleased LP El Disco Duro. The song’s lyrics were penned by Daddy Yankee, Carlos Ortíz, and Luis Ortíz. Critics have lauded “Sígueme y Te Sigo” to be one of the best Daddy Yankee urban songs of all time.
The song won the 2015 Latin American Music Awards accolade for the Favorite Urban Song. Later in 2016, “Sígueme y Te Sigo” gifted Daddy Yankee with yet another award for the ASCAP Latin Music Awards’ Urban Winning Song. The song was Platinum certified in Spain, rising to the tenth spot on the Billboard Latin Airplay Songs chart.
#6 – Que Tire Pa’ Lante
Number six on our top 10 Daddy Yankee songs list is the smashing hit “Que Tire Pa’ Lante.” The song is a lyrical gem by Daddy Yankee, with production done by the artist, Rome, and DJ Urba. Upon its release, “Que Tire Pa’ Lante” was lauded for its amalgam of 90’s reggaeton and dembow sonic vibes.
As Daddy Yankee promised, the song became a global hit, topping charts in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, and Puerto Rico. The song managed to top the Billboard Latin Airplay and Billboard Latin Rhythm Airplay charts. “Que Tire Pa’ Lante,” Spanish for “Pull Forward,” also peaked at number eight on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100. Daddy Yankee featured cameos by Bad Bunny, Wisin, Anuel AA, Darell, Lennox, and Natti Natasha.
#5- Rompe
In 2006, Daddy Yankee released his sophomore live album Barrio Fino en Directo. The live album is home to our fifth hit on our ten best Daddy Yankee songs, “Rompe.” “Rompe,” Spanish for “Break It,” received massive airplay, selling more than a million copies in the US alone.
The song topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, peaking at number twenty-four on the Billboard Hot 100. “Rompe” was nominated in the 2007 Annual International Dance Music Awards for the Best Latin/Reggaeton Track. However, the remix version lost to “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean.
#4- Shaky Shaky
“Shaky Shaky” is yet another dazzling hit from Daddy Yankee’s unreleased LP El Disco Duro. Daddy Yankee collaborated with Rome and DJ Urba in penning the lyrics to this reggaeton song. The song saw Daddy Yankee make a comeback to the Billboard Hot 100 since 2007. This was after the song peaked at number eighty-eight on the chart.
The song also topped the Billboard Latin Rhythm Airplay, Tropical Songs, and Hot Latin Songs charts. “Shaky Shaky” was Platinum certified twenty-three times in the US, having it picked among the best Latin dance songs of 2016. The song was covered by Farandula Boys, the duo Los de a Recocha, and the trio Los Juanelos. Daddy Yankee later collaborated with Nicky Jam and Plan B in 2016, releasing a remix to this song.
#3- Limbo
Prestige is home to our third best Daddy Yankee song, “Limbo.” “Limbo” is a rip-roaring hit penned with the hope to ignite some dance creativity and show diversity in Daddy Yankee’s sonic vibes. The song blends EDM and Latin pop tunes, finding the singer deviating slightly from his usual reggaeton vibes.
The singer revealed that the song was penned for Zumba Fitness showcasing how influential the Latin music scene has impacted dance fitness routines. “Limbo” was Platinum certified in Italy and Spain, peaking at number fifteen on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100. The song topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs, Latin Rhythm Airplay, and Latin Pop Airplay charts.
#2- Dura
“Dura” is the best Daddy Yankee song from the unreleased LP El Disco Duro. The song was penned by Daddy Yankee, Rome, Gaby Music, and DJ Urba. Its lyrics allude to a beautiful lady. “Dura” has been lauded for its reggae influences in addition to its reggaeton vibes. The song sold more than two and a half million copies in the US.
“Dura” topped the charts in twelve nations, peaking at number one on the Billboard Latin Airplay and Latin Rhythm Airplay charts. The song also managed to rise to number forty-three on the Billboard Hot 100. “Dura” won Daddy Yankee the Best Urban Song at the 2018 Latin Grammy Awards. Daddy Yankee released a remix version of “Dura” featuring Natti Natasha, Becky G, and Bad Bunny.
#1- Con Calma ft. Snow
Number one on our top 10 Daddy Yankee songs list is the rip-roaring hit “Con Calma.” The song is a collaborative hit between Daddy Yankee and the Canadian rapper Snow. Snow is renowned for his charting single “Informer.” “Con Calma” has been cited to be a re-imagination of Snow’s hit “Informer.”
The song has been cited to be Daddy Yankee’s best fusion of reggaeton sonic vibes and a touch of dancehall influences. “Con Calma,” Spanish for “Calmly,” has its lyrics allude to a lady who lets the best of her femininity oozes from all she does, including dancing. The song peaked at number twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100.
Feature Photo: Daddy Yankee, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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