My Gloria Estefan Top 10
As I wrote in my last article Billy Joel was the first artist I knew and connected with when I was growing up. That said, he wasn't the only artist my parents listened to in the car that I ended up growing very attached to as a young child. Case in point Gloria Estefan. In all honesty, I might be inclined to say that in some ways I grew more attached to Gloria than Billy in the long run. In 1992 Gloria Estefan put out a Greatest Hits album and my Mom, who had become a fan of Gloria's through the light rock radio station she used to always listen to, bought Gloria's Greatest Hits on cassette tape. Much like Storm Front and The River of Dreams by Billy Joel, Gloria Estefan's Greatest Hits ended gaining a lot of heavy rotation play in the car from that point forward.
It can be argued that Gloria Estefan was my first pop diva love. As a young boy I was always drawn to feminine energy whether is was Disney princesses like Ariel or Belle, or the women in my life like my Aunt Michelle and Aunt Georgina. Before Gloria Estefan my parents pretty much listened to male singers in the car like Billy Joel, John Mellencamp, Bruce Hornsby, Steve Winwood, Van Halen, etc. We did get a copy of Nick of Time by Bonnie Raitt around 1991 which I did enjoy, but Gloria was different. This was the first time my parents (mostly my Mom) exposed me to music that was very feminine while still being a pillar of strength. In fact, I remember one of the first things I learned about Gloria Estefan shortly after being introduced to her music was how she had survived a horrific bus crash that had left her briefly paralyzed. Yet, through hard work and physical therapy she had overcome this tragic accident. Gloria had come out stronger than ever and celebrated her triumph with Coming Out of the Dark, which was a song that couldn't help but move you as a listener once you knew the story behind it. Gloria wasn't just a pop star she was a survivor!
That Greatest Hits cassette ended up getting so much play that the tape eventually got eaten by the tape deck in our car! For those too young to remember, the issue with cassette tapes was that if you played them a lot, they not only wore out, but the magnetic tape part could easily get eaten by the tape deck and ruin the cassette (and sometimes the tape deck if you were not careful.) Sometimes you could pencil it back to together (and if you don't know what that means look it up on Google kids), but more often than not the cassette was destroyed. So, I ended up buying a second copy of Gloria Estefan's Greatest Hits with my allowance money so technically this was the first album I ever bought before the Spice the Girls. Still it was just replacing a tape my parents had bought that they listened to all the time so it wasn't quite the same thing. My Dad also picked up Gloria Estefan's Christmas album for my Mom as a Christmas present in 1993 and that tape got a lot of play in our car during the holiday season for the rest of the 90s.
Once I did buy the Spice Girls on Cassette Tape in 1997, I wasn't listening to Gloria as much for a few years, but I was getting into more and more pop divas from the 80s & 90s throughout the late 90s including Madonna, Janet, Mariah and Whitney. So, it made sense to circle back to Gloria Estefan eventually. For Christmas of 1999 after we first moved to Rhode Island I asked for the CD version of Gloria Estefan's Greatest Hits, which means in the Evasick family we ended up buying that Greatest Hits album 3 separate times during the 90s!
From that point forward Gloria was part of my regular rotation. While Gloria was never my favorite pop diva again and didn't get as much play as Madonna, Janet or Paula after the late 90s, she was still a regular presence for me. When I was younger the dance songs were easily my favorite songs as I was drawn to their energy and sense of fun. As I got older though I started appreciating the ballads on Greatest Hits a lot more, especially the moodier atmospheric ones, since I became more drawn to moody atmospheric music throughout the 00s as I struggled with my homosexuality. Still after I came out of the closet, Gloria's music sound tracked a lot of fun times, from the dance parties my friends and I used to host in college, to an international dance party another friend of mine in college hosted, to my own wedding where Conga was definitely a highlight when it created a giant Conga line in the reception area. I also eventually bought Gloria Estefan's Greatest Hits Volume 2 in college as well, though despite a few a highlights, such as Reach and Heaven's What I Feel, volume 2 is definitely a step down from volume 1 in my opinion.
That brings us to this countdown of my 10 favorite songs by Gloria Estefan. I'm basically sticking to her first Greatest Hits CD for this countdown, because that album is the foundation and core of my love for Gloria Estefan. That Greatest Hits was also the first stepping stone to me becoming a big fan of pop divas later on down the road. As I said before, despite a few highlights from volume 2, her first Greatest Hits has all the songs I still listen to the most. When I think of Gloria Estefan it's the songs on her first Greatest Hits that I think of. Like the album itself this countdown is a mix of euphoric spicy dance songs and moody atmospheric love ballads. Over the years I've come to love the ballads a lot more, but the dance songs still have the edge for me which you will see when reading this countdown. OK let's get to it!
10. Words Get in the Way
Like many of Gloria's ballads, this is a moody ballad with atmosphere to spare, which makes it alluring for me. At the same time, I've heard this song and the rest of her Greatest Hits so much that there is also something very warm and comforting about this song as well. It just reminds me of childhood and a more innocent time in my life. It like an audio version of a security blanket if that makes sense.
09. Coming Out the Dark
This was Gloria's triumphant return to pop music after her nearly fatal bus accident where she was not even expected to ever stand again let alone perform! As are a result this was an emotionally charged song that was embraced by millions of people, especially after her iconic performance on the American Music Awards. Like all great pop music, Coming Out of the Dark transcended its origins to become an anthem for anyone who had overcome tragedy or loss in their life. Coming Out of the Dark became Gloria's 3rd # 1 hit in the U.S. and continues to resonate to this very day.
08. 1,2,3 Remix
This was just a fun upbeat dance song that I always sang along to in the car and "bopped" along to in my seat. As per usual we have a lot of fun horns courtesy of the Miami Sound Machine, which has always been one of the most appealing parts of Gloria Estefan's music in my opinion. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention as well that the saxophone makes a few appearances here and there too. The song also sports a really fun guitar solo, which reminds you how much rock music still heavily influenced all of pop music during the 80s before the hip-hop takeover of the 90s. The single Remix is available on this Greatest Hits and it is also superior to the album version so make sure you stream the Remix version.
07. Can't Stay Away from You
And now we return to the moody ballads except this one seems to have a real sense of dark drama to it that I find kind of gripping! Those synths during the verses really throb! The chorus key change feels like a huge shift in tone where things are looking up and I like the subtle use of piano during that portion of the song as well, which helps the lighten the mood.
06. Go Away
This was 1 of the 4 new songs off her 1992 Greatest Hits and it was easily my favorite since it was a total Bop unlike the other 3 which were ballads (which are all solid mind you and just missed this countdown.) I would also argue that Go Away is Gloria's spiciest and most Latin sounding dance song since Conga. I remember listening to this at someone else's house as a kid and them saying "That's a pretty spicy song there!" It also has elements of early 90s house music thanks to the piano that crops up here and there which I am big fan of as well. There's actually A LOT going on in this song to the point that I can see some people thinking this song is too overstuffed. For myself though it just means Go Away is overflowing with hooks and creative production techniques that can really catch you off guard and keep you on your toes. I actually would say Go Away reminds me of a lot of Paula Abdul's Vibeology from the year before as both were daring over the top dance songs (with a heavy influence of house piano and horns) that switched gears often and took a lot of risks, but those risks paid off. The early 90s was an interesting time for cutting edge dance music before Hip-Hop completely changed pop music by the mid-90s. Another example of cutting edge early 90s dance music would be Groove is the Heart by Dee-Lite.
05. Rhythm Is Gonna Get You
This felt like Gloria's darkest and edgiest song when I was a child. I didn't know what the Rhythm was as a 6-year-old, but it sounded absolutely terrifying every time it let out a roar during the chorus that sounded like a werewolf! All I knew at 6 is that I better not run into the Rhythm because it might eat me! I still loved the song though, because it was a bop from top to bottom just a dark bop. The Miami Sound Machine is firing on all cylinders during this song as well as this is one of the best produced and performed songs in Gloria's entire catalogue. The song also makes a case that dancing and rhythm is as old as time itself and is a very shared human experience. As a result, I feel this is why the song has a very tribal sound to it thanks to the percussion, which makes The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You kind of a primal experience despite it being so slickly produced. A high point for both 80s pop and Latin influenced dance music.
04. Don't Wanna Lose You
Gloria's second # 1 hit is one of her very best ballads. The production on this one is sweeping but simple, dramatic but romantic and Gloria gives one of her best vocal performances here, especially during the chorus which has a great key change/melody to it. Don't Wanna Lose You is just a very lovely ballad that deserved to go # 1 in 1989, which is one of my favorite years for pop divas ever.
03. Here We Are
Here We Are feels like the moodiest and most atmospheric ballad of all by Gloria Estefan, which is probably why it's also my favorite ballad by her overall. I love the way the music slowly comes into the focus at the start over the simple but very Latin sounding percussion/beat. Gloria Estefan's music did a great job of mixing Latin music with more mainstream pop trends of the time without sounding like she was pandering or giving one too much short shrift. Gloria made music pop music that sounded great on 80s top 40 radio, while still sounding uniquely her own, which is a difficult trick to pull off in all honesty. Also shout out to that key change during the bridge where Gloria takes her vocals up a notch. Gloria may not be as showy a singer as Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey, but she is truly a gifted and talented vocalist who is able to sound like she is emotionally invested in everything she sings, which helps her songs connect more deeply with listeners.
02. Conga
For those who were not alive in the 80s or didn't grow up on Gloria Estefan like I did, it's easy to forget just how huge an impact Conga made when it was first released in 1985. Conga didn't just become a pop hit, it became a phenomenon, especially throughout North and South America. Long before the Latin pop explosion of the late 90s and early 00s, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine brought the sound and spice of Latin American dance music into the mainstream in a way few acts before them had ever done before. It's a song that honestly broke down genre and race barriers within pop music during the 80s and it remains one of the most beloved dance songs ever in the entire history of pop music. I can tell you from personal experience alone that every time Conga comes on it always gets the party started! Examples include the pop diva themed dance parties I threw in college with my friends, the international dance party another friend of mine put together in college and the various weddings I have attended over the years including my own where it created a giant conga line on the dance floor. Conga has become more than a pop song, especially for the Hispanic community. It turned Gloria Estefan into an international superstar overnight and she has been legendary ever since. Conga also reminds me of the Birdcage, which is a movie that took place in Miami Florida and is one of the greatest films about gay culture ever. Conga plays both during the film and during the closing credits because let's face it hearing Conga once just isn't enough!
01. Get on Your Feet
As great and as iconic as Conga is my favorite Gloria Estefan song has always been this one. First of all, it's driven forward by a great electric guitar riff that sticks in the head and goes back to my earlier point that so much 80s pop music still had a lot of rock influence to it before rap changed everything in the 90s. The chorus meanwhile is as catchy as it is life affirming and it just makes you feel good singing it at the top of your lungs. Still the thing that really pushes Get On Your Feet over the top for me is...wait for it.....yup you guessed it a Sax solo baby! What can I say, I'm a slave to sax solos. Get On Your Feet also reminds me of the TV show Parks & Recreation now thanks to its brilliant use during a scene that takes place in an ice rink in season 4. When I first saw this scene play out, I could not stop laughing it was so freaking hysterical and a lot of the comedy came from the clever use of this song in the background, which helped heighten the absurdity of the entire scene. It's arguably the funniest moment of the entire series and Get On Your Feet is a big reason why!
