Recapping the Top 10* so far: #10 was the unique Duane Allman, Steve Vai was #9, legendary B.B. King came in at #8, John McLaughlin landed at #7 and Stevie Ray Vaughan was featured yesterday at #6.
One of the great and versatile veterans of the Rock Era graces the Top 100 next:
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana was born July 20, 1947 in Autlan de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico. With his band, Santana, Carlos pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion and brought Latin American rhythms to the forefront of the music scene in the 1970's. His guitar tone is instantly recognizable and Santana has featured some of the most melodic guitar riffs of all-time.
Santana plays the guitar as if it is an extension of himself, with so much passion. Through various lineups of the group, Santana has proven he is versatile and can add his own unique sound to nearly any style of music. The great Carlos Santana checks in at #5 for the Rock Era*...
One of the great and versatile veterans of the Rock Era graces the Top 100 next:
#5: Carlos Santana, Santana
49 years as an active guitarist
(Solo at JazzFest 2008)
Carlos began playing violin at age five and the guitar at age eight. He was influenced by Ritchie Valens, one of the few Latinos in rock and roll, as well as B.B. King. The Santana family moved to Tijuana and then to San Francisco, California. Carlos graduated from Mission High School and was accepted into two universities but turned them both down. Instead, Carlos took lessons from famous guitarist Javier Batiz, who taught him a completely different style of soloing.
After working for several years as a dishwasher and making what money he could be performing, Carlos decided to devote himself full-time to music. In 1966, things began breaking his way all on the same day. During a Sunday matinee show at Bill Graham's Fillmore West in San Francisco, Paul Butterfield was unable to perform. Graham had to assemble an impromptu group of musicians on the spot and Santana's manager, Stan Marcum, immediately suggested Carlos. Graham agreed and in the subsequent jam session, Santana's guitar work drew raves from both the audience and Graham.
Later that year, Carlos formed the Santana Blues Band, which included bassist David Brown and keyboardist Gregg Rolie. With their unique blend of rock, jazz, blues, salsa and African rhythms, the band gained a quick following in San Francisco and adopted the name Santana. After a memorable performance at Woodstock in 1969, the group signed with Columbia Records.
The self-titled Santana debut album, featuring the single "Evil Ways", was released and reached #4 on the album chart. Santana then recorded their second album, Abraxas, released in 1970. It reached #1 and featured one of the all-time classics, "Black Magic Woman". The group, however, wasn't satisfied with the result. This led to Mike Shrieve replacing Bob Livingston. Marcus Malone had to quit because of personal problems and Michael Carabello came back on board. Percussionist Jose Chepito Areas also joined the band during this time.
But differences in musical direction began to appear, as Rolie and others wanted to continue to play hard rock. Santana wanted to branch out to explore more jazzy elements, influenced by his interest in Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Chepito Areas had a near-fatal brain hemorrhage, and Santana replaced him first with Willie Bobo, then Coke Escovedo. Others in the group, most notably Carabello, believed it was wrong to perform without Areas. Thus, the band began to disintegrate.
Elite guitarist Neal Schon was invited to join the band for the album Santana III. This gave the group two incredible guitarists. Areas was now well and Santana also enlisted the help of the Tower of Power horn section, Luis Gasca of Malo, and other session musicians. The album reached #1 and included "No One to Depend On" and "Everybody's Everything".
But tension continued and drug use became a problem. Carabello left on bad terms, with James Mingo Lewis hired as a replacement prior to a concert in New York City. David Brown left because of substance abuse. A tour of South America was canceled when students in Lima, Peru, protested policies of the U.S. government. The events of the tour led Santana believe that he needed to make changes, both in his personal life and in the band.
In 1972, the remaining members of the group began working on Caravanserai. Session musicians James Mingo Lewis and Armando Peraza (percussion) and bassists Tom Rutley and Doug Rauch, along with keyboardists Wendy Haas and Tom Coster were brought in. After the album, Rolie and Schon left and would eventually form the nucleus of Journey. The album marked a change in direction towards jazz fusion. It originally did not sell well but eventually achieved platinum status. The title track from Caravanserai was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
Carlos became a big fan of the Mahavishnu Orchestra and guitarist John McLaughlin, the guitarist featured at #7 on Inside the Rock Era. McLaughlin introduced Santana and his wife Deborah to guru Sri Chinmoy, who accepted them as disciples in 1973. Santana and McLaughlin recorded the album Love, Devotion, Surrender with members of Santana and the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
But with key members Rolie and Schon gone, Santana had to reinvent the band. The new lineup was Armando Peraza and Chepito Areas on percussion, bassist Doug Rauch, Michael Shrieve on drums and keyboardists Tom Coster and Richard Kermode. Jazz vocalist Leon Thomas was recruited for a tour of Japan, with the live fusion album, Lotus, the product of that tour. Santana recorded the album Welcome, a further foray into jazz fusion and spiritually-influenced lyrics.
Carlos joined John Coltrane's widow, Alice Coltrane, for the album Illuminations, which included esoteric jazz with Eastern Indian and classical influences. ex-Miles Davis musicians Jack DeJohnette and Dave Holland also played on the album.
Santana replaced band members again, with vocalist Leon Patillo and soprano saxophonist Jules Broussard joining, bassist David Brown returning and Kermode, Thomas and Rauch departing. The new lineup recorded Borboletta in 1974. Drummer Leon Chancler joined the band to replace Shrieve, who wanted to pursue a solo career.
Although album reviews were good, many longtime Santana fans were being alienated by the new music. Manager Bill Graham convinced Carlos to go back to the streetwise, heavier music that had made Santana famous. Vocalist Greg Walker was added for the 1976 album Amigos. The album had a strong funk and Latin sound and featured the great instrumental "Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)".
The lineup continue to change in the latter part of the decade. A highlight was Santana's cover of the Zombies' hit, "She's Not There", featured on the album Moonflower in 1977. Meanwhile, Santana recorded the solo albums Oneness: Silver Dreams - Golden Reality in 1979 and The Swing of Delight in 1980. The albums featured Santana's heroes: Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams from Miles Davis' 1960's quintet.
Life as a famous rock musician conflicted with the spiritual lifestyle that Sri Chinmoy dictated. Carlos became disillusioned with Cinmoy's refusal to allow Santana and Deborah to start a family and he also felt his own fame was being used to increase the visibility of the guru. Santana and Deborah ended their association with Cinmoy in 1982.
The early part of the decade featured the songs "Winning" and the underrated "Hold On". Carlos then recorded another solo album with Keith Olson and producer Jerry Wexler. It was a chance for Carlos to get in touch with his early musical experiences in Tijuana with remakes of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" and Chuck Berry's "Havana Moon", the title track. Willie Nelson, Booker T. Jones and the Fabulous Thunderbirds were guest musicians on the album. Santana also did the film score to the movie La Bamba, based on the life of Ritchie Valens.
The group's album Beyond Appearances did not sell well but Graham landed a spot at the Live Aid concert for Santana. The band's performance there proved Santana was still a top live draw. In 1986, the group recorded the album Freedom. Carlos made several live appearances, jamming with Weather Report, John Lee Hooker, Vernon Reid of Living Colour and jazz pianist McCoy Tyner.
In 1988, Santana organized a reunion of past members of the band for a series of concerts and CBS Records released a 20-year compilation, Viva Santana!. Santana also formed an all-instrumental group including Wayne Shorter on saxophone, keyboardist Patrice Rushen, Alphonso Johnson on bass, Armando Peraza and Chepito Areas on percussion and drummer Leon Chancler. This lineup set out on a brief tour which drew rave reviews. Santana released the solo album, Blues for Salvador, which was rewarded with a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
In 1990, Santana ended his 22-year association with Columbia Records and signed with Polygram. The next year, Carlos played guitar for Ottmar Liebert's album Solo Para Ti, which included a cover of Santana's song "Samba Pa Ti".
Sales of Santana fell in the 1990's and by the end of the decade, he didn't have a contract. But Clive Davis, former head man at Columbia and now at Arista Records, signed the great guitarist and encouraged him to record an album with younger artists. These included Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, Everlast, Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Cee-Lo, Mana and others.
The result was the album Supernatural, one of the masterpieces of the Rock Era, that reintroduced Santana to a new generation. The lead single, co-written and sung by Thomas, was a high-energy song filled with great guitar riffs by Santana. "Smooth" spent 12 weeks at #1 and catapulted the album to #1 as well. "Maria Maria", with the Product G&B, hit #1 for another 10 weeks. Supernatural exploded into a worldwide hit and sold over 15 million copies in the United States alone.
Supernatural won nine Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Best Rock Album and Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Smooth". Several songs besides "Smooth" were singled out for artistic excellence--"Maria Maria" won for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, "El Farol" won for Best Pop Instrumental Performance, "The Calling" won for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, "Put Your Lights On" won for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and "Love of My Life" was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. In 2001, Santana played guitar on the song "Whatever Happens" for the Michael Jackson album Invincible.
In 2002, Santana again recorded an album with guest musicians including Seal, Chad Kroeger of Nickelback and Michelle Branch. Shaman featured "The Game of Love" with Branch and "Why Don't You & I" with Kroeger. Both were Top 10 singles, with "The Game of Love" becoming one of the top Adult Contemporary songs of the year and earning a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
In 2005, Carlos was honored as a BMI Icon at the BMI Latin Awards, an award given to a creator who has been "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers". Santana collaborated with Herbie Hancock for the album Possibilities and played guitar on the song "Illegal" for Shakira.
Santana's album All That I Am in 2005 featured work with Michelle Branch ("I'm Feeling You"), Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Sean Paul, Joss Stone and the Wreckers. In 2006, Santana toured Europe, with his son Savador Santana and his band opening for him.
In 2007, Santana performed on the single "No Llores" for Gloria Estefan and played on Chad Kroeger's hit "Into the Night". The album Marcelo Vieira's Acoustic Sounds included Carlos's trademark melodic guitar riffs.
Santana performed at the 2009 American Idol Finale with the top 13 finalists and led his 10-member all-star band through a tour of Europe.
Santana credits Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Mike Bloomfield and Peter Green as influences.
Carlos can play any musical style. He can play great expressive slow blues leads, virtuoso solos and he is an accomplished acoustic guitarist. Santana's sound is instantly identifiable, in the way he uses vertical vibrato or straight tones on held notes instead of standard vibrato, his impeccable sense of complex rhythm and phrasing, and his awesome trill technique.
Santana is not the fastest guitarist in The Top 100, nor is he the most technical. But no one plays with more passion and clarity, and his melodic guitar playing are a treat in a music world that seems to have forgotten how. Carlos can make the guitar sing with unbelievable nuances and energy. In addition, his playing has stood the test of time, picking up millions of new fans beginning with his Supernatural album.
Santana played a red Gibson SG Special with P-90 pickups at Woodstock. He played several Gibson Les Paul's and a black Gibson SG Special on his first few albums, then switched to a Yamaha SG 175B in 1975. In 1982, Carlso used a PRS Custom 24 guitar and in 1988, he endorsed the Signature PRS Santana I. Beginning in 1999, the PRS guitars included the high-end Santana II model known as "Supernatural". In 2008, Santana and Paul Reed Smith developed the PRS Santana MD "The Multidimensional", which combines the best features of previous models. Santana's guitar necks and fretboards are made out of a single piece of Brazilian Rosewood, which creates the smooth, memorable tone for which Carlos is famous for. Carlos also plays the Alvarez Yairi CY127CE classical guitar.
Santana plugs his guitars into multiple amplifiers: Mesa Boogie Mark I, Dumble Overdrive Reverb and a Bludotone. A three-way amp switcher is included on Carlos's pedal board so he can switch between amps depending on the sound he wants. Often, the amplifiers are blended together, producing a richer tone. Carlos uses Brown or Marshall 4x12 cabinets with Celestion G12M Greenback speakers. Early in his career, Santana used a GMT transistor amplifier stack and a Fender Twin.
Santana's PRS guitar is connected to a Mu-Tron wah wah pedal (more recently, a Dunlop 535Q wah) and a T-Rex Replica delay pedal. Carlos is another player that doesn't use many effects, preferring to let his natural ability speak for itself. He has occasionally used an Ibanez Tube Screamer, an Electro Harmonix Big Muff distortion and a Heil talk box.
Musicians from Prince to Kirk Hammett were influenced by Santana.
The Santana lineup of the first two albums was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
The self-titled Santana debut album, featuring the single "Evil Ways", was released and reached #4 on the album chart. Santana then recorded their second album, Abraxas, released in 1970. It reached #1 and featured one of the all-time classics, "Black Magic Woman". The group, however, wasn't satisfied with the result. This led to Mike Shrieve replacing Bob Livingston. Marcus Malone had to quit because of personal problems and Michael Carabello came back on board. Percussionist Jose Chepito Areas also joined the band during this time.
Elite guitarist Neal Schon was invited to join the band for the album Santana III. This gave the group two incredible guitarists. Areas was now well and Santana also enlisted the help of the Tower of Power horn section, Luis Gasca of Malo, and other session musicians. The album reached #1 and included "No One to Depend On" and "Everybody's Everything".
But tension continued and drug use became a problem. Carabello left on bad terms, with James Mingo Lewis hired as a replacement prior to a concert in New York City. David Brown left because of substance abuse. A tour of South America was canceled when students in Lima, Peru, protested policies of the U.S. government. The events of the tour led Santana believe that he needed to make changes, both in his personal life and in the band.
In 1972, the remaining members of the group began working on Caravanserai. Session musicians James Mingo Lewis and Armando Peraza (percussion) and bassists Tom Rutley and Doug Rauch, along with keyboardists Wendy Haas and Tom Coster were brought in. After the album, Rolie and Schon left and would eventually form the nucleus of Journey. The album marked a change in direction towards jazz fusion. It originally did not sell well but eventually achieved platinum status. The title track from Caravanserai was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
Carlos became a big fan of the Mahavishnu Orchestra and guitarist John McLaughlin, the guitarist featured at #7 on Inside the Rock Era. McLaughlin introduced Santana and his wife Deborah to guru Sri Chinmoy, who accepted them as disciples in 1973. Santana and McLaughlin recorded the album Love, Devotion, Surrender with members of Santana and the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Carlos joined John Coltrane's widow, Alice Coltrane, for the album Illuminations, which included esoteric jazz with Eastern Indian and classical influences. ex-Miles Davis musicians Jack DeJohnette and Dave Holland also played on the album.
Santana replaced band members again, with vocalist Leon Patillo and soprano saxophonist Jules Broussard joining, bassist David Brown returning and Kermode, Thomas and Rauch departing. The new lineup recorded Borboletta in 1974. Drummer Leon Chancler joined the band to replace Shrieve, who wanted to pursue a solo career.
Although album reviews were good, many longtime Santana fans were being alienated by the new music. Manager Bill Graham convinced Carlos to go back to the streetwise, heavier music that had made Santana famous. Vocalist Greg Walker was added for the 1976 album Amigos. The album had a strong funk and Latin sound and featured the great instrumental "Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)".
The lineup continue to change in the latter part of the decade. A highlight was Santana's cover of the Zombies' hit, "She's Not There", featured on the album Moonflower in 1977. Meanwhile, Santana recorded the solo albums Oneness: Silver Dreams - Golden Reality in 1979 and The Swing of Delight in 1980. The albums featured Santana's heroes: Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams from Miles Davis' 1960's quintet.
Life as a famous rock musician conflicted with the spiritual lifestyle that Sri Chinmoy dictated. Carlos became disillusioned with Cinmoy's refusal to allow Santana and Deborah to start a family and he also felt his own fame was being used to increase the visibility of the guru. Santana and Deborah ended their association with Cinmoy in 1982.
The early part of the decade featured the songs "Winning" and the underrated "Hold On". Carlos then recorded another solo album with Keith Olson and producer Jerry Wexler. It was a chance for Carlos to get in touch with his early musical experiences in Tijuana with remakes of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" and Chuck Berry's "Havana Moon", the title track. Willie Nelson, Booker T. Jones and the Fabulous Thunderbirds were guest musicians on the album. Santana also did the film score to the movie La Bamba, based on the life of Ritchie Valens.
The group's album Beyond Appearances did not sell well but Graham landed a spot at the Live Aid concert for Santana. The band's performance there proved Santana was still a top live draw. In 1986, the group recorded the album Freedom. Carlos made several live appearances, jamming with Weather Report, John Lee Hooker, Vernon Reid of Living Colour and jazz pianist McCoy Tyner.
In 1988, Santana organized a reunion of past members of the band for a series of concerts and CBS Records released a 20-year compilation, Viva Santana!. Santana also formed an all-instrumental group including Wayne Shorter on saxophone, keyboardist Patrice Rushen, Alphonso Johnson on bass, Armando Peraza and Chepito Areas on percussion and drummer Leon Chancler. This lineup set out on a brief tour which drew rave reviews. Santana released the solo album, Blues for Salvador, which was rewarded with a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
In 1990, Santana ended his 22-year association with Columbia Records and signed with Polygram. The next year, Carlos played guitar for Ottmar Liebert's album Solo Para Ti, which included a cover of Santana's song "Samba Pa Ti".
Sales of Santana fell in the 1990's and by the end of the decade, he didn't have a contract. But Clive Davis, former head man at Columbia and now at Arista Records, signed the great guitarist and encouraged him to record an album with younger artists. These included Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, Everlast, Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Cee-Lo, Mana and others.
The result was the album Supernatural, one of the masterpieces of the Rock Era, that reintroduced Santana to a new generation. The lead single, co-written and sung by Thomas, was a high-energy song filled with great guitar riffs by Santana. "Smooth" spent 12 weeks at #1 and catapulted the album to #1 as well. "Maria Maria", with the Product G&B, hit #1 for another 10 weeks. Supernatural exploded into a worldwide hit and sold over 15 million copies in the United States alone.
Supernatural won nine Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Best Rock Album and Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Smooth". Several songs besides "Smooth" were singled out for artistic excellence--"Maria Maria" won for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, "El Farol" won for Best Pop Instrumental Performance, "The Calling" won for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, "Put Your Lights On" won for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and "Love of My Life" was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. In 2001, Santana played guitar on the song "Whatever Happens" for the Michael Jackson album Invincible.
In 2002, Santana again recorded an album with guest musicians including Seal, Chad Kroeger of Nickelback and Michelle Branch. Shaman featured "The Game of Love" with Branch and "Why Don't You & I" with Kroeger. Both were Top 10 singles, with "The Game of Love" becoming one of the top Adult Contemporary songs of the year and earning a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
In 2005, Carlos was honored as a BMI Icon at the BMI Latin Awards, an award given to a creator who has been "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers". Santana collaborated with Herbie Hancock for the album Possibilities and played guitar on the song "Illegal" for Shakira.
Santana's album All That I Am in 2005 featured work with Michelle Branch ("I'm Feeling You"), Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Sean Paul, Joss Stone and the Wreckers. In 2006, Santana toured Europe, with his son Savador Santana and his band opening for him.
In 2007, Santana performed on the single "No Llores" for Gloria Estefan and played on Chad Kroeger's hit "Into the Night". The album Marcelo Vieira's Acoustic Sounds included Carlos's trademark melodic guitar riffs.
Santana performed at the 2009 American Idol Finale with the top 13 finalists and led his 10-member all-star band through a tour of Europe.
Santana credits Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Mike Bloomfield and Peter Green as influences.
(Solo at the Fillmore...)
Carlos can play any musical style. He can play great expressive slow blues leads, virtuoso solos and he is an accomplished acoustic guitarist. Santana's sound is instantly identifiable, in the way he uses vertical vibrato or straight tones on held notes instead of standard vibrato, his impeccable sense of complex rhythm and phrasing, and his awesome trill technique.
Santana is not the fastest guitarist in The Top 100, nor is he the most technical. But no one plays with more passion and clarity, and his melodic guitar playing are a treat in a music world that seems to have forgotten how. Carlos can make the guitar sing with unbelievable nuances and energy. In addition, his playing has stood the test of time, picking up millions of new fans beginning with his Supernatural album.
Santana played a red Gibson SG Special with P-90 pickups at Woodstock. He played several Gibson Les Paul's and a black Gibson SG Special on his first few albums, then switched to a Yamaha SG 175B in 1975. In 1982, Carlso used a PRS Custom 24 guitar and in 1988, he endorsed the Signature PRS Santana I. Beginning in 1999, the PRS guitars included the high-end Santana II model known as "Supernatural". In 2008, Santana and Paul Reed Smith developed the PRS Santana MD "The Multidimensional", which combines the best features of previous models. Santana's guitar necks and fretboards are made out of a single piece of Brazilian Rosewood, which creates the smooth, memorable tone for which Carlos is famous for. Carlos also plays the Alvarez Yairi CY127CE classical guitar.
Santana plugs his guitars into multiple amplifiers: Mesa Boogie Mark I, Dumble Overdrive Reverb and a Bludotone. A three-way amp switcher is included on Carlos's pedal board so he can switch between amps depending on the sound he wants. Often, the amplifiers are blended together, producing a richer tone. Carlos uses Brown or Marshall 4x12 cabinets with Celestion G12M Greenback speakers. Early in his career, Santana used a GMT transistor amplifier stack and a Fender Twin.
Santana's PRS guitar is connected to a Mu-Tron wah wah pedal (more recently, a Dunlop 535Q wah) and a T-Rex Replica delay pedal. Carlos is another player that doesn't use many effects, preferring to let his natural ability speak for itself. He has occasionally used an Ibanez Tube Screamer, an Electro Harmonix Big Muff distortion and a Heil talk box.
Musicians from Prince to Kirk Hammett were influenced by Santana.
The Santana lineup of the first two albums was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Santana plays the guitar as if it is an extension of himself, with so much passion. Through various lineups of the group, Santana has proven he is versatile and can add his own unique sound to nearly any style of music. The great Carlos Santana checks in at #5 for the Rock Era*...
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