Linda Ronstadt – Canciones de Mi Padre (1987)

When a rock icon returned to her roots… and made history.

You may know Linda Ronstadt as the powerhouse behind some of the biggest pop, rock, and country hits of the ’70s and ’80s. But in 1987, she made one of the boldest — and most personal — artistic decisions of her career.

With Canciones de Mi Padre (Songs of My Father), Linda stepped away from the mainstream charts to honor her Mexican heritage through a stunning collection of traditional rancheras — the very songs her father sang to her as a child.

Why it’s legendary:

• 

  The album features 12 classic mariachi songs, performed with soul and precision alongside world-class ensembles like Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán.

• Linda sang every note with raw emotion and cultural authenticity, despite Spanish not being her first language — a testament to both her respect for the music and her incredible vocal ability.

• It became the best-selling non-English-language album in American history at the time, with over 2 million copies sold in the U.S. alone.

🪗 Bonus Fun Fact:
Canciones de Mi Padre earned Linda a Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American Album and helped bring Mexican folk music to mainstream audiences around the world. It also sparked a broader appreciation for Latin music within the American music industry.

Linda Ronstadt didn’t just make an album — she made a cultural love letter, breaking barriers and inspiring generations to embrace their heritage with pride.

A rock star. A trailblazer. A bridge between cultures.
And all with one of the greatest voices in music history.