Tejano Nation’s Top 10 Tejano Albums of 2016

The 10 best Tejano albums of 2016 come from newcomers, major headliners and veterans proving that their music and artistry is as strong as ever. There are very few skip-ahead tracks on this list of great albums. These are the men and women who appreciate an album as a piece of art, not just a collection of songs.

See if any of your favorites made our list of the year’s top albums, and share your opinion on the best of the year in the comments section below.

Only albums released in 2016 are eligible. Staff opinion, reader input, sales figures and critical acclaim are all taken into account when deciding this list.

#10 Mi Año Dorado – Veronique & The Puro Party Band

Veronique released Mi Año Dorado in June and the sophomore album from 2014 Tejano Music Awards nominee for Best New Female contains a little bit of everything from the smooth cumbia “Te Entrego Mi Corazón” to the boot-stomping rancherita “La Pulga.” Her unique style, along with strong vocals, gives us one of our favorite albums of 2016.

#9 M4 – Masizzo

Masizzo returned in 2016 with the band’s first album in 15 years with the original members Johnny Lee Rosas, Albert Ramirez, Bryan Ramirez and Danny Martinez. The highly anticipated comeback album, M4, released in October, contains 12 new songs, including the debut hit single “Sigue Tu Camino” and “Mi Soledad.”

#8 Que Cante El Mundo – Jimmy Gonzalez Y Grupo Mazz

The highly-anticipated new studio album from multiple-Grammy winner, Jimmy Gonzalez Y Grupo Mazz was released during Memorial Day weekend and the album, produced by Jimmy Gonzalez, features 14 tracks and includes one of the biggest hits of the year, “Agua De Papaya”.

#7 Piénsalo – Los Palominos

After a long absence, Los Palominos returned in 2016 with the highly anticipated new album Piénsalo. The 12 song disc, released in August, features the style and unmistakable sound of the Arreola brothers, James , Johnny, Jorge and Julio, and garnered another hit for the band with the title track.

#6 20 Aniversario – Michael Salgado

Michael Salgado, who won Best Tejano Album at the 2016 Latin Grammy Awards for Por Cielo Y Tierra, released a follow-up album in June, celebrating two decades of hits with 20 Aniversario. The 20 track disc featured some classic hits and new songs, including the hit singles “Mi Castigo” and “Como Un Suspiro”.

#5 Highway – Intocable

Not releasing an album in three years did not hurt Intocable. Highway is a project that reminds us of the band’s versatility and why we always get excited about their next album taking too long to be released.  The album debuted atop the Billboard Latin and Regional Mexican album charts for two weeks and featured the hit singles “Tu Ausencia” and “Quiéreme (Ámame)”.

 

#4 New Girl In Town – Isabel Marie

Newcomer Isabel Marie is considered by many in the industry as the future of Tejano music. The 13-year-old singer’s debut album, New Girl In Town, confirms that she has a bright future. The album, released in March, features her powerful voice on Tejano, cumbia and mariachi tracks, including the hit singles “Fallaste Corazon”, “Pero Como Voy a Olvidar” and “Dime Por Que”.

#3 Un Amigo Tendras – Jay Perez

Tejano veteran Jay Perez released his first album of all-new songs in more than three years with Un Amigo Tendras in April. The highly-anticipated new studio album from “La Voz” delivered 12 brand new songs, including the hit title track and “Tu Fiel Amante”.

#2 Yo Te Esperaré – Siggno

Siggno debuted their latest album, Yo Te Esperaré, at the top of  Billboard‘s Top Latin and Regional Mexican album charts when it was released in July. The album dropped five months after the tragic car accident of Siggno’s Jacob Turner, who is know recovering slowly from his injuries, and features the bass player on the cover. The album included the hit singles, “El Perdon“, “Yo Te Esperaré” and the latest release “Te Amaba desde Antes” a duet with Lalo Ayala of Grupo Latente.

#1 La Dueña – Stefani Montiel

Always willing to go the extra mile and try something new, Stefani Montiel has stayed true to the Tejano genre. No doubt, her newest release, La Dueña, will rank up there among her greatest works. Produced by award-winning hitmaker Gabriel Zavala, Stefani offers up some rancheras, lots of cumbias, and some beautiful ballads. The album, released in March, confirms why Stefani Montiel is La Dueña.