Los 600 de Latinoamérica

Los 600 de Latinoamérica. 600 discos 1920-2022 (The 600 from Latin America. 600 Albums 1920–2022) is a list of 600 music albums from Latin America, compiled by a group of music journalists and communicators from the region, and includes music from all countries, eras, and genres of recorded music, to celebrate Latin identity, according to the project's introduction.^[1] The list, created as an independent initiative, was published on the project's website from April 2024 to July 2024.^[2]

In 2021, following an interaction between Jorge Cárcamo and Cristofer Rodríguez (co-author of the book 200 Discos de Rock Chileno), both from Chile, they compiled essential albums for Latin America of the 20th century. Subsequently, a group of music journalists and academics from different countries in the region shaped the list of 600 albums that would cover all times of recorded history through discussions and internal voting over a period of nearly three years.^[2] According to the credits, a total of 19 people participated in the list, which includes the editorial determination of positions, selection of the 600 albums, curation, texts, and web design, hailing from Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, El Salvador, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Venezuela.^[3]

The list includes music recorded from the beginnings of the recording industry in Latin America in the 1920s (although the oldest album included in the list dates back to 1937)^[4] to albums released in 2022. It encompasses a wide variety of musical genres, ranging from rock, pop, rap, and electronic music to distinctively Latin American genres such as MPB, bossa nova, salsa, cumbia, tango, ranchera, norteña, vallenato, merengue, bachata, huayno, and various traditional music styles. Albums from all Hispanic American countries, Brazil, and the Latino communities in the United States are included.^[5]

Billboard Magazine highlighted that the album "Re" by the Mexican band Café Tacvba, on its 30th anniversary, has received critical acclaim as follows: "To date, it has received accolades from major media outlets like The New York Times, BBC Music, Rolling Stone, and AllMusic, and was ranked No. 3 on the 'Los 600 de Latinoamérica' list compiled by a collective of music journalists earlier this decade, highlighting the top 600 Latin American albums from 1920 to 2022."^[6]

The Polish media outlet Beehype features an article by journalist José Luis Mercado, who was part of the project, stating: "The focus of the project is to celebrate Latin identity and its musical history, and it has mostly received positive reactions from the public, who appreciate the representation of Latin American music in such an exhaustive format. However, the organizers acknowledge that the list is also subject to criticism and debate, which they consider a valuable part of the process."^[7]

Dianna Rosa Pérez from the Cuban media outlet AM:PM highlights: "It was not like 'drinking a glass of water.' When deciding which albums would remain, the team in charge of the selection acknowledged the impossibility of including all of them, given the number and complexity of most genres. On the other hand, the fundamental idea was not to create an encyclopedic list or to generate a narrowly intellectual vision."^[8]

• Website of The 600 of Latin America.