Over the past 35 years, Los Lobos has assembled a diverse body of work and redefined how a rock band—and rock music—can sound. The band has notched a number one single, won three Grammys, sold millions of records and shared the stage with acts as varied as Bob Dylan, The Clash, and U2. And they’ve received tremendous critical acclaim—from their major label debut, How Will the Wolf Survive? (which made Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time) to their most recent effort, The Town and The City.
Los Lobos’ journey started in 1973, when David Hidalgo, Louie Perez, Cesar Rosas, and Conrad Lozano were roaming the halls of East L.A.’s Garfield High. After graduation they made their bones playing souped-up Mexican folk music in restaurants and at parties. In the early ‘80s, they tapped into L.A.’s burgeoning punk and college rock scenes – and, in 1984, they brought home their first Grammy and tied with Bruce Springsteen as Rolling Stone’s Artist of the Year.
In 1987, with the release of the Ritchie Valens bio-pic, La Bamba, Los Lobos achieved widespread commercial success. Their version of Valens’ signature song climbed to the top of Billboard’s singles chart, and made them superstars. But instead of playing it safe, Los Lobos followed the double platinum-selling La Bamba soundtrack with a collection of Mexican folk songs, La Pistola Y El Corazón. Such musical independence has defined the band’s creative vitality and kept fans interested in seeing what comes next.
“With the exception of U2, no other band has stayed on top of its game as long as Los Lobos.” -- Rolling Stone
