My top ten SANTANA albums ranked 

Best album ... 'Lotus'. All their greatest early songs played by the 'Welcome' band ... what's not to like. Carlos Santana playing at a peak. The way he swings into 'My Favourite Things' during 'Incident at Neshabur' ...... class!!

In the 70s, Carlos was on fire. And such a distinctive guitar tone. Immediately recognizable.

Moonflower is my no 1 favourite Santana album, I think all the live versions outstrip their studio counterparts. The studio tracks though dont disappoint one bit and of course theres a better than the original version of the Zombies' She's Not There. Tom Coster puts in some great performances on these live tracks as well. Lotus is absolutely phenomenal as well - I do think that when playing live he's one of those guitarists who totally transcends the constrictions of the studio so even though the studio version are great, the live versions are even better - Europa is great on Amigos , Toussaint L'Overture is great on Santana 3 but on Moonflower they're just something else. I also really like a lot of his post 70's work, however its the albums up to Marathon and his solo The Swing of Delight, that I think are unsurpassbale, though his '88 set with Wayne Shorter is great and some of his more recent recordings like Santana iv and Shape Shifter arent too shabby, though I havent been as enamoured with a lot of Corazon or Africa Speaks and I'm not overly convinced with Guitar Heaven. His autobiography from a few years back is also a damn good read though, and if I need a bit of a lift Santana nearly always does the job for me.

Welcome might be the best album of all time.

After listening to Santana for over 50 years, I've made up my mind that their music is timeless and probably will be listened to a hundred years from now. My favorite is still the first album, your 9th favorite.

Well done.All those albums you mentioned changed my life in there own way.

When Carlos hits "My favourite things ' on Lotus, I get the shivers.

Marathon was my first Santana studio album. I think I bought the best of first but then I bought Marathon in real time and I absolutely loved it and you know what I still think. It might be my favorite Santana album. I just played it yesterday. It’s post the more experimental world music fusion of the mid-70s that was also great but it’s not yet as polished and hit focused as his 80s albums. I just love marathon.

This was a nice review of ‘your’ favorite Santana records. I enjoy how you present your opinions without any attempt to force anything upon your fans. Living in Northern California, and even going to the Fillmore in SF, I was not aware of Santana until I saw the original lineup in Texas in 1969. This was very enjoyable.

Loved your genuine and generous enthusiasm!!!🌠🌠

The Live, with Buddy Miles is also a very nice album.

Thanks for highlighting one of my hometown heroes, San Francisco native Santana. An outstanding memory of my university years was typing a final draft of a paper I had to turn in in the morning and listening to Moonflower over and over again to stay awake. Zulu started playing just as the sun started coming through my dorm room. My consciousness was slightly altered by the long hours. The music was fantastic. I think of that moment when I listen to the album in general and Zulu in particular

Fantastic review!!!

Great list! Blues for Salvador is one of my favorites.

Thanks Andy. I love the Santana fusion sound the best. What an amazing band. You caught me out with Amigos at no 1 as I have it on vinyl but never managed to get into it. Will go back to that and try again as its been a long time since I spun it. Surprised you didn't talk a bit about Mike Shrieve as he was such an important member in the early seventies. My ranking for top four is Borboletta at 4 Lotus at 3 Caravanserai at 2 and Welcome will always be my no 1. Keep up the good work.

Awesome top 10. I'm a huge fan of this era of Santana. I met a 21 year old who said she listened to some Santana, and there I was thinking it would be Abraxas or Supernatural. She dropped Illuminations on me ! I nearly had to pull over in disbelief Lol. ✌🏽

I managed to come across an import copy of _"Lotus"_ when it was first released (1974). Excellent recording, excellent album. _"Moonflower"_ and _"Abraxas"_ are two other favorites in my album collection. I also really like many of the songs on _"Supernatural",_ although there are one or two songs on it which I really do not enjoy. Certainly it's very fitting that Santana would have a major hit song titled *_"Smooth"!_*

Thanks as always AE. Yours as well as "In The Prog Seat" by the SOT channel are the vids I look forward to the most each week !!

Superb ranking Andy. Think I might have gone for Amigos too. I remember when it came out it really bounced Santana back into commercial success after the fusion stuff. There was a great concert on BBC2 in '76 (?) to promote the album. Still on RU-vid I think. Love, Devotion and Surrender with McLaughlin was a beautiful album too. Carlos is a wonderful musician that the critics often overlook. Many thanks.

Fantastic ranking, Amigos and Caravanserai are also my favorites! Ndugu and Greg Walker are excellent.

Very well done sir, I don't know how I could possibly choose a # 1 between Caravan Sierra & Amigos... I've been listening to both of those albums for over 30 year's & they just don't get old... Brilliant melodies

I knew when I saw this video that I'd get sucked into a month long (at least) Santana focus. I've always been a fan, but not a super fan, but thanks to you I've been listening to all his albums. His post-70s albums get pretty spotty don't they? The best songs are almost always the instrumentals. So I've been making some great playlists of his 70s albums, but also his instrumentals post-70s. You also got me to fully appreciate Lotus. That is now my favorite Santana album. I would have loved to be at that concert. That was clearly the height of his artistic integrity, where he mostly enjoyed playing those great instrumentals, and Lotus is mostly just that. What a classic. I also have a new appreciation for Moonflower, Caravanserai, Welcome and Borborletta! HIs post-70s stuff is so spotty. Supernatural (1999) is actually pretty good but then he goes another 20+ years, but I think his last album "Blessings and Miracles" (2021) is actually pretty good too. Some duds on it of course, but also some good songs.

Andy, is there another video for you to make around the fusion albums. Santana went through the fusion period with the band, then on Amigos and Festival changed to a more commercial direction, some say from pressure from his record company. But he then goes and makes Illuminations, Oneness and Swing of Delight. I have just bought Amigos because of your video. There is definitely a friction between the commercial and artistic demands. Santana seems to have tried at some point to run in parallel Santana a commercial band and Santana the fusion band aka the solo albums. The mid to late 70s are a very interesting period in Santana's music. There is definitely more to Santana than Oye coma va.

You Did it again Andy. You made me go back an listen to all those great Santana albums, and with a new appreciation. I was surprised with your #1 pick Amigos. I thought for sure you would pick "Lotus" or another early 70s album. I like Amigos. As a kid when I bought it in the late 70s it made more sense to me at the time than the other harder to get into more fusion albums. But NOW, for me its Lotus, Welcome, Caravanserai. Instrumental/fusionish Santana is the best. Actually I think their album after Amigos, which is Festival, in 1977, actually has a little more of the fusion sound. And the one nobody ever talks about is his 1979 solo album "Silver Dreams and Golden Reality". I bought that right after it came out and was blown away by it, and still am. I think he needed to make Silver Dreams, which is more of a throw back to his early 70s stuff, becuase the band had moved into a more pop/vocal direction and he needed an outlet for his more musical solos.

enjoyed as per usual your video - I am only very familiar with a few - although I love him - and love that his shows scan all his different periods - I will have to go back to Caravanseri to hear- Dance Sister Dance and Europa - my fav is LOTUS - my first Import - we used to have a distributor in the 70's in New Jersey called JEM REcords - this was followed by my early Colosseum Imports and Fripp and Eno . Loved the 1st Santana and the longer version of the lp - I have to go with SuperNatural - as number 3 - I know commercial but - everything is 1st class - feel he was a ground breaker playing with many different quality guests from different genres - great concept - I was an Import Disco Dance buyer inthe 80's - so I definitely need to hear that Dance Sister Dance ASAP -- also saw him with McL during the release of Love Devotion Surrender - both acoustic - later mate

Thanks for the reviews. I ended up ordering a couple that I used to have on vinyl in the 70s. Picking the top spot is almost impossible but for me my #1 pick would have been Caravanserai.

Santana III has always been my fav. Great songs, a magical rhytm section and Carlos, Neal and Greg trading solos like no one before or since. Out of this world music ❤❤❤

Great list!

When I first got " Love, Devotion, Surrender", I thought it was way over my head. At only 21. Later, about 35 years, I played it full blast (Marantz 240 power amp, SAE pre amp, Rectalinear speakers, Empire turntable), it really blew me away. My mouth was hanging open. It took all those years to finally get under my skin. Bought "Lotus", at a college town record store, back in 74. Had to save up for this one. So great, but no Neal S. on second lead. Never bought Santana 1, thought too much percussion, not enough screaming guitar. Love "Toussaint L'Overture" !

Santana was in peak form in the 70s. Really tremendous catalog! I love Moonflower. In high school, a friend and I gave each other Xmas presents. I gave him an 8 track tape of Moonflower. I opened my present from him - Moonflower. LOL Those 1st 3 albums are awesome. He has such a distinct sound. You can pick him out any time you hear him play. Moonflower is a masterpiece to my mind.... Greg Walker is my favorite Santana vocalist. Completely agree on Europa!

Funny, The amount of Santana I have listened to, I have very rarely listened to Amigos and Festival, 2 of your favorites. Granted I know some of the tunes from other LPs. Anyway... thanks for the musical suggestions. I get a LOT of those from you. Your knowledge is extensive.

Everyone interested in the fusion sound of Santana should check out the Santana/Shorter Band at Montreux in 1988. Its available on CD and DVD. The band is Carlos, Wayne Shorter on saxophones Patrice Rushen and Chester Thompson on keyboards, Alphonso Johnson on bass, Ndugu Chancler on trap drums, Chepito Areas on timbales and Armando Peraza on congas.

like your pickings of SANTANA number 2. and 3 albums. and others you said on your list . always digged on SONG OF THE WIND × from caravanseri Carlos digs deep into his guitar. Welcome also instrumental × FLAME SKY. is one of my favs as instrumentals he has played. one more FREE FORM FUNKIFIDE FILTH. from buddy miles and Carlos santana *LIVE* album. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Cool video ... amazing band ... saw them supporting Bob Dylan at St James' Park, Newcastle in '84 and then about 6 years ago at O2 where the band was still firing on all cylinders ... sure, the '70's era was pure gold (I also loved Freedom, Amigos, Moonflower) ... but I would encourage folk to give an extended listen to Shango, Beyond Appearances, Freedom ... I copied these onto cassettes to play as we drove around the Lake District on holiday ...(tapes - what a pain) ... the tunes / playing / vibe just "works" ... clearly not the same as '70's Santana but an era that is sometimes overlooked and is a definite "go to" for me .... p.s. some of the DVD only concerts are also worthy contenders. CMcG, Aberdeen, Scotland.

Just discovered your channel yesterday, excited to see that you react to a lot of the music that I grew up with in my formative years. However, I'm astounded (yes, I know it's just your personal choice, which I have to respect) that Amigos tops your list. I was disappointed to say the least when I returned from Virgin Records on release date, as I always did when a new Santana album was released, and listened to this. For me, it was the start of the decline of the real Santana. Europa is the only track worth its place in the Santana "hall of fame". For what it's worth, my list would be 1) Borboletta 2) Caravanserai 3) Santana 3 4) Lotus 5) Abraxas 6) Welcome 7) Blues For Salvador 8) Santana 9) Swing of Delight 10) Oneness

Flame Sky on Welcome is absolutely mind-blowing.

Andy I love you take on Santana I am big fan, on the Welcome or Love Devotion and Surender there’s a organ player Lary young and on Moon Flower Zulu Tom Coster Jr plays keyboards. Keep up the good work and Amigos is one of my favorite as well

loved your comments, as I Santana fan since the early 70s, i don't agree or disagree with your choices, they are all good. Behind you there is Swing of Delight, fantastic album, theme tune from Spartacus one of my favourites. but also for different I like Zebop of Shango, the music is good and great singing from Alex Ligertwood. Winning is a great track from Zebop. But there are so many good tracks in all of his albums. Anything with Jingo on it especially live OMG. Oh and btw Amigos, Gitano, I can listen to that forever thanks again for your comments really enjoyed it

my first of many santana concerts was the amigos tour. appreciate your insight.

My top 10 are as listed from 10 thru 1 are. Blues for Salvador, moonflower, Havana moon, Abraxas, welcome, oneness, swing of delight, caravasarai, lotus, borboletta. Have all his music and all guest appearances with other artist, love the stuff he did with weather report, this man has been fearless in following his ❤️ instead of the black suits that dominate artists today. My guitar hero forever!

Carlos Santana is a great artist with such a persuasive spirit from Woodstock and onward. We went to a Santana show about a decade ago: superb !!

Even Zappa, who was notoriously parsimonious with his compliments, paid homage on Variations of the Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progressions. A left handed compliment, so to speak.

As an intro, hard to beat 3rd album "Batuka/No one to depend on"!

I really like Love Devotion and Surrender. My dad used to play Caravanserai and others from that era when I was a kid and I got the vinyl of LDS for Christmas when I about 15/16.

Not a word about "Illuminations", such a unique album, I love it so much..

Later LP that doesn't get enough love is' Spirits Dancing In The Flesh' with monster versions of "Who's that Lady"' and "Gypsy Woman". My favourite Santana game is to try and pick up all the quoted melodies in the guitar solos on Lotus (and there might be more than you think).

If you can get hold of it, get a copy of the 2017 SACD Re-release of “Lotus”! Not only because of the fantastic Sound; not only because of several amazing Bonus Tracks, but also because the Cover is an astonishing work of art, recreating and improving on the Original 197ties Vinyl release which I had back in these days … A ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’!

Thanks Andy. Never really listened to much Santana other than Abraxas, Moonflower, Love, Devotion & Surrender & with Alice Coltrane, but after listening to Flame Sky I am turned on. As for Caravanserai the opening phrase has me hooked instantly. Double bass, drums, percussion & the exquisite tone of that guitar. Bliss. This is some serious & musical music. Like yourself I love McLaughlin & have always, erroneously, considered Santana a second tier guitar player. I'll be engaged in the archeological research into Carlos' back catalogue.

Santana live in austrlia supporting Fleetwood mac. latye 70s in a crowd of 60000- just went off carlos is one of my favs. brillant gig. amigos i agree

I agree, Amigos is amazing. Let Me and Tell Me Are You Tired are some of the best songs ever!!!!!!!!!

I slept on III for the same reasons that you did! Also, another that I slept on until recently (..although it still prob. Wouldn't make my top 10..) is "Beyond Appearances" The 80s production is a little dated, at times...but, worth a revisit

I always loved the marathon album

Hi Andy. I've been looking forward to this one. Like yourself I'm a fan of all periods of Santana but for those who might be more interested in his more jazz fusion influenced stuff here's a couple of suggestions. His solo albums 'Oneness' and 'The Swing of Delight' are well worth a listen. 'Illuminations', a collaboration with Alice Coltrane is a favourite of mine also. For anyone who wants to take a deeper dive check out an album by trumpet player Luis Gasca called 'For Those Who Chant'. It features Carlos, Neal Schon, and several other members of the then Santana line up alongside the likes of Stanley Clarke, Joe Henderson, etc. If you are a Gaylord Birch fan check out a DVD 'Santana - At Budokan, Live In Tokyo'. It's a 1991 gig and sax player Sadao Watanabe sits in with the band. Gaylord is great on this too. I think it's on RU-vid but not great picture quality. Adios Amigo.

I like the Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression! 😆

Rhodes solo on [Tell me are you tired] is one of my best jazz fusion solos ever.

I would have had Inner Secrets in that list

I completely agree... except in a different order. One Album I think may get overlooked is Zebop. It is a really commercial album, but the the solos on there are fantastic. Prolly not one of my top 10, but a Really Fun album.

You picked all the albums I would've picked. :-) Caravanserai would be my number one and I'd add 'Love, devotion and surrender' and the absolutely incredible Bill Laswell re-imagining 'Divine Light'( if you haven't heard that one, you really have to check it out. It's amazing.)

Borbaletta might be my favourite

my favorite is the “Devadip “ period.

Shocked debut is 9 . It’s iconic

Right now I've got Caravansai at number 1. Still going through his discography.

I have more Santana albums than any other rock artist except Zappa. Picking a top 10, no less ordering them, would be an impossible task for me. But here are some comments on this list: Amigos isn't in my top 10. One major issue is that Dance, Sister, Dance, is hotter on Moonflower, so as soon as it starts I'm a bit bored. The studio tracks from Festival stand up better against the Moonflower tracks than this one does. But still some terrific stuff Amigos. Festival is wonderful. Seems like Lotus and Moonflower are on most everyone's list, and I agree. She's Not There and the live Europa are amazing on Moonflower. Love Tom Coster. Great albums. As terrific as the first three albums are, I'll take Santana IV over them. Far hotter. Their live album is great, too. All of the early 70s 'fusion albums are terrific. The diversity of Welcome makes it my favorite of this group. Especially Flora's and Leon's guest stints. But still, Borboletta and Carvansarai, are awesome. So that's 10, but there is still Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990), Milagro (1992), Sacred Fire: Live in South America (1993), and Supernatural (1999), belong in there. I saw him three times; every show was perfection (something I can't say about Zappa). What a career!

I don't listen to whole albums anymore, not on youtoob anyway. My go to Santana track is Flor De Canela/Promise Of A Fisherman from Borbaletta

2 days ago I hear after long time "Borboletta",and I ask my self,is the most jazz-fussion lp of Santana?Probaply the most!He made a live in Athens in 2009 and it was only"Maria-Maria"and very disapointment!Greetings from Greece

You missed the Love devotion surrender? That orange anorak. Freedom was a good lp later on in 1988 ? I picked up a dodgy cassette copy in Dubai in 1993 and still play it . Listening to Santana while walking around Dubai was cool . Seeing mountains in Dubai made me want to play this music. A track on my channel here called Grenada/vision of Carlos is something you might like . A total Lotus rip . Please have a listen. I was in a second hand guitar shop a year ago , a Japanese quadraphonic copy of Lotus was available with the same artwork as your copy. But I was wondering if you had to have some sort of mad 70s quad stereo to play it ? Thanks for this video

My fave is The swing of delight.

Blues For Salvador was great- although I'm basing that on the live performance more than the album.

ok have to buy Amigos and Festival. Have all the others. Steven Wilson has cited Amigos as his fav as well

Much as I like Amigos, especially ‘Dance Sister Dance’ and Tom Coster’s playing, my choice would be 1-Caravanserai, 2-Welcome, 3-Borboletta, 4-Santana 1, 5-Amigos, 6-Festival….Lotus lacks emotion to my ears, and the sound quality of Moonflower is atrocious although the music is excellent.

I'm now very disappointed in the time I put Amigos down in the record sale

Every Step of the Way is my favourite Santana song (if yo can call it that), so Caravanserai is quite high in my ranking.

My top three Santana albums would be... 1)- Moonflower, 2)- The swing of Delight, 3)- Santana- Live in South America. Your comments will make me start hearing all my 30+ Santana albums in my iPod!...

There's the first one -- and there's the rest of them.

For me it’s Caravanserai and Moonflower in the 1 and 2 spots.

1. lotus 2. caravanserei 3. abraxas 4. III 5. s/t 6. amigos 7. IV 8. corazón 9. love, devotion, surrender 10. oneness. silver dreams, golden reality

There's about 2 albums I can't believe you fail to mention!

Got to see Santana in 1969 be for Woodstock I had Santana 1. 2. 3 I skip the Jazz Fusion or get back into Santana with the Migos Zebop marathon inner secrets freedom were great albums

Man caravenserai just doesn’t get anybody better

Amigos is my personal fav

Caravanserai my number 1 no contest

Tuck Andress does a cover of europa

Illuminations with Alice Coltrane is also worth a mention. Love your vids

Thanks if you like I can give you some more in information but thanks overall

His team up with Alice Coltrane!!!

Santana 3 is legendary

BEST ALBUM to me = CARAVANSERAIL Music of Spirit and Heart

I was always disappointed by Caravanseri. It just seems to lack the oomph that the earlier albums and Borboletta have. Someone should remx it.

“Lotus” is a great album, but my list wouldn’t have it above very many of the others on your list. I’ve always thought it was little too much “Lounge-like” musically and perhaps a little too much of a Sly and the Family Stone sounding at times. The vocal songs are also a bit repetitive with the lyrics. It has some great moments though.

Promise of a fisherman! Phil C took note! Listen to Seconds Out.

Europa co written by tom coster

The first 4 albums... Amigos is the oddest Santana release of the seventies: 3 stellar tracks (Dance sister dance, Gitano, Europa) and 4 fillers. Never understood why. All the others Santana album were more balanced.

Everyone’s opinion is different, I would have to put caravanserai at no1. But if you think about it it’s not really a Santana album, a real classic, a one off! Wish they had done more like it, and I have most of their stuff.

The track vision of Carlos is on this my channel. Please bro

Do you like bailey's I'm old greg

Wow Amigos #1….bought it when it came out. It is a definite grower. I love Inner Secrets as commercial as it is. BTW, Leon Ndugu Chandler plays on Amigos. What did you think of Santana IV from a few years ago?

But... where is Caravanserai???

When when when you gonna do Hendrix.... enough already...

Borboletta

The Doors?