Top Mexican Banda Bands

Strumming on a Mexican Guitar
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Banda music, known in Spanish as Musica de Banda, is one of the most popular Latin music styles in Mexico and the United States, with many bands rising to fame over its 30-year history.

The following bands are in big part responsible for giving this style its current popularity. From pioneering groups such as Banda El Recodo to contemporary stars like Julion Alvarez y Su Norteno band, the following are today's most influential Mexican music bands.

El Trono de Mexico

Although this band is fairly new, El Trono de Mexico has been able to capture a spot as one of today's most influential Mexican music bands.

This popular Duranguense group, which was born in 2004, became a sensation with the 2006 album "El Muchacho Alegre." Some of the band's hits include titles like "Ganas De Volver a Amar," "Te Recordare" and "La Ciudad Del Olvido."

Chances are if you've turned on a Latin radio station in the last 10 years, you've probably heard one of El Trono de Mexico's many number one hits.

La Original Banda El Limon De Salvador Lizárraga

Since 1965, La Original Banda El Limon has been shaping the sounds of Banda Music in Mexico and the United States.

Led by Salvador Lizarraga Sanchez, this band from the town of El Limón de los Peraza has produced a huge repertoire of hits that includes tracks like "El Mejor Perfume," "Abeja Reina" and "Cabecita Dura."

La Original Banda has been producing tracks for well over 40 years and still releases music videos for their songs to this day.

Banda Sinaloense MS

This band was born in 2003 in the city of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, and in spite of being fairly new to the Banda scene, this group has produced a decent repertoire that has touched all kinds of traditional and popular Mexican styles such as corrido, cumbia, and ranchera.

Top songs from Banda Sinaloense MS include tracks such as "El Mechon" and "Mi Olvido." Now producing music under the name Banda MS, the group still releases an album every year or two. 

Los Horoscopos de Durango

Formed in 1975 by Armando Terrazas, this band is currently centered around his two daughters Marison and Virginia. A leading name in the Duranguense scene, Los Horoscopos de Durango is a pioneering band of the tamborazo, a style that combines tuba, drums, and saxophone.

Hits from this band include tracks such as "La Mosca" and "Dos Locos," and the group itself is known to have one of the longest recording careers in the regional Mexican music genre.

Julión Álvarez Y Su Norteño Banda

Led by the young and talented Julión Álvarez, this band reached mainstream success with the release of its 2007 album "Corazón Mágico," or "Magic Heart." 

Since then, the group has been one of the most exciting players of the Banda Norteno world. Top hits include tracks like "Corazon Magico," "Besos Y Caricias" and "Ni Lo Intentes."

Banda Machos

Known as "La Reina de las Bandas" or "The Queen of Bands," this group has been shaping the sounds of popular Mexican music for over two decades.

Banda Machos is also considered one of the pioneers of the so-called dancing style known as quebradita. Hits by Machos include "Al Gato Y Al Raton" "La Culebra" and "Me Llamo Raquel."

The above-linked mix features all of the band's greatest hits in one convenient playlist, offering nearly an hour of this popular group's most popular songs.

Banda Los Recoditos

Founded in Mazatlán, Sinaloa in 1989, Banda Los Recoditos is one of the most popular bands from Sinaloa; the group was formed by friends and relatives of some of the members from Banda El Recodo.

Some of the most popular songs produced by this band include hits like "Ando Bien Pedo," "No Te Quiero Perder" and "Para Ti Solita," but the group didn't really hit the big time until their album "¡Ando Bien Pedo!" and its first single of the same name was released in 2010, propelling the group to the top of the Billboard Latin charts.

Since then, Banda Los Recoditos have toured much of North and South America, performing to sold out crowds and releasing numerous other records together.

La Adictiva Banda San José De Mesillas

Formed in Sinaloa, Mexico in 1989, La Adictiva Banda San José De Mesillas has captured audiences all over the place thanks to its pleasant and sophisticated sound.

By 2012, the 15-piece band had become a staple throughout North America, especially in Mexico, Texas, and its home state of California, where their songs hit number one on the Billboard Latin charts.

Top songs by this popular group include tracks like "10 Segundos," "Nada Iguales," "El Pasado Es Pasado" and the super hit "Te Amo Y Te Amo."

La Arrolladora Banda El Limón De René Camacho

La Arrolladora Banda El Limón De René Camacho is one of the most influential names of the Musica de Banda scene in Mexico and the United States.

The group has won several prestigious awards including a Latin Grammy Album of the Year award in 2011 and multiple Lo Nuestro Awards including 2015's Banda Artist of the Year.

With nearly 50 years of musical history, this band has produced a rich repertoire of more than 30 albums with some of the best songs including tracks such as "Ya Es Muy Tarde," "Llamada De Mi Ex" and "Media Naranja."

Banda El Recodo

A legendary name not only in Mexican music but also in Latin music, Banda El Recodo has been producing songs since 1938 when it was founded by musician Cruz Lizarraga.

Known as "La Madre de Todas Las Bandas" or "The Mother of All Bands," El Recodo has produced over 180 albums and memorable recording alongside legendary stars such as Jose Alfredo Jimenez and Juan Gabriel.

Famous songs from this band include tracks such as "Te Presumo," "Te Quiero A Morir" and "Y Llegaste Tu."