10 Iconic Telenovela Theme Songs

A curation of the most memorable telenovela songs.

We’ve all grown up with a favorite TV show that has given us that perfect and catchy theme song. With just hearing the first note of the opening credits, the excitement for a new episode builds inside and explodes at the end of it when we want to know what’s happening next. For most Latinx people, those memorable theme songs have come from telenovelas. Yes, just like the one that briefly shows up in an episode of “Friends” while the cast chants “push her down the stairs,” which is a very accurate depiction of the dramatic and over the top scenes that embody most telenovelas.

So, to continue with our celebration of Hispanic, Latino, or Latinx Heritage Month, here are our top 10 most iconic telenovela theme songs of all time.

Famous Soraya Montenegro “Cries In Spanish” meme.

10.  Soñadoras (1998)

Artist: Sentidos Opuestos

Song: Soñadoras

The name translates to “dreamers” and just like its name, this theme song is a perfect depiction of what life and music sounded back in 1998/1999. Heavy techno-pop to give the song an edge and a futuristic-looking sound make this song perfect for a telenovela aimed at teens that depicted what the youth was going through in the late ’90s. This novela touched on topics like drug abuse, eating disorders, family drama, and a lot more boy drama, all to the sound of a trendy pop tune (Mesa, 2018).

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9. La Usurpadora (1998)

Artist: Pandora

Song: La Usurpadora

This novela’s theme song is interpreted by an iconic Mexican group, Pandora  (Valdivia, 2020). And just like the lyrics of this perfect pop ballad tells the tale, this is the story of two sisters, twins, who did not know the other existed and the evil twin asks the good twin to fill in for her with her husband and family while she runs away with her lover. Of course, everything comes to a happy ending where the good twin ends up with the evil twin’s husband, making this love-driven pop ballad the perfect choice as the theme song (Wikipedia, 2020).

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8. Te Sigo Amando (1996)

Artist: Juan Gabriel

Song: Te Sigo Amando

As it is tradition, the name of this epic song is also the name of the epic love story that is this telenovela. Interpreted by a true Mexican icon, Juan Gabriel, this dramatic sounding ballad is the perfect theme song for a story about a young woman from a good family being forced to marry a rich man she does not love to settle her family’s debts. She later falls in love with another man, creating an epic, and very dramatic, love triangle. You know just a classic over-the-top symphony flare, for a classic over-the-top love triangle story (Wikipedia, 2020).

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7. Dos Mujeres, Un Camino (1993)

Artist: Laura Leon & Bronco

Song: Dos Mujeres, Un Camino

Let us go back to 1993 when Erik Estrada was a very popular actor here in the United States and decided that his next step was doing a telenovela in Mexico for one of the iconic telenovela producers in all the land, Emilio Larrosa. Out of this project, came out an epic telenovela theme song, that to this day, is remembered by many. The song has a very grupero sound, very in line with the genre of music Bronco is known for, and Laura León, a well-known actress, and singer, who has dabbled in many genres of music, but is very much known for this genre as well. This theme is epic because it is just too catchy and danceable that it just makes it irresistible (Wikipedia, 2020).

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6. Amigas y Rivales (2001)

Artist: Kabah

Song: Amigas y Rivales

By now, I’m sure you’ve detected a theme among these great theme songs. They are all named after the name of the telenovela. Amigas y Rivales is no exception, this teen drama about a group of friends, or should I say frenemies, and how they deal with their family and day-to-day struggles (Nunez, 2017), is yet another attempt by telenovelas to give the audience a taste of what the youth of the new millennium is dealing with. In true 2001 fashion, the theme song is brought to you by one of Mexico’s most popular groups, Kabah. This catchy synth-pop melody combined with catchy lyrics made this song the perfect teen bop the early 2000’s deserve (Wikipedia, 2020).

5. Mi Pequeña Traviesa (1997)

Artist: Onda Vaselina

Song: Te quiero tanto , tanto

Needless to say, the ’90s and early 2000s were a bit of a golden age of iconic theme songs for Telenovelas. Enter Onda Vaselina, an iconic Mexican pop group that was very popular among teens in the late ’90s, who decided to lend this powerful love song to be the theme song for this teen telenovela. As you might suspect, this novela is a classic love story. Boy meets girl. A boy falls in love with a girl. The girl ends up dressing as a boy to find a  job to help her family where the boy works. Hilarity, love, and drama ensue  (IMDB, n.d.). Nonetheless, this novela helped make this song a total hit and to this day, you can find people at your favorite karaoke bar singing this tune and loving every second of it.

4. Rebelde (2004)

Artist: RBD

Song: Rebelde

3. Abrazame Muy Fuerte (2000)

Artist: Juan Gabriel

Song: Abrazame Muy Fuerte

2. Marimar (1994)

Artist: Thalia

Song: Marimar

1. Maria La Del Barrio (1996)

Artist: Thalia

Song: Maria La Del Barrio

Alas, this is the end of our list, but the best was saved for last. Our top stop belongs to none other than the theme song to one of the most memorable and meme-able telenovelas to ever exist in this fantasy land built on drama and over-the-top acting.  This salsa inspired and Latin rhythm-driven melody along with easy to remember lyrics creates one of the most unforgettable songs to have ever existed for a telenovela. But, this particular telenovela has not only given us drama, campy acting, and an over the top storyline  (Wikipedia, 2020). This dramatic masterpiece has also given us unforgettable memes from none other than your favorite villain Soraya Montenegro or as some people out there know her, the “cries in Spanish” meme. All of these things combined make this telenovela and its theme song epic.

These are just our top telenovelas, which ones are yours? Do you have a favorite epic telenovela theme song we did not include?  Let us know in the comments below! If you liked this article subscribe or follow us Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.