Songs
Carlos Gardel's most famous tangos
Gardel recorded hundreds of songs and wrote the music for many of them. Here is a selection of the tangos that made him immortal, in chronological order.
- 1917
Mi noche triste
Lyrics by Pascual Contursi, music by Samuel Castriota
The tango that launched the sung tango.
- 1923
Mano a mano
Gardel, José Razzano and Celedonio Flores
A classic of lunfardo (Buenos Aires slang) poetry.
- 1930
Yira, yira
Enrique Santos Discépolo
Discépolo's bitter take on the 1930s crisis.
- 1933
Melodía de arrabal
Gardel, Alfredo Le Pera and Mario Battistella
From the film of the same name, shot at Joinville.
- 1934
Mi Buenos Aires querido
Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera
His tribute to the city, perhaps his signature tango.
- 1934
Cuesta abajo
Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera
From the first film he shot in New York.
- 1935
Volver
Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera
“Twenty years is nothing”: homecoming, memory and time.
- 1935
Por una cabeza
Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera
Horse racing and love; now one of the most-used tangos in film.
- 1935
El día que me quieras
Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera
A romantic song-tango from the film of the same name.
- 1935
Volvió una noche
Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera
From the film Tango Bar.
- 1935
Sus ojos se cerraron
Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera
One of his most moving performances.
- 1935
Lejana tierra mía
Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera
The longing of someone far from home.
Years refer to the best-known recording or premiere. Song titles are kept in their original Spanish. This site does not reproduce full lyrics, out of respect for copyright.