"Gasolina" by Daddy Yankee
Daddy Yankee's reggaeton anthem that went global, a top-10 hit across Europe that opened the door for an entire genre to break into the mainstream. "Dame más gasolina" became a rallying cry at every school dance, party, and car window of 2004–2005.
"Gasolina" arrived as the lead single from Daddy Yankee's album Barrio Fino in October 2004, following the album's July release. Written by Ramón Ayala (Daddy Yankee's real name) and Eddie Ávila, with production by Luny Tunes, the track featured an uncredited vocal hook by Glory singing the famous "dame más gasolina" refrain. The song was modest on the American charts, reaching #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 28, 2005, but it was a different story internationally.
"Gasolina" became a top-10 hit across Europe: #5 in the UK, #2 in Italy, #7 in Germany. Beyond chart performance, it is credited with opening the global mainstream to reggaeton and creating a pathway for the genre's later stars. The song became the first reggaeton track ever nominated for the Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year, a historic recognition that underscored its cultural significance. The track's legacy has only grown: in 2022, Rolling Stone ranked "Gasolina" at #1 on its 100 Greatest Reggaeton Songs list, and in 2021, it placed at #50 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2023, the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry, honoring it as a work that is "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Throughout 2004 and 2005, the song blasted from car windows, school-dance speakers, and every party sound system, becoming the soundtrack to a generation's introduction to reggaeton's global takeover.
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