How Daddy Yankee’s ‘Gasolina’ Fueled Reggaeton’s Global Takeover

Daddy Yankee’s original plan was to become a baseball. When a stray bullet hit him, he pivoted to focusing on his other passion: music.

The Puerto Rican star ended up becoming an integral part of the creation and explosion of reggaeton, a Spanish-language genre that fuses elements of dancehall and reggae with hip-hop. It was his 2004 massive hit “Gasolina,” from his album Barrio Fino, that helped bring reggaeton worldwide. Quickly, it broke the seal for it to become the most popular genre of music in the world and for Daddy Yankee to become one of its most influential artists.

“Gasolina” was among many career peaks for Daddy Yankee, who has gone on to create decades of innovative, fresh, and extremely popular music for every club and block party around the world. After announcing his retirement in 2022, he has since left the door open for a new crop of superstars, like Bad Bunny, J Balvin and Ozuna. They’ve continued to fuel the genre’s global reach while giving props to the path Daddy Yankee and his first, uncompromising megahit cleared for them. 

On this week’s episode of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs, hosts Rob Sheffield and Brittany Spanos discuss “Gasolina.” They’re joined by their Rolling Stone colleague, Julyssa Lopez, who wrote a 2022 cover story on Daddy Yankee. 

In 2004, Rolling Stone launched its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Tabulated from a massive vote that had artists, industry figures, and critics weighing in, the list has been a source of conversation, inspiration, and controversy for two decades. It’s one of the most popular, influential, and argued-over features the magazine has ever done.

So we set out to make it even bigger, better, and fresher. In 2021, we completely overhauled our 500 Songs list, with a whole new batch of voters from all over the music map. Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs takes a closer look at the entries on our list. Made in partnership with iHeart, Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs finds Brittany and Rob discussing a new song each week, delving into its history and impact with the help of a special guest — including fellow RS colleagues, producers, and the artists themselves. It’s our celebration of the greatest songs ever made — and a breakdown of what makes them so great.

Check out the latest episode above, on iHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts, and look for new episodes every Wednesday.