Artist:   Los Lobos
Song:   "Will the Wolf Survive?"
Album: How Will The Wolf Survive?
Label:   Slash/Warner Bros.
Year:    1984

Has there ever been a better song than this? It contains the hopes and dreams of an entire culture, etched on the faces of working people that carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, sung with so much feeling that it can take all the air out of a room. Los Lobos was a well-known band on the roots music circuit when the four drumbeats of “Will the Wolf Survive?” announced their auspicious arrival on the national scene in 1984. With guitars that sound like a south of the border Byrds, and just enough mandolin to add a dash of mountain air, singer David Hidalgo reached so far down that he hit dirt and delivered a vocal that’s rarely been matched. When Los Lobos tear into the middle section, the world opens up and it seems, for the first time, the oppressed might really have a shot at survival. This song took the quintet around the world and carved their name in stone as one of the all-time great rock bands. Almost a quarter century later, Lobos’ stature continues to grow. It would be inspiring to say there is another group ready to take up the mantle and carry their incredible tradition of music to the next level, but thanks to the band’s unending inventiveness, Los Lobos is still carrying that flag, waving it high and never looking back, surviving all the way home.