Ritchie Valens, the Pacoima native who recorded such pop hits as “La Bamba” in an abbreviated career, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday. Valens became the last of three ...

In The Number Ones, I'm reviewing every single #1 single in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, starting with the chart's beginning, in 1958, and working my way up into the present. "La Bamba" was ...

This story is part of American Anthem, a yearlong series on songs that rouse, unite, celebrate and call to action. Find more at NPR.org/Anthem. Sixty years ago this ...

That, of course, is "La Bamba." It was the very first song in Spanish to hit No. 1 in the United States. And for our ongoing music series, we're going to explain why this Spanish-language song with ...