A prolific musician, Gustavo Cerati had many incarnations: as founding member of Soda Stereo, as a soloist, as a producer and collaborator, and always, as a singer/songwriter of forceful but eminently melodic songs that became the soundtrack of generations. Cerati died Thursday (Sept. 4), almost four years after he suffered a stroke following a concert in Venezuela.
Here are 10 must-listen Cerati tracks:
With Soda Stereo:
1. “De Musica Ligera” (1990): This live version underscores Soda Stereo’s massive popularity.
2. “En la Ciudad de la Furia” (1988): The first single from Soda Stereo’s Doble Vida.
3. “Persiana Americana”: Performed at the Viña del Mar Festival in 1987.
4. “Cuando Pase el Temblor” (1986): The second track on the 1985 Nada personal album.
Solo Gustavo Cerati:
1. “Crimen” (2006): This slow ballad won a Latin Grammy for Best Rock Song.
2. “Verbo Carne” (2001): From his live album 11 Episoidos Sinfónicos.
3. “Paseo Inmoral” (1999): The third single from Bocanaa, Cerati’s first solo album.
4. “Rapto” (2009): Written by Cerati with his son, Benito, it was a single from his fifth studio album, Fuerza Natural.
5. “Déjà Vu” (2009): Also from Fuerza Natural.
6. “No” (2005): The second single from Shakira’s Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 featured Cerati on guitar and background vocals.