Celia Cruz - Serie 32 La reina, Celia Cruz. The best female salsa singer EVER. Get everything you can of hers. I picked this CD out of 160+ available on Amazon because it has three essential salsa tracks on it (and a ton of other great songs). La Guagua just might be one of the most perfect dance tracks ever recorded. And Bembelequa, along with Quimbara, are guaranteed dance floor destroyers. La Reina, Celia Cruz! Get it!
Various Artists -The Rough Guide to Salsa Dance: Second Edition--I picked up a copy of this recently not expecting a whole lot, but boy was I surprised! This CD has a lot for everyone, from nice easy songs for the beginner, to salsa dura tracks for the hardcore salseros.
Sonora Carruseles - Con Todos Los Hierros -- Another dance classic by the Columbians, many people say this is their best CD. It starts out HOT with Arranca en Fa and never lets up.
Angel Canales - Millonarios de la Salsa --- What?! You never heard of Angel Canales? Well you're in for a treat. This guy is a mad genius! Eccentric, enigmatic, and highly overlooked, his improvisational style and distinctive voice make his music a pleasure to dance to. Bomba Carambomba, Ana Isaoco and Lejos de Ti. If you don't love these songs, you might not have a pulse :)
Angel Canales - Live at Roseland --- Yet another bomber by El Diferente (that's Angel's nickname), I included this CD because it has a couple of must have tracks that are not on the previous CD. Sabor los Rumberos, Cantante y la Orquesta, and Panama Soberana are just great songs to dance to.
Spanish Harlem Orchesra, Ruben Blades - Across 110th Street --- this album is FIRE!.
Sonora Carruseles - Heavy Salsa--- This group makes some of the hottest, most danceable salsa music around. They are definitely one of my all time favorites, and this CD is a great way to get introduced to their music. The whole thing is good, but check out Al Son de Los Cueros and Mosaico Boogaloo if you want to feel some heat!
Sonora Carruseles - La Salsa La Traigo Yo-- They bring it, alright! This CD is another smoking hot collection of tracks para los salseros!
Spanish Harlem Orchestra - Un Gran Dia en el Barrio --- One of the best salsa bands in the world, SHO always delivers the goods when it comes to getting the dance floor moving. A true DANCERS band, you need to have this CD in your collection.
Fruko y Sus Tesos - Descarga Espectacular -- If you were trapped on a desert island, and you could only have one salsa CD, this might be the one. This entire album is pure HEAT! Hit after Hit. I can't even explain the quality of the dance tracks on this. INSANE! A definite MUST HAVE CD.
Fruko y Sus Tesos - Grandes Exitos de Salsa, Vol.1--This is more of a classic album, not the kind of club banging salsa I've been recommending up to this point, but it contains possibly the greatest salsa song of all time - El Preso. This song is more than just a classic, it is a treasure, and it deserves a prominent place in ANY salsa CD collection.
Yuri Buenaventura - Yo Soy--- This CD is incredible. When I first heard Mala Vida and Salsa Rai, it was a revelation. Do not miss!