Editing Ritchie Valens (section)

==Legacy==
Valens was a pioneer of [[Chicano rock]] and [[Latin rock]], inspiring many musicians of Mexican heritage. He influenced the likes of [[Los Lobos]], [[Los Lonely Boys]], and [[Carlos Santana]], as Valens had become nationally successful at a time when very few Latinos were in [[American rock]] and [[American pop|pop]] music. He is considered the first Latino to successfully cross over into mainstream rock.

"La Bamba" proved to be his most influential recording, not only by becoming a pop chart hit sung entirely in Spanish, but also because of its successful blending of traditional Latin American music with rock. Valens was the first to capitalize on this formula, which was later adopted by such varied artists as Carlos Santana, [[Selena]], [[Caifanes]], [[Café Tacuba]], [[Circo (band)|Circo]], [[El Gran Silencio]], [[Aterciopelados]], [[Gustavo Santaolalla]], and many others in the [[Latin alternative]] scene. The Valenzuela family spoke only English at home, and he knew very little Spanish.{{Disputed inline|date=September 2021}} Valens [[phonetical singing|learned the lyrics phonetically]] to record "La Bamba" in Spanish. In 2019, the Valens version of "La Bamba" was selected by the U.S. [[Library of Congress]] for preservation in the [[National Recording Registry]] as "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant".<ref>{{cite news |last=Andrews |first=Travis M. |date=March 20, 2019 |title=Jay-Z, a speech by Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and 'Schoolhouse Rock!' among recordings deemed classics by Library of Congress |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/jay-z-a-speech-by-sen-robert-f-kennedy-and-schoolhouse-rock-among-recordings-deemed-classics-by-library-of-congress/2019/03/19/f7eb08ea-4a58-11e9-9663-00ac73f49662_story.html?|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=March 25, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/8503463/ritchie-valens-la-bamba-inducted-national-recording-registry|title=Ritchie Valens' 'La Bamba' Inducted Into National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress|magazine=Billboard}}</ref>

Valens was nominated for a [[Grammy Awards|Grammy Award]] for [[Grammy Award for Song of the Year|Song of the Year]] in 1988 for La Bamba.

In 2015, ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine listed Valens on its list of the 30 most influential Latino artists in history, citing "the influence of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer lives on in today's Latin alternative artists" and also citing "the pioneering Latino artists's enduring crossover hit "La Bamba" proved early on that Mexican-rooted music and Spanish lyrics appealed to the mainstream".

"Come On, Let's Go" has been recorded by Los Lobos, the [[Ramones]] and the [[the Paley Brothers|Paley Brothers]] (the Ramones on guitar, bass, and drums and the Paley Brothers on vocals), [[Tommy Steele]], the [[the Huntingtons|Huntingtons]], [[Girl in a Coma]], and the [[the McCoys|McCoys]]. Johnny Rebb and his Rebels recorded the song for Leedon/Canetoad Records in Australia. "Donna" has been recorded by artists as diverse as [[MxPx]], [[Marty Wilde]], the [[the Youngbloods|Youngbloods]], [[Clem Snide]], [[Cappadonna]], and [[Misfits (band)|Misfits]].

[[Robert Quine]] has cited Valens's guitar playing as an early influence on his style. Valens also inspired [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[Chan Romero]], [[Carlos Santana]], [[the Beatles]], [[Chris Montez]], [[Keith O'Conner Murphy]], [[the Beach Boys]] and [[Led Zeppelin]], among others.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

Valens's mother, Concha, who died in 1987, is buried alongside him.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Scott |title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons |date=2016 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9781476625997 |page=766 |edition=3rd}}</ref>