Album of the Day

Though Ritchie Valens' life was cut short (on “The Day The Music Died” in 1959), he cast a long shadow for Latino rockers, particularly in his native Los Angeles, so when biopic producers wanted to recreate eight of Ritchie's songs, they turned to L.A.'s own Los Lobos. The film was released on this day in 1987 and includes some fine period music, but it's the new recordings on the LA BAMBA soundtrack that are truly special. Los Lobos' versions of “Come On, Let's Go” and the title track became two of the band's biggest hits, and Marshall Crenshaw and Brian Setzer offer wonderful covers of Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran classics, respectively. A feel-good look at the early days of rock 'n' roll, both the movie and its music were successful – LA BAMBA (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) reached No.1 on the Billboard album chart.