Dani Martín - La Montaña Rusa (2016)

Best known as the frontman of Spain's biggest power pop group, El Canto del Loco, singer/actor Dani Martín proved he could go it alone after juggling a music career with several critically acclaimed acting roles. Born Daniel Martín Garcia in Madrid in 1977, he regularly entertained his family with impersonations of his favorite singers as a child and received his first taste of exposure as a 14-year-old on the TVE show Rock Out. After attending the Cristina Rota and William Layton drama schools, he teamed up with guitarist Iván Ganchegui in 1994 to form El Canto del Loco, who went through various lineup changes before releasing their 2000 self-titled debut album. The band went on to become one of Spain's biggest pop/rock acts, scoring four chart-topping albums, A Contracorriente (2002), Estados de Ánimo (2003), Zapatillas (2005), and Personas (2008), in a hugely successful six-year period. However, Martín simultaneously continued to showcase his acting talents, appearing on both the big screen in gay-themed comedy I Love You Baby, Bigas Luna's comedy Yo Soy la Juani, and Pedro Almodóvar's Broken Embraces, plus the small screen in medical drama Hospital Central, cop show Four Countdown, and sitcom Los Hombres de Paco. After El Canto del Loco decided to take a hiatus in 2009, Martín began work on his debut solo record with producer Bori Alarcón, the result of which was 2010's Pequeño, a highly autobiographical and deeply personal record written in the wake of his sister's death. It was a formidable success, hitting number one in Spain and spending more than 18 months on the charts. Three years went into the making of his second solo album, Dani Martín, which spent four weeks at number one in Spain and also charted in Mexico and Italy. Tour dates consumed most of 2014, culminating in the release of his live album Mi Teatro in October 2014. ~ Jon O'Brien.