Emerging from a century of Spanish music, two visionaries chart a visual and sonic journey
Two celebrated figures in the music world have spent their careers investigating the very formula that makes a melody endure. Carlos Sanmartín and Pablo Pinilla have reportedly discovered a precise recipe through years of research and hands-on experience. Sanmartín, a formidable music industry executive who shaped scenes in Madrid, Buenos Aires, and Miami, and Pinilla, a prolific producer and composer responsible for more than 200 albums and major hits, now pay homage to the art form that gifted them so much success.
Their collaborative output blends distinct talents with a shared knowledge of Spanish songcraft. A new project steps beyond dance floors to celebrate the deeper history of Spanish music, tracing songs, albums, artists, and composers. Pinilla describes the project as a visual, collector-driven experience that makes the history of Spanish music tangible through a curated set of stickers and accompanying materials.
Summarizing a century of musical history is no small feat. Sanmartín and Pinilla embarked on a three-year journey of inbound research, review, and consensus that continued through the pandemic. Their effort culminated in an anthology called Album, built from the insight of 1,478 artists and 2,332 album covers. In this collection, the essence of songs is captured alongside a broader archive that hints at tens of thousands of works in Spanish music history awaiting discovery through 10,000 featured tracks.
For the duo, the adventure has always meant more than simply cataloging. It is a living celebration of music that fills them with energy and purpose. Three campaigns guided their process: observing songs, gathering data, and poring over thousands of files to locate covers. The result is a project that centers on our music, our songs, and our artists.
The aim is to preserve the legacy of Spanish music while inviting younger generations to explore and imagine new possibilities within an ever-changing musical landscape. Pinilla recalls meeting a young singer who did not recognize Camilo Sexto and learned that even familiar names can fade from memory if not continually reintroduced. The anecdote underscores the project’s mission to keep songs alive across generations.
The project asks thoughtful questions about Spain’s musical past: which CD rode the New Wave in Spain? which song defined a certain year? what are the quintessential tunes of the Spanish rock or indie scene? From Raquel Meller to Rosalía, from pasodoble to indie rock, the creators provide answers through a unique sticker album that also includes an audio encyclopedia and a digital archive. The package features 662 stickers enriched with artist names, landmark songs, release years, composers, and a tag that unlocks QR access to major hits and Spotify playlists.
Scanning the QR code opens Spotify so listeners can sample a track on their browser or assemble a playlist of all songs by a given artist when only a few hits exist. As Sanmartín notes in an interview, the project does not claim to crown a single best song for any given artist. Instead it invites listeners to choose their favorites and build personal playlists.
A carefully crafted selection
Across all stages of the project, each achievement has been carefully chosen. The rights management and production logistics involve national and international record companies that handle copyright, design, printing, and distribution. This personal edition aims to stand out in the market and fulfill a dream the authors nurtured over three years. Pinilla confirms that the project will live in two editions: a picture-book version with printed stickers and a collector’s edition featuring die-cut, self-adhesive stickers.
What makes this release truly special is its timing. It was conceived as a thoughtful gift for a particular moment and launched as a distinctive offering in the market. The collection is available exclusively through the project’s site, songsthealbum.com. The visual journey through a century of music, paired with a return to the songs that shaped our memories, invites readers to relive those moments. The authors wrap up with a sobering reminder that the pieces we hum and speak aloud since childhood become an important part of our shared history.
In the end, the project offers a tactile, immersive way to engage with history. It blends stickers, an audio encyclopedia, a compilation, and a digital layer to create a multi-sensory experience. It is a curated look back at a listening life, anchored by the simple joy of music that endures beyond trends.