10 Rock Albums That Peak With The Second Song
6. Abraxas - Santana
In 1968, Fleetwood Mac released the single Black Magic Woman. This was when they were a bluesy-folky kind of outfit and not that band your Mum dances to embarrassingly at weddings.
Penned by original Mac leader Peter Green, the song is an upbeat take on the protagonist's interactions with a lady he believes is casting a spell over him. It's a nice little ditty, but it's got nothing on the Santana version.
Released just two years after the original, Santana's take on Black Magic Woman is superior in every way. From the eerie opening synths to Carlos Santana's smooth-as-silk guitar playing, to the Latin-infused percussion, this is how the song should have always sounded.
The popularity of the tune helped shift huge amounts of the band's album Abraxas. Fun fact: this is only Santana's second release.
The curse has been broken!
Whilst songs like Oye Como Va and the instrumental piece Samba Pa Ti are a lot of fun, nothing else matches up to one of the greatest covers of all time.
Still ice cold after so many years, Black Magic Woman is a bona fide bop, no sorcery required.