The Mavericks, \u2018What a Crying Shame\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"THE](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1993-list.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Margaret Norton\/NBCU Photo Bank\/NBCUniversal\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tThe Mavericks cut a unique figure in the music scene of the early Nineties, a rootsy band from the hip-hop mecca of Miami, Florida, with a Cuban-American frontman and a sound that fused rock, pop, country, and Latin influences. They were big with mainstream fans and college-radio types, too. The heartbroken lead single and title track from their debut album is a gorgeous showcase for Malo\u2019s warm, elegant voice, reflecting his Cuban roots as well as classic Fifties snd Sixties ballads, and distinct from anything else on country radio. \u2014Jon Dolan<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nThe Mavericks, \u2018Here Comes the Rain\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"LAS](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-rollingstone-2022\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
![\"LAS](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/raul-1995.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Sherry Rayn Barnett\/Michael Ochs Archives\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tMalo\u2019s quavering baritone gives real depth and power to this desolate romantic ballad. \u201cHere comes the night as dark as my soul,\u201d he sings as guitars shimmer and chime around him, making the song sound as much like a forlorn power-pop tune as a Nashville weeper. Even though the Mavericks were a little too musically Catholic to fit into any one category, the song still won them a Grammy in 1996 for Best Country Performance by a Group or Duo. \u2014J.D.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018Every Little Thing About You\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"(MANDATORY](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2001-raul.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Ebet Roberts\/Redferns\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\u201cEvery Little Thing About You\u201d was such a fan favorite of Malo\u2019s debut solo album, 2001\u2019s Today<\/em>, that it also became an integral part of the Mavericks\u2019 set lists (they played it as recently as this July during a show in Eugene, Oregon). The song, swaying and brooding, is the very definition of a slow-burner, with Malo savoring each and every note until the track\u2019s thrilling crescendo. \u201cIn time I\u2019ll forget about you\/but I\u2019m still missing every little thing about you!\u201d Malo bellows, before going on to ad lib \u201cevery little thing\u201d over and over. \u2014Joseph Hudak<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nThe Mavericks, \u2018All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"UNITED](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1996.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Patrick Ford\/Redferns\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tComing in at Number 159 on Rolling Stone<\/em>\u2018s 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time<\/a>, this blast of country and Tejano music became the Mavericks\u2019 biggest hit on the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0<\/em>country chart \u2014 reaching Number 13 in 1996. It\u2019s an irresistibly spry Tex-Mex groover: organ spritz on the two and the four, insistent shakers and hi-hats throughout, and Malo\u2019s handsomely husky tenor having the time of its life. All of it is a setup for Flaco Jim\u00e9nez\u2019s<\/a> accordion, constantly commenting on the action and assuming a comfortable place in front of the music whenever it flickers into earshot. \u2014Marissa R. Moss<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nThe Mavericks, \u2018Recuerdos\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"NASHVILLE,](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/raul-2021.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Terry Wyatt\/Getty Images for Americana Music Association\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tDespite the joy Raul Malo took in singing in Spanish during Mavericks concerts, it wasn\u2019t until 2020 that the band released their first-ever all-Spanish album, simply titled En Espa\u00f1ol<\/em>. \u201cRecuerdos,\u201d which Malo co-wrote, was an immediate standout of the LP, as the singer allowed his voice to boom and echo. It is a massive performance. \u201cThis is the record I\u2019ve been wanting the Mavericks to make for a very long time,\u201d Malo said upon the album\u2019s release. That \u201cRecuerdos\u201d translates to \u201cmemories\u201d makes it all the more moving now. \u2014J.H.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nThe Mavericks, \u2018Pardon Me\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"SAN](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2015.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Scott Dudelson\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tFrom Seger\u2019s \u201cTurn the Page\u201d to Willie\u2019s \u201cOn the Road Again,\u201d there\u2019s no shortage of \u201clife on the road\u201d songs in music. But few are as vulnerable as \u201cPardon Me,\u201d a sleeper track off the Mavericks\u2019 2015 album Mono<\/em>. In the lyrics, Malo admits his life is a golden one, but sometimes even the most fantastical of dreams can take their toll: the shows are stacked, the nights long, and the expectations of fans (especially a \u201clady friend in every town waiting for the phone to ring\u201d) are great. \u201cMost of the time I feel alright, with the life I chose to lead\/Tonight I\u2019m not myself at all, so pardon me,\u201d Malo sings. The hurt and resignation in his voice will wreck you, but the show goes on. \u2014J.H.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018Blue Bayou\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"NASHVILLE,](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2004-list.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Rusty Russell\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tMalo recorded the crooning ballad that Roy Orbison made famous for a stripped-down highlight of 2004\u2019s\u00a0Nashville Acoustic Sessions<\/em>. There are few better showcases for Malo\u2019s richly expressive voice than the 1963 Orbison hit, from which Malo wrings emotion by turning the volume (and his acoustic accompaniment) way down. In doing so, the singer transformed a song used as a vocal showcase by everyone from Orbison to Linda Rondstadt into an understated, heart-wrenching lullaby. \u2014Jonathan Bernstein<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nThe Mavericks, \u2018Before the Next Teardrop Falls\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"LONDON,](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/o-solo-mio.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Roberta Parkin\/Redferns\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tFor the 2019 compilation Play the Hits<\/em>, the Mavericks assembled some of their favorite cover songs. Chief among them was \u201cBefore the Next Teardrop Falls,\u201d the aching ballad that country-Tejano singer Freddy Fender turned into a hit in 1975. The weeper was the perfect vehicle for Raul Malo and his heaven-sent voice: It was based in themes of heartbreak and devotion, featured lyrics in both English and Spanish, and served as a bridge to the musicians who influenced him. Finding superb Malo vocal performances is simple, but few are as moving as this one. Concrete proof that he was one of the greatest singers on the planet. \u2014J.H.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nThe Mavericks, \u2018Come Unto Me\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"GLASGOW,](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2013.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Ross Gilmore\/Redferns\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tThe Mavericks delivered the ultimate pledge of devotion with this song off their 2013 reunion album, In Time<\/em>. \u201cCome Unto Me\u201d captures the band at full strength: Spanish beats coexist alongside spy-rock guitar licks, gang vocals echo in the chorus, and Malo\u2019s voice is both forceful and passionate. Just listen to him sing, in staccato rhythm, \u201cFor here I am and I will stay\/to long for you in every way.\u201d It\u2019s a declaration of commitment \u2014 perhaps a furtive one \u2014\u00a0but you can\u2019t help but believe it, thanks to the emotion Malo conveys. \u2014J.H.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nThe Mavericks, \u2018Dance the Night Away\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"UNITED](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1998-1-1.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Patrick Ford\/Redferns\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tOne of the Mavericks\u2019 most popular songs is a light, fun, Latin-tinged\u00a0pop-rock banger with joyful horns and a bright danceable groove. \u201cLyrically, it just sounded like an escape,\u201d Malo recalled, \u201cit sounded like you just needed to get away from whatever you were doing, and that was really the inspiration, a bit of escapism.\u201d Hooked to a fun video where the band played in a supermarket, it became a hit on charts all over the world. \u2014J.D.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nThe Mavericks, \u2018Blue Moon\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"(MANDATORY](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/raul-2017.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Ebet Roberts\/Redferns\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tThe Mavericks put their own spin on Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart\u2019s standard for the 1995 soundtrack to Apollo 13<\/em>, a vocal performance by Malo that is, in fact, out of this world. While he\u2019d become more defined by his baritone in later years, here, Malo\u2019s falsetto is on full display. It\u2019s a hauntingly gorgeous croon that shows just how truly vast his range was. The Mavericks were so proud of the recording that it ended up on their 2004 compilation, The Definitive Collection<\/em>, right alongside signatures \u201cWhat a Crying Shame\u201d and \u201cDance the Night Away.\u201d \u2014J.H.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018O Sole Mio\u2019 (Live)<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"Raul](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-108803281-2.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Roberta Parkin\/Redferns\/Getty\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tAround 2010, Malo made an appearance on a radio show in front of a live audience and sang \u201cO Sole Mio,\u201d the Neapolitan classic. A video of the performance appeared on YouTube and, to watch it, is to experience the full spectrum of Malo\u2019s voice and presence. It is operatic, spiritual, casually elegant, and wholly captivating. And it\u2019s barely two minutes long. \u2014J.H.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
\t<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Mavericks cut a unique figure in the music scene of the early Nineties, a rootsy band from the hip-hop mecca of Miami, Florida, with a Cuban-American frontman and a sound that fused rock, pop, country, and Latin influences. They were big with mainstream fans and college-radio types, too. The heartbroken lead single and title track from their debut album is a gorgeous showcase for Malo\u2019s warm, elegant voice, reflecting his Cuban roots as well as classic Fifties snd Sixties ballads, and distinct from anything else on country radio. \u2014Jon Dolan<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tMalo\u2019s quavering baritone gives real depth and power to this desolate romantic ballad. \u201cHere comes the night as dark as my soul,\u201d he sings as guitars shimmer and chime around him, making the song sound as much like a forlorn power-pop tune as a Nashville weeper. Even though the Mavericks were a little too musically Catholic to fit into any one category, the song still won them a Grammy in 1996 for Best Country Performance by a Group or Duo. \u2014J.D.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cEvery Little Thing About You\u201d was such a fan favorite of Malo\u2019s debut solo album, 2001\u2019s Today<\/em>, that it also became an integral part of the Mavericks\u2019 set lists (they played it as recently as this July during a show in Eugene, Oregon). The song, swaying and brooding, is the very definition of a slow-burner, with Malo savoring each and every note until the track\u2019s thrilling crescendo. \u201cIn time I\u2019ll forget about you\/but I\u2019m still missing every little thing about you!\u201d Malo bellows, before going on to ad lib \u201cevery little thing\u201d over and over. \u2014Joseph Hudak<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tComing in at Number 159 on Rolling Stone<\/em>\u2018s 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time<\/a>, this blast of country and Tejano music became the Mavericks\u2019 biggest hit on the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0<\/em>country chart \u2014 reaching Number 13 in 1996. It\u2019s an irresistibly spry Tex-Mex groover: organ spritz on the two and the four, insistent shakers and hi-hats throughout, and Malo\u2019s handsomely husky tenor having the time of its life. All of it is a setup for Flaco Jim\u00e9nez\u2019s<\/a> accordion, constantly commenting on the action and assuming a comfortable place in front of the music whenever it flickers into earshot. \u2014Marissa R. Moss<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tDespite the joy Raul Malo took in singing in Spanish during Mavericks concerts, it wasn\u2019t until 2020 that the band released their first-ever all-Spanish album, simply titled En Espa\u00f1ol<\/em>. \u201cRecuerdos,\u201d which Malo co-wrote, was an immediate standout of the LP, as the singer allowed his voice to boom and echo. It is a massive performance. \u201cThis is the record I\u2019ve been wanting the Mavericks to make for a very long time,\u201d Malo said upon the album\u2019s release. That \u201cRecuerdos\u201d translates to \u201cmemories\u201d makes it all the more moving now. \u2014J.H.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tFrom Seger\u2019s \u201cTurn the Page\u201d to Willie\u2019s \u201cOn the Road Again,\u201d there\u2019s no shortage of \u201clife on the road\u201d songs in music. But few are as vulnerable as \u201cPardon Me,\u201d a sleeper track off the Mavericks\u2019 2015 album Mono<\/em>. In the lyrics, Malo admits his life is a golden one, but sometimes even the most fantastical of dreams can take their toll: the shows are stacked, the nights long, and the expectations of fans (especially a \u201clady friend in every town waiting for the phone to ring\u201d) are great. \u201cMost of the time I feel alright, with the life I chose to lead\/Tonight I\u2019m not myself at all, so pardon me,\u201d Malo sings. The hurt and resignation in his voice will wreck you, but the show goes on. \u2014J.H.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tMalo recorded the crooning ballad that Roy Orbison made famous for a stripped-down highlight of 2004\u2019s\u00a0Nashville Acoustic Sessions<\/em>. There are few better showcases for Malo\u2019s richly expressive voice than the 1963 Orbison hit, from which Malo wrings emotion by turning the volume (and his acoustic accompaniment) way down. In doing so, the singer transformed a song used as a vocal showcase by everyone from Orbison to Linda Rondstadt into an understated, heart-wrenching lullaby. \u2014Jonathan Bernstein<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tFor the 2019 compilation Play the Hits<\/em>, the Mavericks assembled some of their favorite cover songs. Chief among them was \u201cBefore the Next Teardrop Falls,\u201d the aching ballad that country-Tejano singer Freddy Fender turned into a hit in 1975. The weeper was the perfect vehicle for Raul Malo and his heaven-sent voice: It was based in themes of heartbreak and devotion, featured lyrics in both English and Spanish, and served as a bridge to the musicians who influenced him. Finding superb Malo vocal performances is simple, but few are as moving as this one. Concrete proof that he was one of the greatest singers on the planet. \u2014J.H.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tThe Mavericks delivered the ultimate pledge of devotion with this song off their 2013 reunion album, In Time<\/em>. \u201cCome Unto Me\u201d captures the band at full strength: Spanish beats coexist alongside spy-rock guitar licks, gang vocals echo in the chorus, and Malo\u2019s voice is both forceful and passionate. Just listen to him sing, in staccato rhythm, \u201cFor here I am and I will stay\/to long for you in every way.\u201d It\u2019s a declaration of commitment \u2014 perhaps a furtive one \u2014\u00a0but you can\u2019t help but believe it, thanks to the emotion Malo conveys. \u2014J.H.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tOne of the Mavericks\u2019 most popular songs is a light, fun, Latin-tinged\u00a0pop-rock banger with joyful horns and a bright danceable groove. \u201cLyrically, it just sounded like an escape,\u201d Malo recalled, \u201cit sounded like you just needed to get away from whatever you were doing, and that was really the inspiration, a bit of escapism.\u201d Hooked to a fun video where the band played in a supermarket, it became a hit on charts all over the world. \u2014J.D.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tThe Mavericks put their own spin on Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart\u2019s standard for the 1995 soundtrack to Apollo 13<\/em>, a vocal performance by Malo that is, in fact, out of this world. While he\u2019d become more defined by his baritone in later years, here, Malo\u2019s falsetto is on full display. It\u2019s a hauntingly gorgeous croon that shows just how truly vast his range was. The Mavericks were so proud of the recording that it ended up on their 2004 compilation, The Definitive Collection<\/em>, right alongside signatures \u201cWhat a Crying Shame\u201d and \u201cDance the Night Away.\u201d \u2014J.H.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tAround 2010, Malo made an appearance on a radio show in front of a live audience and sang \u201cO Sole Mio,\u201d the Neapolitan classic. A video of the performance appeared on YouTube and, to watch it, is to experience the full spectrum of Malo\u2019s voice and presence. It is operatic, spiritual, casually elegant, and wholly captivating. And it\u2019s barely two minutes long. \u2014J.H.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\nThe Mavericks, \u2018Here Comes the Rain\u2019<\/h2>\n
\u2018Every Little Thing About You\u2019<\/h2>\n
The Mavericks, \u2018All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down\u2019<\/h2>\n
The Mavericks, \u2018Recuerdos\u2019<\/h2>\n
The Mavericks, \u2018Pardon Me\u2019<\/h2>\n
\u2018Blue Bayou\u2019<\/h2>\n
The Mavericks, \u2018Before the Next Teardrop Falls\u2019<\/h2>\n
The Mavericks, \u2018Come Unto Me\u2019<\/h2>\n
The Mavericks, \u2018Dance the Night Away\u2019<\/h2>\n
The Mavericks, \u2018Blue Moon\u2019<\/h2>\n
\u2018O Sole Mio\u2019 (Live)<\/h2>\n