Happy B-Day Ricky Martin Week! 5 Of His Best Hairdos & Songs

Who cares about Noche Buena, it’s Ricky Martin’s birthday week! The Puerto Rican sensation who has been stealing hearts since the age of 13 is turned 42, and oh boy does he make it look good! In celebration of his cumpleaños and as our X-mas gift to him – and of course the fans – we take a journey down memory lane because after all, the holidays are the best times to reminisce. From Menudo until now, we take a look back at 5 of Ricky Martin’s looks and the songs that went with them.

The Menudo-Do

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Oh the 80’s, time when everyone’s hair was so big it looked like it was eating their face and Ricky was obviously a victim with this mop-top. He joined Menudo in 1984 and was a member until 1989. “Rayo de Luna” is a love song about a girl with a moonbeam in her eyes.

The Clean-Cut Rocker

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The 90’s were all about the disheveled-grunge look and so Ricky let his hair grow to shoulder length, of course he was still a pretty boy and made sure to wash and condition, look at that shine! In 1990, a year after leaving Menudo Ricky signed with Sony Music Latin and released his debut solo album, “Ricky Martin,” in 1991. The hit single “Fuego Contra Fuego” reached gold in the U.S.

The Boy Band Look

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Mid-decade boy bands became all the rage, and although Ricky was a solo act he too rocked the super-geled spiky hair. During the time the singer also began to  evolve musically once again and decided to switch things up by toying with sounds outside the usual ballads. In 1995 he released his third album “A Medio Vivir,” in which he threw in “Maria,” a Latin infused tune that became an international hit and set the path to the fun-danceable Ricky our ears recognize today.

The Latin Pop Star

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At the end of the decade, after winning over the European and Latin American markets, Ricky went even shorter, added a couple of highlights and boom, what I like to call the Latin-sensation look was born. In 1999, ready to make major moves in the U.S., he released an English-language self-titled album. The first single “Livin la Vida Loca” became an instant hit that solidified his crossover status, and helped paved the way for other Latin crossovers.

The Ricky

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In 2010 the singer publicly acknowledge his homosexuality and the world was introduced to a happier and more laid-back Ricky. At this point in his career he is so self-assured that for him trends were a thing of the past, and well his hair definitely reflects that, ergo The Ricky: a relaxed but modern look that is all his own. In 2011 he debuted “Musica + Alma + Sexo,” a bilingual album which reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The lead single “Lo Mejor de Mi Vida Eres Tu” topped the Hot Latin Songs chart.

So Happy Birthday Ricky! We cannot wait to see what the next 30 years of you musical and career will bring!