Reviews at the time were conflicted. Musically, critics agreed that Grandes Ăxitos was flawlessâevery track is a five-star song. Lyrically, songs like "Crimen" (" No es un crimen / lo que hiciste con mi vida " â "Itâs not a crime / what you did with my life") and "AdiĂłs" (" AdiĂłs, pero no me digas nada " â "Goodbye, but donât tell me anything") became unbearable to listen to for some fans.
In the vast discography of Latin American rock, few names carry the weight, nuance, and legacy of Gustavo Cerati. As the visionary frontman of Soda Stereo and later as a celebrated solo artist, Cerati redefined the sonic boundaries of Spanish-language rock. However, nestled within his catalog is a release that often confuses casual fans and collectors alike: the 2011 compilation, Grandes Ăxitos .
By Lucas Artuso Special to Rock en las Américas Gustavo Cerati - -Grandes Exitos- -2011-
Rolling Stone Argentina wrote in September 2011: â Grandes Ăxitos is the saddest party album ever made. You want to dance to âCosas Imposibles,â but you end up crying during âTu Medicina.â It is a perfect record for an imperfect tragedy.â As with any âGreatest Hits,â there are notable absences. Hardcore fans immediately pointed out the lack of "Bocanada" (the title track) and "RaĂz" from the Fuerza Natural sessions. More glaringly, the compilation ignores the experimental electronic ambient of Siempre Es Hoy almost entirely, except for the single âDeja Vu.â This suggests the compilation was designed for mainstream radio and streamingâtargeting the massive audience that filled stadiums during the AhĂ Vamos tour, not the avant-garde followers. Legacy: A Snapshot, Not the Whole Picture Today, fifteen years after its release, Grandes Ăxitos (2011) occupies a unique place in Ceratiâs catalog. It is not the definitive compilationâthat honor arguably goes to Siempre Es Hoy (2002, live/unplugged) or the posthumous Fuerza Natural tour DVD. However, it is the most efficient compilation.
Ultimately, Grandes Ăxitos (2011) is a time capsule of a specific, agonizing year. It captures the voice of a man who had just delivered the two strongest rock albums of his late career, only to have that voice silenced forever. To listen to it is to celebrate the music, but it is impossible to ignore the ghost in the machine. Reviews at the time were conflicted
April 17, 2026
â â â â â (Essential for new listeners; heartbreaking for veterans) In the vast discography of Latin American rock,
For a new listener in 2026, this album serves as the perfect emergency room: 14 tracks that inject the essence of Ceratiâs solo career directly into the bloodstream. You get the psychedelic pop of âMagia,â the rock fury of âCaravana,â the electronic melancholy of âArtefacto,â and the sheer beauty of âJuegos de SeducciĂłn.â
On a long drive at sunset, with the windows down, singing âAdiĂłsâ at the top of your lungsânot as a goodbye, but as a thank you. Gustavo Cerati remains alive in every riff, every synth pad, and every echo of his voice. Grandes Ăxitos is just the beginning.
Released on August 30, 2011, this album arrived during one of the most painful and surreal periods in the history of Argentine music. Just over a year earlier, on May 15, 2010, Cerati suffered a massive ischemic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage following a concert in Caracas, Venezuela. He would remain in a coma until his death in 2014. Thus, Grandes Ăxitos was not a victory lap nor a celebratory retrospective. It was, in many ways, a musical eulogyâa frozen testament to a genius who could no longer speak. Unlike the sprawling, fan-centric Fuerza Natural tour or the conceptual ambition of Bocanada , this compilation is precisely what its title promises: a direct, radio-friendly collection of Ceratiâs most accessible solo work. Spanning from his 1999 electronic debut Bocanada to the lush rock of Fuerza Natural (2009), the album strips away the experimental B-sides and focuses on the hits.