Los Lobos were an unlikely and underrated success story in the 1980s. The group's roots date back to 1973, and they were originally named Los Lobos del Este de Los Angeles (the wolves of East Los Angeles.) The band's name came from a 1977 National Geographic article, "Where Can the Wolf Survive?" making the group perhaps the only rock act named after a story in Nat Geo.
Their music blended traditional rock with country and Tex-Mex influences, creating a unique sound that became critically acclaimed. Unfortunately, major commercial success proved to be elusive - they only had three charting singles, two of which broke the top 40 (although their cover of "La Bamba" hit #1 in 1987.)
"Will the Wolf Survive?" is a lovely piece of songwriting, and shows the sophistication of Los Lobos. Rock, country, and Latin American sounds seem to effortlessly fuse together. The lyrics use the metaphor of a wolf, trying to find his place in a modern world, to illuminate the status of immigrants. In our view it is poetic and evocative.
The single, "Will the Wolf Survive?" peaked at #78 on the singles charts, while the album How Will the Wolf Survive reached #47.
Los Lobos remains together (with most of their original members) as of this writing.
Cool trivia fact: Rolling Stone rated How Will the Wolf Survive as the 30th best album of the 1980s (and at #431 on their list of the greatest albums ever)
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