Los 40

Los 40 (stylized as LOS40, formerly Los 40 Principales, Spanish: Los Cuarenta) is a Spanish Top 40-themed music radio station that broadcasts current and recent music, primarily focusing on genres such as pop, dance, electropop, Electro Latin, and Reggaeton. The brand is operated in various Spanish-speaking countries by PRISA Radio. It is recognized as the first thematic radio station in Spain, with an audience of almost three million listeners. Originating as a music show at Radio Madrid (now Cadena SER) in 1966, it transitioned into an independent radio station in 1979.
Thanks to the success of the program and the increase in the number of FM stations and receivers, Los 40 gradually expanded its daily broadcast duration, eventually reaching 24 hours of daily broadcasting in 1979 on the new radiofórmula 40 stations, still part of Cadena SER. In 1985, Los 40 began broadcasting via satellite. During the 1987-1988 season, Los 40 became an independent radio station known as Cadena 40, while still under the control of Grupo PRISA, the parent company of both Cadena 40 and Cadena SER.
Los 40 also operates in ten other countries, establishing its presence as a significant international music radio station in Spain and Latin America. The station primarily targets a demographic of individuals aged 12 to 30 years old.
The format of Los 40 is characterized by a youthful and dynamic style, incorporating a casual language that appeals to a young audience. The station emphasizes both music and musical information, as well as the presentation of songs.
Los 40 can be accessed through FM dials, national DTT broadcasting, streaming services, and mobile applications.
LOS40 stations are broadcast in: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and the Dominican Republic.
The stations predominantly play contemporary hit music in Spanish and English contemporary hit music, featuring a mix of American, Latin American, Pan-European, and British artists. The music selection varies by region, with stations in Mexico and Panama stations focusing more on European and English-language music, whereas Chile and Costa Rica feature more reggaeton and bachata.
Los 40 Principales began as a music program on Cadena SER's Radio Madrid. In 1965, Spain's Ministry of Information and Tourism mandated FM station launches, leading to a focus on music programming due to production costs. The following year, Rafael Revert was tasked by Cadena SER to create a music show for a younger audience, resulting in the creation of the 40 Principales chart. The first show aired on 18 July 1966, with "Monday, Monday" by The Mamas & the Papas topping the inaugural chart.
Initially, it was broadcast on 10 stations within the network. The program's duration expanded over time, starting with two hours, then increasing to four hours, and eventually to eight hours when it transitioned to a weekly edition on Saturdays.
The program was pre-recorded and distributed to Cadena SER stations across Spain, which broadcast it simultaneously at the designated time. The success of "Los 40 Principales," particularly among young audiences, led to an increase in programming hours and the development of its unique style, known as the "40 Style." This style is characterized by a youthful, casual language that emphasizes both music and musical information, as well as the presentation of songs.
The use of Onda Media was crucial for transmitting the "40 Style," as FM radio was less commonly used at the time. On Saturday afternoons, Onda Media stations broadcast eight hours of "Los 40," during which listeners could vote for the number one song.
In 1979, 40 Principales became a dedicated radio network. The network started satellite broadcasts across Spain in 1985 and expanded into Latin America in the 2000s.
In 1990, the chart show extended to television through Canal+ followed by the launch of 40 Principales TV in 1998. This channel continued until its closure in September 2017.
From 1992 to 1998, Los 40 hosted Game 40, a weekly video game show in Spain. Airing on Sunday evenings, the show was initially hosted by Juan Luis Ferrer before Guillem Caballé took over, infusing the program with a dynamic and entertaining style. Caballé, along with co-hosts Manuel Martín Vivaldi, Ángel Ortiz, and Carlos Ulloa, presented segments that included game reviews, news, and comedy, all interspersed with music from video game and anime soundtracks. Despite competition from sports programs, it garnered significant listenership.
The number one song on Los 40's weekly hit list holds significant importance, as it is determined by the station's listeners through their active participation. Listeners can cast their votes for their favorite songs either via telephone calls or through the Los 40 website. While web voting is free and allows up to five votes per week for different songs, it is limited to songs already on the list. In contrast, telephone voting, previously the primary method before the shift to digital, allows listeners to vote for candidates to enter the chart.
Historically, voting also involved sending Premium SMS messages, a method used until 26 May 2012. Now, the top song and the complete updated list are revealed every Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:15 PM on the Del 40 al 1 program. This show is broadcast live across all Los 40 radio stations and streamed on los40.com, hosted by Tony Aguilar.
The very first number one song on Los 40 was "Monday Monday" by The Mamas & the Papas, which topped the chart on 18 July 1966. Since then, the list has seen thousands of songs reach the number one spot, each reflecting the changing tastes and trends over the decades.
During the last 17 years, the songs that have been number 1 the most times on Los 40 in each year are:
In December 2014, DJ Paul Hip asked listeners of 40 Principales Chile what they would do for free music concert festival tickets. The radio station hosted a competition for contestants to come up with their own challenges. If their challenge was accepted by the radio DJ, they were given the opportunity to complete it to win the tickets.
A female listener offered to do "anything including licking whipped cream out of a human anus" to win tickets to the Mysteryland EDM festival. Hip took the woman up on the proposal - in the middle of his show. On 17 December 2014, she completed the act live on air. Hip then proceeded to invite listeners of the radio station to kiss the woman who had just licked whipped cream from his anus to win tickets of their own.
The radio station's production team tweeted an uncensored image of the act, which went viral over Twitter and caused controversy, with Twitter followers calling the act "misogynist and humiliating" and questioning the station's ethics and journalistic integrity. The radio station later issued an apology saying they were sorry if they had offended their audience and they probably should not have accepted such challenge, but assured it was completely "voluntary and even suggested by the participant" in a contest that was open to what ever each contestant wanted to do. The radio station deleted the tweet promptly after the negative reactions and assured their fans the contest's only purpose was to have fun, and not to hurt or demean anyone.
LOS40 has previously operated in Nicaragua and Paraguay, where it was replaced by La Buenísima and an evangelical radio station, respectively.
Los 40 has received multiple accolades throughout its history. In 1985, it was awarded the Ondas Award in the National Radio category. Prior to this, in 1982, Pepe Cañaveras also received an Ondas Award. In 1998, Joaquín Luqui was honored with the Ondas Award for Best Music Program Presenter, and the program "Del 40 al 1" won the Ondas Award for Best Specialized Television Program.
In 2000, the program "En tu casa o en la mía" won the Ondas Award for the most innovative and original radio program and for its service to society. In 2003, Juanma Ortega received the Golden Antenna as the presenter of the morning show "Anda ya!", which also received the Ondas Award for radio innovation in 2004. In 2010, Frank Blanco was awarded the Golden Antenna by the Federation of Spanish Radio and Television Associations. In 2013, "Yu: No te pierdas nada" won the Ondas Award for radio innovation.
In September 2015, Los 40 launched the "40 Global Show," a new program broadcast in 11 countries, featuring global music news presented by Tony Aguilar. This program also established a direct connection between the different Los 40 stations in Spain and Latin America.