El Rey (song)

"El Rey"
Song by José Alfredo Jiménez
from the album El Rey
LanguageSpanish
English titleThe King
Released1971
Recorded1970/71
Genre
Length2:10
Songwriter(s)José Alfredo Jiménez

"El Rey" ("The King") is a 1971 song by Mexican singer José Alfredo Jiménez. It is one of his best known songs and a Latin Grammy Hall of Fame recipient. The song is about "a macho guy convinced his rough-and-tumble life doesn't preclude him from remaining the king among his peers".

A chart published by Record World credited "El Rey" as reaching number one in Mexico in 1974, a year after Jiménez' death.

"El Rey" remains a staple of Ranchera and traditional Mexican music. The song has been covered by various artists, including Vicente Fernández - often considered the most well-known version of "El Rey" - his son Alejandro Fernández, Luis Miguel, and Maná.