Santana’s New Album Quietly Debuts — Despite A Michael Jackson Collaboration

Santana has spent decades working tirelessly. Unlike so many other bands that made it bid decades ago, the group continues to produce new music – and in between traditional studio albums, the outfit churns out special releases, live sets, and compilations that appeal largely to its dedicated following.

The group, led by guitarist and bandleader Carlos Santana – who lends his name to the band, though the focus has always been on him – has enjoyed multiple eras of massive commercial success. From the psychedelic late ‘60s to a late-‘90s resurgence that featured Grammy wins and chart-topping singles, Santana just keeps going. This week, the band scores another chart win in the United Kingdom, proving that there’s still interest in anything connected to the brand.

Santana’s Sentient Debuts on the Charts

The group’s new album Sentient opens on a pair of U.K. rankings, and in nearly identical positions. The collaborative compilation launches at No. 57 on the Official Physical Albums chart. Just one space below that, it begins its run at No. 58 on the Official Albums Sales tally. Both rankings are focused on purchases, though one includes digital downloads while the other sticks exclusively to physical formats.

Santana is Slowly Racking Up Wins

Sentient marks only the fourth time Santana has placed a title on the Official Albums Sales chart, which is somewhat surprising given the band’s reputation and massive commercial success throughout the years.

The group has fared far better on the Official Physical Albums chart. As Sentient arrives, Santana has now earned 13 entries on that roster.

Santana Returns to the Charts for the First Time in Years

The band hasn’t released a project in quite some time, so these new wins mark Santana’s first appearance on either of these U.K. charts in nearly four years. The last time the outfit launched something new was back in the fall of 2021, when Blessings and Miracles debuted. That effort performed slightly better than Sentient, managing to break into the top 40 on both sales-focused tallies.

Sentient is Packed With Huge Collaborations

The new album was quietly announced back in February on Santana’s official website. According to the group, Sentient is described as a retrospective featuring 11 “passion-filled, mesmerizing” cuts. It’s a star-studded collaborative release that features lesser-known cuts, high-profile duets, and slightly-altered takes on tunes some fans will already know.

Among the collaborators are legendary names like Miles Davis, Smokey Robinson, and Daryl McDaniels (from Run-D.M.C.), as well as the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. That latter cut is a track from Jackson’s Invincible album, on which Santana played guitar. The lead single was a reworked version of “Please Don’t Take Your Love Away,” alongside Robinson.