What is the name of Carlos Santana's breakthrough album released in 1970? The album is Abraxas. Released by Columbia Records on September 23, 1970, it was Santana's second studio album and followed the band's self-titled 1969 debut, which had been boosted by its appearance at Woodstock.
Abraxas became a major commercial and artistic breakthrough. It reached number one on the Billboard 200 and helped establish Santana's blend of Latin percussion, blues-rock guitar, jazz influence, and psychedelic textures. Its best-known tracks include "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen," "Oye Como Va," and "Samba Pa Ti."
The title comes from Hermann Hesse's 1919 novel Demian, whose text is quoted on the album's back cover. The striking cover reproduces Mati Klarwein's painting Annunciation. The other options are later or different Santana releases: Santana III followed in 1971, Caravanserai in 1972, and Amigos in 1976. Abraxas was added to the U.S. National Recording Registry in 2015.