How 'Supernatural' Redefined Santana For a New Generation

Those who followed from the time of Santana's legendary Woodstock performance and 1969 self-titled debut might not have believed that the same group was behind multi-platinum Supernatural.

But by 1999, times were lean for Carlos Santana. He faithfully continued to release music long after the Woodstock generation had grown up and were tending to their families, Santana's commercial appeal had dwindled as the turn of the century approached.

In fact, Santana told Rolling Stone in 2000 that he would probably "be a hobo" if his wife hadn't reorganized the business side of his life. At her suggestion, Santana arranged a meeting with Clive Davis, the record executive who had originally signed him to Columbia in the '60s.

Santana told Davis that he wanted "to reconnect the molecules with the light," and make new music that would win him favor with a younger audience.

"I blueprinted the architectural plan for the album," Davis told Rolling Stone, "and that was having half the album be vintage Santana – in the spirit of 'Oye Como Va,' which he wanted for himself – and the other half, I proposed was those organic collaborations that would not be a compromise of his integrity but also be calculated to serve him at radio."

Davis then culled a list of guest stars and songwriters – including Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas, Eric Clapton and Dave Matthews. Given Davis' history of hit-making, it should come as little surprise that his formula for Supernatural would make the record the biggest of Santana's career.

Watch Santana's Video for 'Smooth'

Released on June 15, 1999, the album went on to sell 15 million units in the U.S. alone, while also earning Santana eight Grammy Awards. "Smooth," the first single featuring vocals by Thomas, held down a position within the Top 10 for more than 30 weeks. Billboard eventually proclaimed the track to be the No. 1 song of the rock era.

Regardless of its massive popularity, the LP ended up drawing heavy criticism. Santana's first record and the 1970 follow up Abraxas had been chock full of songs that seemingly knew no boundaries, thriving on a certain type of musical freedom. Supernatural just played things a little too safe.

"If you cared about Santana before Supernatural, you were precisely the audience that Supernatural was intended not to reach," according to the AV Club. "In fact, if you cared about Santana before Supernatural, you probably hated Supernatural."

Mastodon's Brent Hinds took specific aim at “Smooth.” “It’s just like someone taking a carrot peeler and gouging it into your ears and skinning your ears," he said in 2013. "It’s just — ech! Just talking about it I’m cringing.”

Santana took it all in stride, while owning up to the fact that he was chasing a hit record. "I'm not at all into becoming a twilight-zone jukebox prisoner of the '60s," he told Rolling Stone. Safe to say Santana accomplished his mission with flying colors with Supernatural, even if it pushed away some long-time fans.