Picture this: It's 1985, and a song called "Conga" is making history by simultaneously charting on Billboard's Pop, Dance, Black, and Latin charts—something no one had ever done before. That's the kind of barrier-smashing power Gloria Estefan brought to the '80s pop scene. Born Gloria María Fajardo in Havana, Cuba, she fled to Miami with her family when she was just a toddler after the Cuban Revolution.

What's wild is that Gloria almost didn't pursue music at all. She was studying psychology at the University of Miami when she met Emilio Estefan and joined his band, Miami Latin Boys, in 1975. They eventually renamed the group Miami Sound Machine, and by the mid-'80s, they were unstoppable. "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" and "Anything for You" became global anthems, but here's something most people don't know: Gloria sang lead vocals for years before the record label even put her name on the albums.

The late '80s saw Gloria finally get proper billing as "Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine," and then just Gloria Estefan solo. She didn't just open doors for Latin artists in mainstream pop—she kicked them wide open. By the time the '80s ended, she'd sold millions of records and proven that music sung with a Cuban accent could dominate American radio. Her secret weapon? That infectious blend of Latin percussion with pop hooks that made it physically impossible not to dance.