"Los Prisioneros" was a Chilean rock band band formed in San Miguel, Santiago, Chile in 1983. "Los Prisioneros" (The Prisoners) is considered one the most important Chilean bands, and arguably the strongest musical influences that Chile has made to Latin American Music. In addition, they are considered by —Latin American media and musicians— as Pioneers of Rock in Spanish and as the band with strongest socio political impact in Chile. Their roots date back to March 1979, when their core members entered High School. From their humble beginnings in 1983 at the Festival de la Canción del Colegio Miguel León Prado(Miguel Leon Prado High School Song festival) to their first limited release Album in Chile under the Record label "Fusión Producciones". They struggled to make themselves known until they were able to sign with EMI Records in 1985 re-releasing their first album on LP record and cassette; From that point on, they reached mainstream success in Chile, then in Peru. Los Prisioneros created a simple Punk sound with a mix of Nueva ola, Techno, Synthpop, and Reggae. Musically: Los Prisioneros marked the beginning of a "New Musical Era" in Chile; leaving behind the 1960s folk-inspired Music of Víctor Jara and Violeta Parra; and starting the new era of "Nuevo Pop Chileno" (New Chilean Pop). Their legacy has been recognised by bands such as Glup!, Javiera y Los Imposibles (Javiera & The Impossibles), Lucybell, Los Tetas and La Ley, who together made the tribute album Tributo a Los Prisioneros. They made themselves known during the 80's for having controversial songs that critizised socio-economic structures, education, economic policies, as well as societal attitudes of Chile and Latin America. Their songs were used by Chilean young people to protest the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. As a result Los Prisioneros were banned between 1985 to 1990 by the Chilean mainstream media hence the group's music spreads in Chile —aided in part— by word of mouth and by shared homemade cassette copies.

The band went through several cast configurations and through several phases and cycles of playing together, dissolving and later reuniting. In their 1st phase (1983 to 1991) Los Prisioneros released four albums; three of them are included in The fifty best Chilean Records according to Rolling Stone Los 50 mejores discos chilenos según Rolling Stone Placing 3rd: La Voz De Los '80 9th: Corazones and 15th: Pateando Piedras respectively. In early 1990, when Claudio Narea left the band, two new members are added. Robert Rodriguez, Guitarist and vocalist from Arequipa, Peru (the only non-Chilean member of the band) and, Cecilia Aguayo (keyboard and Chorus). The new configuration lasts until the end of 1991; when they decided to dissolve resulting in a 10 year hiatus. The year 2001; brought their 2nd phase with a "Hits album" titled Antologia, Su Historia, Y Sus Exitos, and a reunion concert at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos(Chile's National Stadium) performing for a total of almost 150,000 people (a feat which no other Chilean band has ever accomplished). The Band went on a new tour of Latin America, North America and even Europe(Spain.) In 2003: after they recorded their album titled "Los Prisioneros"; Jorge González and Claudio Narea have a fallout, resulting in Narea bitterly leaving the band. González and Tapia continue performing, and record a cover disc titled Los Prisioneros En Las Raras Tocatas Nuevas De la Rock & Pop(The Prisoners In The Strange New Playings of Rock & Pop) with "Alvaro Henríquez" from Los Tres band. In 2004, the band records "Manzana"(Apple) with new members Sergio "Coty" Badilla and Gonzalo Yáñez and they go on tour of Canada, The United States, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, and Chile. On February 18, 2006, in Caracas, Venezuela the band Los Prisioneros perform their last concert. Jorge González moves to Mexico, leaving Tapia and Badilla in Chile. Many of "Los Prisoneros" Compositions are among the most important and musically influential songs of Latin America, and Rockin Spanish. Particularly the songs: "We Are Sudamerican Rockers" and Tren al Sur (Southbound Train), and especially El Baile De Los Que Sobran (Dance of the Ones Left Behind).