Despite the fact that the years continue to pass, Selena Quintanilla’s legacy remains more current than ever through her music.
Songs like “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” “Amor Prohibido” and “Dreaming of You” continue to get us in the feels — and be our favorite hits to dance to.
Billboard’s Latin editors have gathered Selena’s Hot Latin Songs chart hits to honor the legendary late singer.
“Buenos Amigos” with Alvaro Torres
“Buenos Amigos,” Selena’s collaboration with Álvaro Torres, is about a man who is deeply in love with his best friend. However, she doesn’t feel love with the same intensity, so she prefers to keep him as a buen amigo (good friend). The ballad spent 17 weeks on Hot Latin Songs chart and peaked at No. 1 on June 6, 1992. — SUZETTE FERNANDEZ
“Como La Flor”
Credited to Selena y Los Dinos, the 1992 hit became Selena Quintanilla’s signature song. With the lithe cadence of the tune and its soothing narrative about an unreconciled love compared to a withered flower, the queen of Tejano captivated the world with music that proved the divergence of her audience.
Written by her brother A.B. Quintanilla and her backup vocalist, Pete Astudillo, Selena’s second top 10 hit on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart has been covered by countless artists, the latest by Grammy winner country singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves who payed tribute to the Tejano at the 2019 Rodeo Houston, the same place where the Tejano gave her final live performance of the tune in 1995. — PAMELA BUSTIOS
“Que Creías”
“Did you think I was going to forgive you? That I was going to forget of the harm?” a powerful Selena kicks off the lyrics to “Que Creias,” a song about a woman who has moved on from a toxic relationship and is assuring her ex that he can find his way out. Spending 14 weeks on the Hot Latin Songs chart, the empowering ranchera, “Que Creias,” peaked at No. 14 on Feb. 6, 1993. – JESSICA ROIZ
“Amame”
Giving a different turn to her music, Selena’s “Amame” (Love Me) is a disco song from her 1992 album Entré a Mi Mundo. It’s about a woman who is extremely in love and feels the deepest desires that one can feel for a man. The song peaked at No. 6 on the Oct. 24, 1992 dated chart. – S.F.
“No Debes Jugar”
With “No Debes Jugar” (You Shouldn’t Play), Selena confronts a man who doesn’t want to settle and wants to keep playing games with her heart. “You shouldn’t play with my heart / You shouldn’t play with my love / if you love me or not, just tell me / So, I can continue my way,” she sings on the catchy chorus.
The melodies in this track bring to the forefront Selena y Los Dinos innovative fusions from Tejano, cumbia, and pop-rock. “No Debes Jugar” spent 18 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 3 on Aug. 14, 1993. — J.R.
“La Llamada”
Have you ever been heartbroken because your man cheated on you? “La Llamada” is the perfect song for when you are in this situation. “Don’t even call me again, trying to explain that what I saw isn’t true / You should be ashamed if you want to convince me that you are faithful and sincere,” she sings. The track debuted at No. 24 on Hot Latin Songs and spent 16 weeks on the chart. — S.F.
“Donde Quiera Que Estés” with Barrio Boyzz
Their first and only crossover collaborative effort, “Donde Quiera Que Estés,” reflected the interrelation of Selena and Barrio Boyzz’ Latino-American fusion in a generation that basically was pioneering the acceptance of Latin music into popular culture.
A combination of R&B, salsa, Tejano, soul, rap, and cumbia, the song became an amalgam of the cultural richness of their roots. It debuted at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart in March 1994 and was written by K. C. Porter, Marco A. Flores and Desmond Child and produced by K. C. Porter, A.B. Quintanilla, Domingo Padilla, and Bebu Silvetti. — P.B.
“Amor Prohibido”
Simply put, “Amor Prohibido” is about fighting for love. If the Selena biopic is any indication, fans know that Quintanilla’s relationship with her husband Chris Perez was quite the ride. In “Amor Prohibido,” the late Latin Grammy winner wanted fans to know that it doesn’t matter if the whole world is against your relationship. If it’s true love, it will last forever. Spending 20 weeks on the chart, “Amor Prohibido” peaked at No. 1 on June 11, 1994, reigning the charts for nine weeks. — J.R.
“Bidi Bidi Bom Bom”
The second single off Selena’s fourth studio album Amor Prohibido, which earned her her first No. 1 on Top Latin Albums — a 20-week reign — began an international appreciation of the amalgam of her music as the Queen of Tejano stepped outside the margins of her Tex-Mex reverberations with a song that trifles with cumbia and pop, tinted by rock in Spanish and reggae pulsations with electric guitar riffs.
Co-written with Pete Astudillo, the hummable “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” which echoes the sound of a heartbeat, earned Selena her fourth No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart in Oct. 1994 and topped the tally for four weeks. — P.B.
“No Me Queda Más”
Perfectly mixing mariachi trumpets with the soft sound of the violin, Selena’s “No Me Queda Mas” (“There’s Nothing Left for Me”) is the song you want to listen to when someone breaks your heart. The song belongs to the Amor Prohibido album and its music video has over 102 million views on YouTube. On Hot Latin Songs, No Me Queda Mas peaked at No. 1 on Dec. 17, 1994. — S.F.
“Fotos y Recuerdos”
“Fotos y Recuerdos” is a classic cumbia song. The catchy track, also part of her Amor Prohibido album, is about living with the best memories of that love which is no longer possible. “Fotos y Recuerdos” hit the No.1 spot on Hot Latin Songs on the April 15, 1995 dated chart. — S.F.
“I Could Fall in Love”
This ultra-romantic song opens Selena’s posthumous album Dreaming of You, released in June of 1995. The dreamy R&B-tinged pop ballad, which has a Selena on the brink of heartbreak if she allows herself to fall in love, peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart. — GRISELDA FLORES
“Tu Solo Tu”
To the rhythm of nostalgic mariachi, Selena belts out the heart-wrenching “Tu Solo Tu.” With lyrics such as “You, only you, have filled my life with mourning, opening a wound in my heart,” the Mexican-American singer opens up about a failed relationship. “Tu Solo Tu” At 26 weeks on the chart, “Tu Solo Tu” is one of Selena’s longest-charting titles on Hot Latin Songs. On July 22, 1995, the track peaked at No. 1, crowning for 10 weeks. — J.R.
“Techno Cumbia”
The infectious beat of this cumbia track will get anyone on the dance floor to do exactly what the track suggests: “Dance, dance without stopping, there’s no time to rest.” The fun, upbeat song, included in Selena’s Grammy-nominated album Amor Prohibido, peaked at No. 4 on the Hot Latin Songs survey. — G.F.
“Dreaming of You”
Considered one of Selena’s greatest hits, “Dreaming of You” won over hearts thanks to its beautiful lyrics and the song’s almost magical melody. Included in the 1995 posthumous album under the same name, the song, which peaked at No. 11 on Hot Latin Songs, has been covered by artists like Bruno Mars, Jojo and Camila Cabello. — G.F.
“El Toro Relajo”
Looking for a good karaoke song? “El Toro Relajo” is the perfect mariachi song to honor the Mexican culture. The track definitely highlights Selena’s matchless voice. “El Toro Relajo” peaked at No. 24 on the Dec. 2, 1995 dated chart. — S.F.
“No Quiero Saber”
This rhythmic song has a positive message: love can conquer all. “I don’t want to know about more problems anymore/ I don’t want to know about a world war/ Make tomorrow a day worth waiting for/ If we all love each other, the world will change,” she sings. The song reached the No. 6 position on the chart dated June 22, 1996. — S.F.
“Siempre Hace Frio”
Selena was known for single-handedly revolutionizing the Tejano industry. But besides her Tex-Mex fusions, Selena was praised for her emotional rancheras. Accompanied by a weeping mariachi, “Siempre Hace Frio” is a song about a woman who’s yearning for someone’s absence. “Siempre Hace Frio” spent 16 weeks on the chart and peaked at No. 2 on Nov. 23, 1996. – J.R.
“Costumbres”
On “Costumbres,” Selena gives the timeless Rocio Durcal ballad a danceable Tejano facelift. Keeping it real, “Costumbres” is a song about a person who admits they were comfortable in their past relationship and finds it hard to forget them. In 1997, Selena’s version of “Costumbres” spent seven weeks on the Hot Latin Songs chart. — J.R.
“Last Dance,” “The Hustle” & “On the Radio” (Medley)
Selena’s unforgettable medley of ’70s disco classics like Van McCoy’s “The Hustle” and Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” and “On the Radio” landed on the Billboard chart two years after she performed the medley at her last televised concert at the Astrodome in Houston recorded in February of 1995. Selena’s take on the disco hits peaked at No. 25 on the Hot Latin Songs survey. – G.F.
“Baila Esta Kumbia” with A.B. Quintanilla III Y Los Kumbia Kings
Gifting Selena fans with a remix of the singer’s iconic cumbia banger “Baila Esta Cumbia,” Selena’s brother A.B. Quintanilla and his band Kumbia Kings released a new version of the track in 2005. The song opens with a heartfelt tribute by A.B. where he asks fans to continue singing and dancing to the sound of Selena’s legacy. — G.F.
