Innovations (album)

Last updated
Innovations
Gran combo innovations.jpg
Studio album by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico
Released 1985
Genre Salsa
Length37:48
Label Combo Records
El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico chronology
In Alaska: Breaking the Ice
(1984) In Alaska: Breaking the Ice1984
Innovations
(1985)
Y Su Pueblo
(1986) Y Su Pueblo1986

Innovations is a 1985 studio album released by Puerto Rican salsa group, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. It was the first #1 release on the Billboard Tropical Albums chart, established in June 1985.

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico band

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, commonly known as El Gran Combo, is a Puerto Rican salsa orchestra based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012, it is Puerto Rico's most successful musical group, and is considered "the most popular Salsa group that has ever existed". The group received the moniker La Universidad de la Salsa in Colombia, due to the sheer number of famous salsa musicians and singers who developed their careers with it, who started with the group, or who were occasionally backed up by the band.

Tropical Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine. Established in June 1985, the chart compiles information about the top-selling albums in genres like salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia, and vallenato, which are frequently considered tropical music. The chart features only full-length albums and, like all Billboard album charts, is based on sales. The information is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan from a sample representing more than 90% of the U.S. music retail market, including not only music stores and music departments at electronics and department stores but also direct-to-consumer transactions and Internet sales. A limited number of verifiable sales at concert venues is also tabulated. Innovations by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico was the first album to reach number-one in the chart. Up until May 21, 2005, reggaeton albums appeared on the chart. After the installation of the Latin Rhythm Albums chart, reggaeton titles could no longer appear on the Tropical Albums chart. By removing reggaeton albums from the Tropical Albums chart, it opened slots for re-entries and debuts. American bachata group Aventura claimed the top spot on the Tropical Albums chart, which marked the first time since the issue dated November 6, 2004 that an reggaeton album was not at the number-one spot.

Contents

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Juan Cabeza Dura"Tommy Sánchez4:38
2."Camino de Amapolas"Gabriel Romero4:20
3."No Me Olvides"Perín Vásquez4:55
4."Resignación"Benjamín Muñiz4:57
5."Prosigue"Tommy Sánchez4:57
6."Años" Pablo Milanés 4:55
7."Nunca Es Tarde" Mike Amadeo 3:50
8."La Loma del Tamarindo"Wiso Santiago5:16

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]

José A. Estévez, Jr. of Allmusic gave the album a mixed review criticizing the lack of novelties while stating Juan Cabeza Dura, No Me Olvides and La Loma del Tamarindo were "servicable".

Chart performance

Chart (1985) [2] Peak
position
US Billboard Tropical Album1

See also


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References

  1. "Album Review: Innovations". Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
  2. "Innovations - Chart performance". Allmusic. Macromedia Corporation. Retrieved 2010-06-06.