| Selena singles discography | |
|---|---|
| Singles | 24 |
| Promotional singles | 8 |
American singer Selena released twenty-four official singles, seven promotional singles. Her career began as the lead vocalist of Los Dinos in 1980. Her albums with Los Dinos on indie labels failed to achieve any chart success. [1] In 1987, her remake of Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba" peaked at number 19 on the United States Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, her first entry. She signed with EMI Latin nine years later as a solo artist though her band continued to tour with her. [2] Selena appeared on "Buenos Amigos" with Salvadoran singer Álvaro Torres. The track peaked at number one on the U.S. Hot Latin Songs chart in 1991, the singer's first number one song. Subsequent singles, "Baila Esta Cumbia" and "Como la Flor", became popular songs on Mexican radio, [3] with "Como la Flor" launching the singer's career in that country. [4] [5] "Como la Flor" peaked at number six on the Hot Latin Songs chart, despite popular culture claims that it was the singer's first number one single. [6] [7] The track has charted on the U.S. Regional Mexican Digital Songs list since its inception in 2010 and remains the singer's signature number and most popular recording. [8]
Selena's first live album, Live (1993), contained three studio tracks and produced two top-five U.S. singles, "No Debes Jugar" and "La Llamada". After her collaboration with the Barrio Boyzz on the single "Donde Quiera Que Estés" peaked at number one on the Hot Latin Songs chart, Selena released her fourth studio album, Amor Prohibido (1994). The album continued the singer's streak of US number one singles with "Amor Prohibido", "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom", "No Me Queda Más", and The Pretenders' cover "Fotos y Recuerdos". The latter peaked at number one posthumously following the shooting death of Selena on March 31, 1995. [9] "Amor Prohibido" and "No Me Queda Más" became the most successful U.S. Latin singles of 1994 and 1995, respectively. [10] [11] At the time of her death, Selena was in the process of crossing over into the American pop market. [12] Recording labels EMI Latin and EMI Records jointly released Dreaming of You several months after her death. Fearful that the song might cannibalize sales of the album in the U.S., EMI Records released "I Could Fall in Love" as a promotional single. [13] It became the highest charting English-language song on the Hot Latin Songs chart for two years and became her first number one single in Canada. [14] The title track, "Dreaming of You" became the highest charting Billboard Hot 100 song of the singer's career, peaking at number 22. Her cover of Pedro Infante's "Tú Sólo Tú" peaked at number one on the Hot Latin Songs for ten consecutive weeks; the longest number-one single of her career. "I'm Getting Used to You" peaked at number one on the U.S. Dance/Electronic Singles Sales; her first number one on that chart. [15]
Selena's last recorded song, "A Boy Like That" (a song from the 1967 musical West Side Story ) was part of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences honoring the musical. [16] The song was also a benefit recording for AIDS Project Los Angeles. [17] It peaked at number four on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart after its release in 1996. In 2002, Selena's brother and music producer A.B. Quintanilla mashed "Como la Flor", "Amor Prohibido", and "Si Una Vez" into a medley entitled "Con Tanto Amor Medley" to promote the album Ones . [18] Since Billboard magazine began monitoring music downloads in 2010, [19] Selena's songs re-entered the U.S. charts including first time entries "La Carcacha" (1990), "Ya Ves" (1990), "Enamorada de Ti" (1990), "Baila Esta Cumbia" (1992), and "El Chico del Apartamento 512" (1994). [20]
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [21] | US Adult [22] | US Latin [23] | US Latin Pop [24] | US Reg. Mex [25] | CAN [26] [27] | ||||||
| "Contigo Quiero Estar" | 1989 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Selena | |||
| "Sukiyaki" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Mentiras" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Baila Esta Cumbia" | 1990 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Ven Conmigo | |||
| "Ya Ves" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "La Tracalera" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "La Carcacha" | 1992 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Entre a Mi Mundo | ||
| "Como la Flor" | — | — | 6 | — | 9 | — |
| ||||
| "¿Qué Creias?" | — | — | 14 | — | — | — |
| ||||
| "Ámame" | 1993 | — | — | 27 | — | — | — | ||||
| "No Debes Jugar" | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
| Selena Live! | |||
| "La Llamada" | — | — | 5 | — | — | — |
| ||||
| "Amor Prohibido" | 1994 | — | — | 1 | — | 5 | — |
| Amor Prohibido | ||
| "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" | — | — | 1 | 11 | 4 | — |
| ||||
| "No Me Queda Más" | — | — | 1 | 13 | 1 | — |
| ||||
| "Fotos y Recuerdos" | 1995 | — | — | 1 | 12 | 1 | — |
| |||
| "Dreaming of You" | 22 | 9 | 11 | 9 | — | 30 |
|
| Dreaming of You | ||
| "Techno Cumbia" | — | — | 4 | — | 4 | — |
| ||||
| "El Toro Relajo" | — | — | 24 | — | 14 | — | |||||
| "I'm Getting Used to You" | 1996 | — [A] | 23 | — | — | — | 65 | ||||
| "Siempre Hace Frio" | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | Siempre Selena | ||||
| "No Quiero Saber" | — | — | 6 | 10 | 15 | — | |||||
| "Costumbres" | — | — | 15 | — | 13 | — | |||||
| "Disco Medley" | 1997 | — | — | 25 | 8 | — | — | Selena: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Latin [31] | |||||||||||
| "La Bamba" | 1987 | 19 | And the Winner Is... | ||||||||
| "Soy Amiga (A.B. Quintanilla III Remix)" | 2015 | — | non-album single | ||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Adult [22] | US Dance [32] | US Rhythmic [31] | US Latin [23] | US Latin Pop [24] | US Regional [25] | AUS [33] | CAN [34] | ||||||
| "Missing My Baby" | 1992 | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | Entre a Mi Mundo | |||
| "I Could Fall in Love" | 1995 | 12 | — | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 60 | 10 |
| Dreaming of You | ||
| "Tú Sólo Tú" | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — |
| ||||
| "A Boy Like That" | 1997 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Selena: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |||
| "Where Did the Feeling Go?" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Is It the Beat?" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Con Tanto Amor Medley" | 2002 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Ones | ||||
| "Puede Ser" (with Nando "Guero" Dominguez) | 2004 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Momentos Intimos | ||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certification | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Latin [23] | US Latin Pop [24] | US Regional Mexican [25] | |||||||||||
| "Buenos Amigos" (with Álvaro Torres) | 1991 | 1 | — | — |
| Nada Se Compara Contigo | |||||||
| "Donde Quiera Que Estés" (with the Barrio Boyzz) | 1994 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Donde Quiera Que Estes | |||||||
| "Baila Esta Kumbia" (with the Kumbia Kings) | 2005 | 44 | — | 16 | Duetos | ||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Selena Quintanilla Pérez was an American singer. Referred to as the "Queen of Tejano Music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century. In 2020, Billboard magazine put her in third place on their list of "Greatest Latino Artists of All Time", based on both Latin albums and Latin songs chart. Media outlets called her the "Tejano Madonna" for her clothing choices. She also ranks among the most influential Latin artists of all time and is credited for catapulting the Tejano genre into the mainstream market.
Amor Prohibido is the fourth studio album by American singer Selena, released on March 22, 1994, by EMI Latin. Having reached a core fan base, the label aimed to broaden her appeal with the next studio release. Finding it challenging to write a follow-up hit after "Como la Flor" (1992), Selena's brother A. B. Quintanilla enlisted the assistance from band members Ricky Vela and Pete Astudillo with writing the album's songs. The resulting album has a more mature sound featuring experimental production that blends diverse musical styles from ranchera to hip-hop music. Amor Prohibido is a Tejano cumbia album modernized with a synthesizer-rich delivery using a minimalist style that was quintessential in early 1990s Tejano music.
Entre a Mi Mundo is the third studio album by American singer Selena, released on May 6, 1992, by EMI Latin. The label endeavored to bolster Selena's popularity within the Latin music market in the United States with this release. Selena's brother, A. B. Quintanilla kept his role as the singer's producer and, in collaboration with Selena y Los Dinos members Pete Astudillo and Ricky Vela, composed tracks for the album. The ensuing recording encompassed an eclectic array of songs, attributable to the members' diverse backgrounds, which facilitated the modernization of the many genres they explored. Entre a Mi Mundo is a Tejano cumbia album that encapsulated Selena's quintessential sound, characterized by engaging tunes harmonized with her distinctive, plaintive vocals and a relaxed, danceable cumbia beat. The album incorporates musical inspirations from power pop, R&B, disco, rock, funk, and synthesized Tejano music.
Live! or Selena Live! is a live album by American Tejano pop singer Selena, which was released on May 4, 1993, by EMI Latin. The album was re-released on September 22, 2002, as being part of the Selena: 20 Years of Music collection; which included spoken liner notes by her family, friends and her former band members Selena y Los Dinos. Live! includes three cumbia-influenced studio tracks, while the rest of the album consists of live versions of previously released songs. The album was recorded during a free concert at the Memorial Coliseum in Corpus Christi, Texas, on February 7, 1993. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in its first year, double platinum in 1995, and 8× platinum in 2017.
Dreaming of You is the fifth and final studio album by American singer Selena. Released posthumously on July 18, 1995, by EMI Latin and EMI Records, it was an immediate commercial and critical success, debuting atop the United States Billboard 200—the first predominately Spanish-language album to do so. It sold 175,000 copies on its first day of release in the U.S.—a then-record for a female vocalist. With first week sales of 331,000 units, it became the second-highest first-week sales for a female musician since Nielsen Soundscan began monitoring album sales in 1991. Billboard magazine declared it a "historic" event, while Time said the recording elevated Selena's music to a wider audience. It won Album of the Year at the 1996 Tejano Music Awards and Female Pop Album of the Year at the 3rd annual Billboard Latin Music Awards.
American singer Selena released eleven studio albums, three live albums, three boxsets, three remix albums, two soundtrack albums, and twenty compilation albums. Credited for elevating a music genre into the mainstream market, Selena remains the best-selling Tejano recording artist in history, selling over 18 million records worldwide. She was named the top-selling Latin artist of the 1990s decade in the US by Billboard magazine.
Siempre Selena is the second posthumously released album by American singer Selena, released by EMI Latin on October 29, 1996. The album contained mostly unreleased recordings and remixes of previously released content. Songs on the album range from a 14-year-old Selena on "Soy Amiga" (1986) to the shelved Don Juan DeMarco (1995) soundtrack song "Siempre Hace Frio". Siempre Selena was a result of the impact of Selena's death in March 1995, where the singer's father and manager Abraham Quintanilla Jr. began receiving requests from fans of her music. Abraham rediscovered forgotten tapes of songs Selena recorded for various projects. Following her death, Abraham expressed how he wanted to keep the singer's legacy alive and that public knowledge of Selena was very important to him. Critical reception of Siempre Selena was mixed, with varying reviews suggesting that the album was more for Selena's fan base and found no particular track on the album to be of any interest, while others favored its diversity and remastered songs.
Ones is a compilation album by American singer Selena, released in the United States on October 1, 2002 by EMI Latin. It was released on November 11, 2002 in Spanish-speaking countries, while the limited edition included a bonus DVD of her music videos. Ones was released building on the popularity of the 1997 biographical film Selena. The album was aimed at Selena's new generation of fans, and its release marked the singer's twentieth year in the music industry. Ones features six number one singles namely, "Amor Prohibido", "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom", "No Me Queda Más", "Fotos y Recuerdos", and her duets with Álvaro Torres on "Buenos Amigos" and the Barrio Boyzz on "Donde Quiera Que Estés".
"No Me Queda Más" is a song by American singer Selena on her fourth studio album, Amor Prohibido. It was released as the third single from the album in October 1994 by EMI Latin. "No Me Queda Más" was written by Ricky Vela, and production was handled by Selena's brother A.B. Quintanilla. A downtempo mariachi and pop ballad, "No Me Queda Más" portrays the ranchera storyline of a woman in agony after the end of a relationship. Its lyrics express an unrequited love, the singer wishing the best for her former lover and his new partner.
"Fotos y Recuerdos" is a song recorded by American recording artist Selena for her fourth studio album, Amor Prohibido (1994). It was released by EMI Latin in January 1995, as the fourth single. A cover version of the Pretenders' 1983 single "Back on the Chain Gang", "Fotos y Recuerdos" was written by Chrissie Hynde with Spanish-language lyrics by Ricky Vela. Lyrically, the song describes a lonely female protagonist who "kisses the photo of her [lover] each night before falling asleep."
"Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" is a song recorded by American Tejano singer Selena. It was released as the second single from her fourth studio album, Amor Prohibido (1994). Originally written about a cheerful fish swimming freely in the ocean, the song's title is an onomatopoeic phrase suggesting the palpitating heartbeat of a person lovestruck by the object of their affection. "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" was written by Selena and her backup vocalist and dancer Pete Astudillo.
Pedro Astudillo, known as Pete Astudillo, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Referred to as "the Latino Babyface" by The Daily Journal, he is regarded as the architect behind Selena's sound, as he collaborated or coauthored the singer's top-selling and most popular recordings that cemented him into music history. Astudillo wrote or collaborated on some of the most popular Tejano music songs of the 1990s and was inducted into the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame in 2019. His impact on the United States Latin music scene lies in his role as a songwriter collaborator, according to Billboard magazine.
"Techno Cumbia" is a song recorded by American singer Selena for her fourth studio album, Amor Prohibido (1994). It was posthumously released as the b-side track to "Dreaming of You" through EMI Latin on August 14, 1995. Techno Cumbia would be put on her fifth and final studio album Dreaming of You (1995) and would be the fourth single for Dreaming Of You. "Techno Cumbia" was written by Pete Astudillo and co-written and produced by Selena's brother-producer A.B. Quintanilla. The song is a dance-pop and tecnocumbia recording with influences of dancehall, rap, Latin dance, and club music. Lyrically, Selena calls on people to dance her new style the "techno cumbia" and calls out those who cannot dance.
"Amor Prohibido" is the title song of American Tejano singer Selena's fourth studio album of the same name (1994). Released as the lead single through EMI Latin on April 13, 1994, it was written by Selena, her brother and music producer A.B. Quintanilla III, and her band's backup vocalist Pete Astudillo. A popular interpretation compares it to Romeo and Juliet.
Las Reinas del Pueblo is a compilation album by American Tejano music singer Selena and Mexican banda singer Graciela Beltrán. It was released on April 4, 1995, by EMI Latin in the wake of Selena's death on March 31, 1995. The decision to produce a compilation album featuring Beltrán emerged after her tribute to the singer at a Houston memorial. The title was inspired by Mexican newspapers that referred to Selena as "an artist of the people" during a 1992 press tour in the nation and subsequently dubbed her "La Reina del Pueblo" in the aftermath of her death. Las Reinas del Pueblo encompasses six tracks by Selena and six by Beltrán, encapsulating their respective tenures with EMI Latin. Las Reinas del Pueblo peaked at number four on the US Billboard Top Latin Albums and Regional Mexican Albums chart, both behind other Selena releases. The recording peaked at number 147 on the American Billboard 200 chart. The album peaked at number ten on the Spanish albums chart in 2010. Beltrán's participation in the album yielded substantial promotional and sales enhancements.
"Como la Flor" is a song recorded by American singer Selena. Written by A. B. Quintanilla and Pete Astudillo, it was released as the second single from her third studio album Entre a Mi Mundo (1992). The song was written by Quintanilla, who was inspired by a family selling illuminated plastic flowers at a concert in Sacramento, California, in 1982. A decade later, Quintanilla was seized with an infectious melody and abruptly dashed out of the shower in a hotel room in Bryan, Texas, to recreate it on a keyboard with Astudillo. He completed the music in just 20 minutes, while Astudillo took another hour to complete the lyrics. "Como la Flor" is an up-tempo, Tejano cumbia torch song that blends tropical cumbia rhythms with hints of reggae and pop music. Its lyrics describe the feelings of a female protagonist addressing her former lover, who abandoned her for another partner. The narrator is uncertain of her ability to love again, while at the same time, wishing her former partner and his new lover the best.
"Si Una Vez" is a song recorded by American recording artist Selena for her fourth studio album, Amor Prohibido (1994). It was written by Pete Astudillo and produced by Selena's brother-producer A.B. Quintanilla. "Si Una Vez" is a mariachi fusion song and draws influence from cumbia and Latin dance music. Lyrically, Selena questions why she ever fell in love with an abusive partner, saying she will never repeat her mistakes. The lyrics suggest unrequited love and female empowerment.
"El Chico del Apartamento 512" is a song recorded by American recording artist Selena for her fourth studio album, Amor Prohibido (1994). It was released along with "Fotos y Recuerdos" in January 1995, serving as its B-side track. Written by Ricky Vela, "El Chico del Apartamento 512" is a cumbia song with influences of Colombian and South American music. Lyrically, the song describes a female protagonist who knocks on her love interest's apartment door and is heartbroken when his sister answers it. Justino Aguilar of Billboard magazine, called "El Chico del Apartamento 512" as one of Selena's "most memorable songs". The track posthumously peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard Regional Mexican Digital Songs chart in 2011.
Enamorada de Ti is the second remix album by American Tejano singer Selena. It was released posthumously on 3 April 2012 through Capitol Latin and Q-Productions. Enamorada de Ti was produced by Sergio Lopes, Leslie Ahrens, Andres Castro, Moggie Canazio, Cesar Lemons and Chilean record producer Humberto Gatica. Gatica had the idea of modernizing songs recorded by Selena into today's popular music genres. Selena's family had already been working on a similar idea, but they set it aside in favor of Enamorada de Ti, which had gained the approval of Capitol Latin. The selection of artists to sing duets with Selena began in late summer 2011. Gatica and Selena's family chose American singer and actress Selena Gomez, Puerto Rican singer Don Omar, Samuel "Samo" Parra from the Mexican rock band Camila, Mexican singer Cristian Castro, Spanish DJ mixer Juan Magan, and the Carlos Santana band, while the remaining songs selected were remixed.
Lo Mejor de...Selena is a double disc compilation album by American singer Selena. It was released posthumously in the United States on March 31, 2015, by Capitol Latin and Universal Music Latin Entertainment. The album was released after the commercial and chart success of Enamorada de Ti (2012), which featured several Latin music acts lending their voices for the remix album. The recording features six number one United States Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart singles by the singer—"Buenos Amigos", "Donde Quiera Que Estés", "Amor Prohibido", "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom", "No Me Queda Más", "Fotos y Recuerdos", and the US Billboard Latin Pop Airplay chart single "I Could Fall in Love".
{{cite journal}}: |last1= has generic name (help){{cite journal}}: |last1= has generic name (help){{cite journal}}: |last1= has generic name (help){{cite journal}}: |last1= has generic name (help)| Selena |
|
|---|---|
| Ven Conmigo | |
| Entre a Mi Mundo | |
| Selena Live! | |
| Amor Prohibido | |
| Dreaming of You | |
| Siempre Selena | |
| Collaborations | |
| Other songs | |
