The Bayside Boys mix enjoyed a significant revival the following year when it re-entered theBillboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 for 14 weeks between August and November 1996. Its resurgence was aided by adance craze that became a cultural phenomenon throughout the latter half of 1996 and early 1997. The song got the group ranked the "No. 1 GreatestOne-Hit Wonder of All Time" byVH1 in 2002. In 2012, it was ranked No. 7 onBillboard's All Time Top 100. It also ranked at No. 7 onBillboard's All Time Latin Songs list.[3][4] In 2023,Billboard ranked "Macarena" number 500 in their list of Best Pop Songs of All Time.[1]
The composition of "Macarena" features a variant on theclave rhythm.[5][6] The song is written in the key ofA♭ major, moves at a tempo of 103beats per minute, and follows the repeated chord progression A♭–G♭ throughout.[7]
As a result of theirlounge act, Los del Río were invited to tour South America in 1992[8] and, while visitingVenezuela, they were invited to a private party held by the Venezuelan impresarioGustavo Cisneros.[9] During the celebration, a local flamenco teacher, Diana Patricia Cubillán Herrera, performed a dance for the guests, and Los del Río were pleasantly surprised by Cubillán's dance skills. Spontaneously, Antonio Romero Monge, one half of the Los del Río duo, recited the song's chorus-to-be on the spot, as an accolade to Cubillán:"¡Diana, dale a tu cuerpo alegría y cosas buenas!'" ("Give your body some joy, Diana").[8] When Monge wrote the song, he changed the name to Macarena, in honor of his daughter Esperanza Macarena.[9]
In 1993, RCA Records released "Macarena" as a single in Spain along with twohouse remixes by Spanish groupFangoria,[10] intended to popularize the song in nightclubs and discotheques.[11] These remixes changed the flamenco rhythm of the song to an electronic beat. According toAlaska, member of Fangoria, the Bayside Boys remix that followed in 1996 took their version labelled "Macarena (River Remix)" as its base. The band denounced it as plagiarism on theCourt of Justice of the European Union but the case did not go through.[11]
In mid-1996, the song became a worldwide hit roughly one year after the Bayside Boys (composed of Mike Triay and Carlos de Yarza) produced a remix of the song that addedEnglish lyrics.[12] Jammin Johnny Caride, aradio personality atPower 96 inMiami, first learned of the original "Macarena" when clubgoers at a club where he worked as aDJ requested the song.[12] Caride brought the "Macarena" to his supervisors at Power 96 who asked him to create an English-language version of the song.[12]
Caride recruited his two partners at Bayside Records, Mike "In the Night" Triay and Carlos de Yarza, to remix the original song.[12] The new, English-language lyrics were written by Carlos de Yarza. The Bayside Boys, Triay and de Yarza, added a new dance beat with English-language lyrics sung originally by the studio singer Patty Alfaro,[13] then later during a concert tour by Carla Vanessa.[12] Vanessa accepted a fixed-fee contract for her participation and live performances, and so does not receive any residual performer royalties.[14] The finished version was called "Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix)".[12] The Bayside Boys remix hit No. 1 on theBillboardHot 100 in August 1996 and remained at the top of the chart for fourteen weeks.[15] It also topped the USCash Box Top 100. Remarkably, even this version of the song was completely ignored by the US Hot Dance Club Play chart which represented DJ club playlists.
David Browne fromEntertainment Weekly wrote, "It says something about our culture—something delightfully devious, probably—that a wink-wink club song has become an all-ages-approved dance step andnovelty hit. Like the story it tells, 'Macarena' is a one-night stand, but you won't forget her name in the morning."[17] Dan Glaister fromThe Guardian said that the track was "imitating the successes of previous summer pop sensations such as 'Y Viva Espana', 'Agadoo' and 'Saturday Night'."[18]Melody Maker commented, "Admit it. You loved it. The sarky girlie lyric, the middle-aged Spanish geezers crooning away, the placidly agreeable beat.Eyyyyyy, macarena!"[19]James Hamilton fromMusic Week'sRM Dance Update described the song as an "infectious cheerful girls giggled and guys chanted 'Me No Pop I'-ish original hit version of a jaunty hip wiggling dance craze huge for ages around Europe and now (breaking out ofFlorida) the US, in frisky flamenco clapped jiggling 103.2bpm Bayside Boys Mix".[20] Peter Castro fromPeople Magazine wrote, "The 'Achy Breaky Heart' flatlined years ago and the 'Electric Slide' is short-circuiting, so what's a dance-crazed world to do? The 'Macarena', obviously."[21] Dave Fawbert fromShortList stated that "Macarena" is "a song that exists independently of cool, time, criticism – it's just there."[22] Jordan Paramor fromSmash Hits gave it one out of five, saying, "'Macarena' is 1996's answer toWhigfield's 'Saturday Night', overflowing with nauseating Latino-style beats and repetitive lyrics, sung by two suited middle-aged blokes who should know better. And, quelle surprise, there's even a quirky little dance routine to go with it."[23]
The reworked "Macarena (Bayside Boysremix)" spent 14 weeks at No. 1 on the USBillboard Hot 100 singles chart, becoming one of the longest runs atop the Hot 100 chart in history.[15] The single spent its final week at No. 1 on its 46th week on the chart, recorded as the latest No. 1 single in Hot 100 history.Billboard ranked it as the No. 1 song for 1996.[24] In the United Kingdom the song was released on 10 June 1996 and peaked at No. 2 on 17 August 1996,[25] kept off the No. 1 spot by the huge popularity of theSpice Girls song "Wannabe".[26] In Australia, it was the most successful song of 1996.
"Macarena" remained popular through 1996, but by the beginning of 1997, its popularity had begun to diminish. The song stayed in the Hot 100 chart for 60 weeks, the longest reign among No. 1 songs, only surpassed fifteen years later byAdele's "Rolling in the Deep". The Bayside Boys remix includes a sample from theYazoo (also known in the United States as Yaz) track "Situation"—the laughter of Yazoo vocalistAlison Moyet. The chorus uses female vocal samples previously used bythe Farm in their song "Higher and Higher (Remix)" from their album,Spartacus. The Bayside Boys toured the U.S. and the world and featured singer Carla Vanessa.
In the United States, the song, and its corresponding Macarena dance, became popular around the time of the1996 Democratic National Convention in August of that year.C-SPAN filmed attendees dancing to the song in an afternoon session, a clip of which became popular on YouTube years later.[27] Vice PresidentAl Gore, having a reputation for stiffness, made a joke about doing the Macarena dance during his speech. He said, "I would like to demonstrate for you the Al Gore version of the Macarena," then remained motionless for a few seconds, and eventually asked, "Would you like to see it again?"[28][29]
By 1997, the song had sold 11 million copies. While having only a 25% take in royalties from the song, Romero and Ruiz became immensely wealthy. According toBBC News, during the year 2003 alone—a full decade after the song's initial release—Romero and Ruiz made US$250,000 in royalties.[a]Julio Iglesias is quoted as congratulating the duo personally: "My success singing in English from Miami is nothing compared to yours; coming out of Dos Hermanas with little international exposure elsewhere and selling these many records in Spanish takes two huge sets ofcojones."[30]
InVH1's 2002documentary100 Greatest One-hit Wonders, "Macarena" was ranked as No. 1. "Macarena" was also ranked No. 1 on a different VH1 documentary,40 Awesomely Bad No. 1 Songs. OnAmerica's Best Dance Crew, it was danced to on the Whack Track Challenge, given to the Ringmasters. In July 2020, digital publicationThe Pudding carried out a study on the most iconic songs from the 1990s and songs that are most known byMillennials and the people ofGeneration Z. "Macarena" was the eighth song with the highest recognisability rate.[31] In a December 1, 1996,Peanuts comic strip,Snoopy is about to joinWoodstock and an unnamed identical bird at a frozen-over birdbath for a hockey game, but they start off by doing the Macarena dance first before playing, much to his embarrassment.[32]
The music video for the reworked Bayside Boys-remix of "Macarena" was directed by Vincent Calvet.[33] It starredMia Frye, who was also the choreographer, and features ten different women singing and dancing with Los del Río against a white background. In contrast to the scantily-clad women, Los del Río are dressed in suits. When the music video for the Bayside Boys Remix was filmed, Mia Frye choreographed a greatly simplified version of the Macarena dance that already existed at the time. Frye and director Calvet drew inspiration from video footage from clubs inMexico that showed large crowds of people dancing the original, more complex, Macarena.[34]
According to Los del Rio, the dance originated from the interaction between the band and the audience at concerts. It started with some improvised arm movements from the singers during an instrumental part of the song. Some people in the audience then began to imitate similar dance moves. In the interplay between the band and the audience, an early form of Macarena dance gradually emerged over the course of several concerts because stories about the Macarena dance spread among the band's fans by word of mouth.[35]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Pan-European magazineMusic & Media wrote, "Just when you thought this was just a version of their worldwide smash with a couple of jingle bells added, this seasonal single erupts into a cheerful medley ofJoy to the World,Jingle Bells andSilent Night. For all those who are looking for an uncomplicated Christmas."[128]
The song was covered by Canadian musical duoLos del Mar with vocals by Wil Veloz. It was first released in 1995.[142] In their native Canada, this version was popular onMuchMusic and top 40 radio in 1995. It was reissued in 1996 in a new version with vocals from Pedro Castaño, which was also featured on their albumViva Evita (retitledMacarena: The Hit Album overseas). In Australia, this new version reached No. 2 on theARIA Singles Chart, below the Bayside Boys' reworking of the original.
British magazineMusic Week rated the song three out of five, writing, "Hot on the heels ofRCA's release of the original version byLos Del Rio comes a second, lower-key version of the Spanish dance tune. Whoever wins the battle, the song is destined to become 1996's 'Lambada', loved and loathed in equal measure."[143]
A music video was produced for the Los del Mar version. It shows Pedro Castano and his pet cat in an apartment getting ideas for the song's dance while watching people on television. By the next verse, more people dance outside to the song wherein Castano joins in and sings. Later on, amob boss and his sidekicks pull up in a car and ask if they can join the dance. Excluding the outro segment, the video cuts around 40 seconds from the regular song.
On 13 November 2019, American rapperTyga released aremix, rap version of the song, called "Ayy Macarena".[160]J Balvin also sings the hook of the original song at the beginning of this version. This version has a more club-oriented sound. This version's official remix featuresOzuna.
In addition to this, a music video premiered on Tyga's officialYouTube channel on 17 December 2019, heavily inspired by the filmThe Mask. Los Del Rio also make a cameo appearance, performing the original chorus at the beginning of the video and making sparse appearances throughout.[160]
MC Rage released the single "Fuck Macarena" in November 1996. It is ahardcore techno parody of Los del Río's "Macarena" and mocks the original version's lyrics, as do the dancers in the music video. MC Rage sings vulgar mocking lyrics as an outburst against the huge success of "Macarena". It peaked at No. 7 on theDutch Top 40 on 27 December 1996, and at No. 8 on the DutchMega Top 100 on 25 January 1997.[195][196] The song has a music video featuringgabber ravers dancinghakken.
In 2012, Cuban-American rapperPitbull and Dominican rapperSensato recorded the song titled "Global Warming" as the intro song from his seventh studio albumof the same name. The song sampled the Bayside Boys remix.
Reggae anddancehall artist Jay-5 released the albumThe Dancehall Macarena onVP Records in 2015, featuring the song "Dancehall Macarena",[201] an upbeat fusion of dancehall moves, inspired by the infectious '90s classic.[202]
The single "Dancehall Macarena" is the first official Jamaican dancehallline dance[203] and gained over 1.6 million views onYouTube.[204]
The success of "Dancehall Macarena" inspired a popularreggaeton version in 2016, "Dancehall Macarena Remix", by Colombian reggaeton artist Japanese featuring Jay-5.
^Boboltz, Sara (24 August 2016)."How The 'Macarena' Music Video Helped Shape An Iconic '90s Dance".Huffington Post. Retrieved18 April 2024.In the planning stages for the video, an EMI staffer showed Calvet and Frye a clip of people in a packed Mexican nightclub dancing in unison to the song. ('It was impressive!' Calvet remembered.) Their dance was complicated. With flamenco-inspired hip movement and hand-twirling, it had people moving for 16 counts. Frye took it down to eight counts.
^Alice, Matthew."Macarena — its origin, its song, its saint | San Diego Reader".San Diego Reader. Retrieved18 April 2024.One of the Los Del Rio guys (the composers of the original 'Macarena' in 1992) says that he invented the dance one night during a concert. He says he was just fooling around during the music bridge onstage and started doing it, and then people in the audience started doing it, and they told a friend, and they told a friend, and so on and so on and so on.
^"Ventas".Correo español-El Pueblo vasco (in Spanish). 20 October 1995. p. 84. Retrieved6 April 2025 – viaBiblioteca Nacional de España.[...] canción por excelencia, Macarena, que ya cuenta con su propia coreografía, ha entrado en el número 45 de las listas Billboard (las más imoortantes del mundo) y ha superado las 125.000 copias vendidas en Estados Unidosy México y las 45.000 en Canadá, según fuentes de su compañía
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 03. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
^Arvunescu, Victor (30 March 2020)."Top Airplay 100 - Ritmo iar pe primul loc!" [Top Airplay 100 – Ritmo is number one again] (in Romanian). Un site de muzică. Retrieved30 March 2020.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 06. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
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