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Latin music has an ambiguous meaning in the music industry due to differing definitions of the term "Latin".[1][2] For example, theLatin music market in the United States defines Latin music as any release that is mostly sung in Spanish, regardless of genre or artist nationality, by industry organizations including theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) andBillboard.[3][4] International organizations and trade groups such asthe Latin Recording Academy include Portuguese-language music in the Latin category.[5][6][7]
Music journalists and musicologists define Latin music as musical styles from Spanish-speaking areas of Latin America and from Spain.[8][9] Music from Brazil is usually included in the genre and music from Portugal is occasionally included.[7][10]
As a result of the conflicting views of defining Latin music, the list includes Latin singles defined either by language for vocal songs or genre for instrumental recordings. Therefore, for a single to appear on the list, the figure must have been published by a reliable source, thesingle must have sold at least 1.5 million copies and must have at least 51% of its content in Spanish or Portuguese.[a] For non Spanish- or Portuguese-language songs, it must have ranked on either theBillboard Latin Digital Song Sales (or any of its subgenre digital charts) or receive a Latin certification from the RIAA.
Sales for Latin singles prior to the digital era are often difficult to verify due to most Latin singles having been only released as promotional singles for radio stations. For example,Billboard did not track sales of Latin digital songs until it was introduced in the issue dated January 23, 2010 and merges all versions of a song sold from digital music distributors.[13]
Two best-selling singles lists are displayed here relating first to physical singles (mainlyCD andvinyl singles) and second to digital singles (digitally downloaded tracks which first became available to purchase in the early 2000s).
| Artist | Single | Released | Language(s) | Sales (in millions) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los del Río | "Macarena" | 1993 | Spanish | 11 | [14] |
| Mocedades | "Eres Tú" | 1973 | Spanish | 8 | [15] |
| Las Ketchup | "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)"[a] | 2002 | Spanish • English | 7 | [16] |
| Manolo Escobar | "Y Viva España" | 1973 | Spanish | 6 | [17] |
| Jeanette | "Porque Te Vas" | 1974 | Spanish | 6 | [18] |
| Kaoma | "Lambada" | 1989 | Portuguese | 6 | [19] |
| Mario Millán Medina [es] | "El rancho'e la Cambicha [es]" | 1950 | Spanish | 5 | [20] |
| Ricky Martin | "María" | 1995 | Spanish | 5 | [21] |
| Enrique Iglesias | "Bailamos" | 1999 | Spanglish | 5 | [22][23] |
| Stan Getz andJoão Gilberto featuringAntônio Carlos Jobim andAstrud Gilberto | "Garota de Ipanema (The Girl from Ipanema)" | 1964 | Portuguese • English | 5 | [24] |
| Artist | Single | Released | Language(s) | Sales (in millions) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miguel Ríos | "Himno a la Alegría (A Song of Joy)" | 1969 | Spanish • English | 4 | [25] |
| ABBA | "Chiquitita" (Spanish version) | 1979 | Spanish | 2.2[b] | [26] |
| Lucho Gatica | "La novia" | 1961 | Spanish | 2 | [27] |
| Los Ramblers [es] | "El Rock del Mundial" | 1961 | Spanish | 2 | [28] |
| Juan Gabriel | "Querida" | 1984 | Spanish | 2[c] | [29] |
| Luis Miguel | "Sol, Arena y Mar" | 1999 | Spanish | 2 | [30] |
| Miami Sound Machine | "Conga" | 1985 | English | 2 | [31] |
| Los Lobos | "La Bamba" | 1987 | Spanish | 2[d] | [32] |
| Azúcar Moreno | "Ven, Devórame Otra Vez" | 1990 | Spanish | 2 | [33] |
| Aventura | "Obsesión" | 2002 | Spanish | 2[e] | [34][35] |
| José José | "Si Me Dejas Ahora" | 1979 | Spanish | 1.5 | [36] |
| Ángela Carrasco | "Quererte a ti" | 1979 | Spanish | 1.5 | [36] |
| Los Bukis | "Tu Cárcel" | 1987 | Spanish | 1.5 | [37] |
| Banda Blanca | "Sopa de Caracol" | 1991 | Spanish • Garifuna | 1.5[f] | [38] |
| Artist | Single | Released | Language(s) | Sales (in millions) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luis Fonsi andDaddy Yankee | "Despacito" | 2017 | Spanish • English | 36.1[b] | [39][40] |
| Enrique Iglesias featuringSean Paul,Descemer Bueno andGente de Zona | "Bailando" | 2014 | Spanish | 8 | [41] |
| Michel Teló | "Ai Se Eu Te Pego" | 2011 | Portuguese | 7.2 | [42] |
| Don Omar andLucenzo | "Danza Kuduro" | 2010 | Spanish • Portuguese | 5 | [43] |
| Shakira | "La Tortura" | 2005 | Spanish | 5 | [44] |
| Shakira | "Loca" | 2010 | Spanish • English | 5 | [45] |
| Pitbull | "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" | 2009 | Spanglish | 2.6[g] | [46] |
Beginning in 2020, theInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry began reporting the best-selling singles of each year in terms of subscription streams equivalent units. The methodology used converts all digital formats, including digital download sales, paid subscription streaming, and free ad-supported streaming, into a single figure.[47]
| Artist | Single | Released | Language(s) | Sales (in millions) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yng Lvcas andPeso Pluma | "La Bebé" | 2021 | Spanish | 1.45 | [48] |
| Bad Bunny andChencho Corleone | "Me Porto Bonito" | 2022 | Spanish | 1.21 | [49] |
| Karol G andShakira | "TQG" | 2023 | Spanish | 1.18 | [48] |
| Bad Bunny | "Tití Me Preguntó" | 2022 | Spanish | 1.14 | [49] |
| FloyyMenor andCris MJ | "Gata Only" | 2023 | Spanish | 0.98 | [50] |
| Farruko | "Pepas" | 2024 | Spanish | 0.94 | [49] |
| Karol G | "Provenza" | 2022 | Spanish | 0.92 | [49] |
| Artist | Single | Released | Language(s) | Sales (in millions) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various artists[h] | "Oye Cómo Va" | 1962 | Spanish | 5 | [51] |
Songs that were originally recorded in another language with a Spanish-language version also recorded. For a song to appear on this list, its Spanish-language version must have ranked on theBillboard Latin Digital Song Sales chart.
| Artist | Single | Released | Original language | Spanish-language version | Sales (in millions) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shakira featuringWyclef Jean | "Hips Don't Lie" | 2006 | English | "Hips Don't Lie" (Spanish version) | 10 | [52] |
| Shakira featuringFreshlyground | "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" | 2010 | English | "Waka Waka (Esto es Africa)" | 10 | [53] |
| Jennifer Lopez featuringPitbull | "On the Floor" | 2011 | English | "Ven a Bailar" | 8.4 | [54] |
| Ricky Martin | "Livin' la Vida Loca" | 1999 | English | "Livin' la Vida Loca" (Spanish version) | 8 | [55] |
| Shakira | "She Wolf" | 2009 | English | "Loba" | 1.8[i] | [56] |
Defining exactly what Latin music is a slippery business. The US record industry trade group says it's any release with lyrics that are mostly in Spanish and that it's more popular than ever, comprising more than 5 percent of US record sales.
Q: What is LARAS's definition of Latin music? A: Music in Spanish or Portuguese.
...but the term "Latin music" continues to be used - by the music industry as well as in common parlance - as a catch-all phrase to describe all Spanish and Portuguese-language popular music...
Including Spain, there are twenty-two predominately Spanish-speaking countries, and there are many more styles of Latin music.
Pero no todo se ha presentado " color de rosas " para el grupo Kaoma , que , con la versión brasileña de esta canción , vendió seis millones de copias
Biggest sales for this disc were the Spanish version for the Latin market — 2,250,000 copies.
La Novia se convirtió en su caballo de batalla. Llegó al número uno en España y estuvo en lo alto por más de un año, y hasta se filmó una película inspirada en la canción [...] entre 1960 y 1964, el disco de La Novia superó las dos millones de copias vendidas
Con el tema " Devórame otra vez " conquistaron el mercado internacional y vendieron dos millones de copias
