Ricardo Montaner returns to No. 1 after 24 years

Ricardo Montaner is back at No. 1 on Billboard's Latin Pop Airplay chart. His single 'Para Que Seas Feliz' climbs 4-1 to top the ranking dated Sept. 19, which measures plays on Spanish-language pop radio stations in the United States. Billboard

The climb was sharp. The song drew 5.5 million audience impressions, the estimated number of listeners who heard it, in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 10. That total was up 60% from the previous week, according to Luminate data reported by Billboard.

It is Montaner's 40th entry on the Latin Pop Airplay chart and his fourth No. 1. His earlier leaders were 'Es Asi', which spent one week on top after peaking on Dec. 6, 1997; 'El Poder De Tu Amor', which spent three weeks at No. 1 after peaking on Oct. 2, 1999; and 'Yo Puedo Hacer', which spent two weeks on top after peaking on Aug. 10, 2002.

This one took time. 'Para Que Seas Feliz' reaches No. 1 in its 23rd week on the chart. It spent 13 of those weeks in the top 10 before moving to the top spot.

The wait between No. 1s is 24 years and one month, counted from 'Yo Puedo Hacer' in August 2002 to this week. That is one of the longest gaps in the chart's history. Gloria Estefan holds the record, with 24 years and 11 months between 'No Me Dejes de Querer' in June 2000 and 'Raices' in May 2025.

The song is working across radio formats. It debuted at No. 8 on the broader Latin Airplay chart, giving Montaner his ninth top 10 there and his first since 'Cuando a Mi Lado Estas' in 2005. A regional Mexican version with Eden Munoz reached No. 17 on Regional Mexican Airplay one month after its August debut. All versions are combined for tracking and charting purposes.

What makes this stand out is the length of the run behind it. Montaner's chart behaviour on Latin Pop Airplay began with 'No Te Pareces a Mi', which peaked at No. 5 in 1994. More than three decades later, that same radio programme audience has put him back on top. It took 23 weeks.