Selena’s music has endured over the years, and her ’90s classic Amor Prohibido is proof of that — with its remastered version blasting in at No. 1 on Billboard’s Vinyl Albums chart (dated July 20).
Home to 11 tracks, including the timeless hits “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” “No Me Queda Más,” “Si Una Vez,” and the title track, Amor Prohibido was originally released March 22, 1994 under Capitol Latin/UMLE, and ultimately made history as the first Tejano album to hit No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart.
Now, in honor of its 30th anniversary, the history-making album was released on CD, cassette, and for the first time, vinyl. A special remastered 2024 edition, released under Universal Music Latino, is also available on all streaming platforms.
Selling 10,000 vinyl copies in the U.S. during the July 5-11 tracking week, according to Luminate, the album scores the Latin legend her second No. 1 on the 13-year-old Vinyl Albums tally, following her No. 1-peaking Ones, which spent one week in charge in 2020.
“I’m excited about us even celebrating 30 years of this album of ours,” Suzette Quintanilla, Selena’s sister and Los Dinos drummer, previously said to Billboard. “Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that people would still be jamming to our music and dancing to our songs. I think my brother [A.B. Quintanilla III], Ricky Vela, and Pete Astudillo did an incredible job in writing these songs, and my brother arranging and producing them just shows a part of who we were growing up and what we listened to. It was a different [musical] vibe going on. There’s a little bit of everything mixed in that album—what we all used to listen to and it definitely comes across. It was also a time when our record company let us be us, and do what we wanted to do with our music and this album.”
Below, Billboard ranks all 10 songs on the remastered Amor Prohibido album:
“Ya No”
“Is that Selena?” Many would wonder when hearing this song for the first time. The unexpected ’90s rock melody with a lot of attitude heard in “Ya No” shows a rebellious and spiteful side of Selena; it is also the only one of this style on the album. The lyrics, written by AB Quintanilla and Ricky Vela, talk about a final breakup accompanied by powerful electric guitar lines. “There will no longer be a heart here that will give you its love/ At whatever time you want/ You will no longer have my passion, say goodbye to the heat/ That one day it would give you,” goes the chorus. — LUISA CALLE
“Fotos y Recuerdos”
With its unforgettable melody and nostalgic chorus, “Fotos y Recuerdos” captures hearts set to the infectious rhythm of cumbia. Enhanced by electric guitar riffs, which add a vibrant layer to the track, the song skillfully melds catchy hooks with the yearning echoes of Selena’s emotive “oohs,” making it an irresistible earworm. The Tex-Mex beat, intertwined with the enchanting lyrics evoke the poignant emotions stirred by cherished old photographs, bringing memories to life with each note. It’s a beautiful ode to reminiscence that engages listeners in a vivid, heartfelt journey through the past. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
“Cobarde”
In “Cobarde,” Selena did not hold back from calling out a boy — or rather yet, a coward — who did her wrong. The infectious Tejano song, produced by her brother A.B. Quintanilla III and penned by Jorge Luis Borrego, is backed by synth keyboard, heavy drums, deep bass melodies, and Selena’s no holds barred lyrics. On the track, Quintanilla opened up about a boy who promised her the world, but instead betrayed her. “Coward, you’re nothing but a coward/ You need courage to talk to me/ And you’re just running away/ Coward, you’re just a coward/ But sooner than later, you’re going to remember me,” she passionately chants. — JESSICA ROIZ
“El Chico del Apartamento 512”
The way Selena played with the lyrics of this song, narrating a story about a “cute” guy from her apartment building, in apartment no. 512, gave force to this delightful cumbia. Selena’s vocals are backed by captivating trumpets and a playful, synth-cumbia melody that will immediately immerse you in this charming story. In the flirtatious lyrics, the Mexican-American singer describes her neighbor and “the guy of her dreams, the one that would make her heart jump,” while exploring new sounds along the way. — INGRID FAJARDO
“Tus Desprecios”
On Amor Prohibido, Selena showcased her musical versatility ranging from pop to rock to techno music, but “Tus Desprecios” is another reminder on why she’s known as the “Queen of Tejano.” The bouncy Tejano tune accompanied by captivating accordions — co-written by A.B. Quintanilla II and Ricky Vela —finds Selena complaining about unreciprocated love: “I tell you that I love you and you don’t answer anymore/ I offer you kisses and you turn away/ You have no idea how much it hurts/ To love you so much and you don’t love me anymore,” she sings. — J.R.
“Techno Cumbia”
Before the digital cumbia wave hit Latin America in the new millennium (think Colombia’s Bomba Estéreo or Peru’s Dengue Dengue Dengue), Selena’s “Techno Cumbia” was pioneering the fusion of traditional cumbia with electrifying techno beats. The track is a standout example of genre innovation, blending rich Latin rhythms with the fresh energy of synthesizers, years before artists like ZZK Records’ roster brought similar sounds to the underground scenes of Buenos Aires. With “Techno Cumbia,” Selena introduced a new Tex-Mex-infused dance, while sparking a musical evolution that still resonates in today’s global music scene. Her proclamation, “Este el nuevo baile de la techno cumbia,” not only declared a new style but set the stage for future fusions that continue to enrich Latin music. — I.R.
“No Me Queda Más”
A mariachi ballad through-and-through, Selena’s vocals really take centerstage and almost become the main instrument as she sings with so much fervor about learning to let go. It’s one of her most memorable songs to date, thanks to relatable lyrics, its classic mariachi arrangements and yes, that now-iconic sparkly white dress she wears in the song’s music video where she’s singing with visible emotion. — GRISELDA FLORES
“Bidi Bidi Bom Bom”
Selena was a nuanced artist with so many layers to her artistry. The variety in her music is what made her such a transcendental artist reaching a wide-ranging net of fans. The same person who passionately sings “Si Una Vez,” is also the same person who sings this super joyful, bright song about how that special someone makes her heart race and sound like “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” which ultimately became an earworm. The hip-swiveling cumbia is sonically irresistible, so just watching how much she enjoyed performing it, doing her unmatched twirls, is priceless. — G.F.
“Si Una Vez”
Just last week, Karol G posted a video on Instagram with an emotional post about wrapping her Mañana Será Bonito Tour. In the video, her and kid phenomenon, Iker, who’s been a central character of her MSB concept, emotionally sing “Si Una Vez.” It’s a nod to Selena, one of Karol G’s biggest inspiration, and also a nod to the song’s timelessness. Thirty years later, “Si Una Vez,” a cumbia powered by blazing mariachi trumpets, remains a staple in Latin music, and one of Selena’s best performances. Singing with so much pathos, about taking back everything said in a relationship (“If I ever said I loved you, today, I regret it”), the song is not only a quintessential Selena song but also a go-to heartbreak anthem. — G.F.
“Amor Prohibido”
The title track has become one of the most iconic songs of Selena’s career, not only because of its edgy and progressive cumbia fusion, but also for its heartfelt and relatable lyrics. “Who cares what your mom and dad will say? All that matters here is our love,” the Mexican-American chants in a song that’s about an “unacceptable” and “forbidden” love, because of the difference in social statuses. Though many might think “Amor Prohibido” is related to her own love story with Chris Perez, the song was actually inspired by the real-life love story of her grandparents. “Amor Prohibido” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in 1994, where it ruled the tally for nine weeks. — J.R.
