- Dreaming Of You · 1995
- Ones · 1992
- Amor Prohibido (Bonus Track Version) · 1994
- Ones · 1994
- Amor Prohibido (Bonus Track Version) · 1994
- Dreaming Of You · 1995
- Ones · 1990
- Amor Prohibido (Bonus Track Version) · 1994
- Amor Prohibido (Bonus Track Version) · 1994
- Amor Prohibido (Bonus Track Version) · 1994
- Dreaming Of You · 1995
- Ones · 1992
- Ones · 1994
Essential Albums
- From her beginnings in the family band Los Dinos, Selena Quintanilla was clearly destined for greatness. Put together by her father Abraham, the group played a variety of Latin styles as they rose up in the multifaceted Tejano music scene; with the continuing involvement of her siblings Abraham “A.B.” and Suzette, her solo career turned that sound into a boundary-crashing phenomenon. “I am a proud father,” Abraham Quintanilla tells Apple Music. “I am happy that my children embraced my dream.” Yet after four mostly Spanish-language major-label albums, each more commercially successful than the last, Selena craved the opportunity for her music to reach even bigger audiences. And with 1995’s Dreaming of You, a bilingual set of indelible songs, she did precisely that. “For her to make the transition over would need a new team,” A.B. tells Apple Music. “The few songs she was able to record have now become classics.” Though the album emerged in the wake of her tragic, untimely passing, Dreaming of You fulfilled so many of Selena’s own dreams. The album’s predominantly English-language first half firmly aligns her with the R&B-indebted pop stars of that moment, with the amorous title track and the stunning balladry of “I Could Fall In Love” taking on instant classic status. “I knew from the minute I met her that she was going to make a difference,” Keith Thomas, who wrote and produced the latter track, tells Apple Music. “You just wanted her to win.” Dreaming of You included some surprising moments, particularly “God’s Child (Baila Conmigo),” written by David Byrne. The former Talking Heads frontman fondly recalls the opportunity he had to work with her on the hypnotically rhythmic track. “I had this song I was working on,” he tells Apple Muisc. “I thought it might be close enough, that she might not feel too strange for her to do it. I thought it was incredible.” Even previously released songs find fresh new beginnings here. With the help of Brooklyn’s hitmaking ensemble Full Force, “Missing My Baby” takes on a swaying quiet storm quality with a touch of new jack swing. Demonstrating that a great song can truly transcend language, the rerecorded Barrio Boyzz collaboration “Wherever You Are” brings more than just a bilingual edge to the original “Donde Quiera Que Estés.” A highlight off 1994’s Amor Prohibido, “Techno Cumbia” returned with a vengeance here and proved a game changer for both her contemporaries and successors. “This album meant and means so much to me,” says Becky G., who had the good fortune of playing a medley of her hero’s music at the 2020 Houston Rodeo. “The high we got off the stage with, I’ll never forget.” Not surprisingly, Dreaming of You touched, and continues to connect with, generations. “I was 11 years old and I was looking at a person that started from that age and became a superstar,” says KAROL G, another longtime fan and one of the musical beneficiaries of Selena’s powerful and enduring legacy. “I got super obsessed with Selena since that time.”
- In 1994, just before the release of her career-defining fourth studio album Amor Prohibido, Selena Quintanilla seemed to be on top of the world. Her previous album, 1992’s Entre a Mi Mundo, broke records by becoming the best-selling album by a female Tejano singer (until Amor Prohibido broke that record) and made the young Texan a singular name among Latino communities. But at the time, Tex-Mex or Tejano—a style of music combining elements of norteño, cumbia, and conjunto, among others—was little-known outside of its core fanbase, and its biggest names were mostly men. Selena paved the way for an entire movement—and the women who were often ignored within it—by delivering a genre-bending concept album about forbidden love and the pitfalls of diving headfirst into turbulent relationships. Amor Prohibido picked up on Selena’s previous successes, including Selena Live, and built on the massive power of earlier singles like “Como La Flor.” With this album, she brought the once-regional sounds of Tex-Mex to international consciousness while also perfectly showcasing her and album producer (and brother) A.B. Quintanilla’s influences growing up as Mexican-Americans—ni de aquí, ni de allá, neither here nor there. Selena’s innovative take on Tejano saw her tinker with the sounds of cumbia, ranchera, reggae, and even techno, all while keeping a cohesive sound that could be enjoyed by purists and newbies alike, even influencing bands south of the border like Grupo Limite. The title track sets the tone for the album by telling a tale of forbidden love, inspired by her grandparents’ real-life story. (It's impossible to ignore the fact that Selena and husband Chris Perez’s romance began clandestinely, leading to the two eloping in 1992.) “No Me Queda Más” showcases her range with a more traditional Mexican ranchera sound, while “Cobarde” harkens back to something closer to straightforward Tejano. Cumbia behemoths like “El Chico Del Apartamento 512,” “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” and “Si Una Vez” provide the album with some of its most anthemic sing-alongs, while “Fotos y Recuerdos” (a quasi cover of The Pretenders’ “Back on the Chain Gang”) became one of Selena’s most memorable hits. Sadly, La Reina’s reign ended in March 1995—almost exactly a year to the day of the album’s release—when her friend and associate Yolanda Saldívar murdered the singer at the age of 23. To say Amor Prohibido shattered mainstream barriers is to undersell its impact. Selena’s fearless drive in the face of a machista music industry reflected back on many young Latinas who looked up to her, showing there was nothing to stop them from dominating spaces traditionally held by men. And whether new fans or old, the mantra remains the same: “Anything for Selenas.”
Artist Playlists
- Her star shone brightly during her tragically short career.
- Whether singing, performing, or dancing, her star keeps shining.
- The tejana superstar sings of passion and pain.
- Go beyond the hits into their lesser-known tracks and fan favorites.
- 2015
More To Hear
- Sending love to Amor Prohibido.
- Stars reminisce about the historic album.
- The Bronx artist on “Medicine” and her first tour in six years.
- The Bronx artist on “Medicine” and her first tour in six years.
- Lele Pons, Hannah Stocking, and Julissa Prado on life and music.
More To See
About Selena
It’s almost impossible to overstate Selena Quintanilla’s significance, both as an artist—she’s Tejano’s most successful recording artist—and as an icon for young women. The vocalist was born in Lake Jackson, TX, in 1971, and she started singing at around age 10 in the family band, Los Dinos, at her family’s restaurant. (Though raised speaking English, she learned to sing in Spanish and eventually became fluent.) She won the Tejano Music Award for Female Entertainer of the Year at age 15 and landed a deal with Capitol Records soon after. For a young artist, such early success could spell disaster, but Selena was fiercely original and driven—and playful—and she had a vision. She toured relentlessly, releasing a string of albums produced by her brother A. B. Quintanilla that injected Tejano with other influences, including reggae, pop, and techno—a tacit acknowledgement of the family’s bicultural upbringing that many Latino and Hispanic people could relate to. She carved a space for herself in a traditionally macho genre, designed her own costumes, began a clothing line, and crafted a body of work that remains beloved and in rotation on Latin-pop stations to this day, including the innocent and lighthearted “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” and the unforgettable “Como la Flor.” Selena’s life was cut tragically short at age 23, when her friend (and founder of her fan club) Yolanda Saldívar shot her. But her fame has only grown since her death: Thanks to a hit 1997 biopic starring Jennifer Lopez, her life story has crossed over into the American mainstream.
- HOMETOWN
- Lake Jackson, TX, United States
- BORN
- April 16, 1971
- GENRE
- Pop Latino