Record Breaking and Worldwide Impact
The song was originally recorded in 1992, and released in 1993 as a rumba. This was the first of six versions of the song that can be associated to Los Del Rio. Another version, a new flamenco rumba pop fusion theme with fully Spanish lyrics, attained significant success in Spain, Colombia and Mexico. It also became popular in Puerto Rico because of its use as an unofficial campaign theme song for then-governor Pedro Rosselló, who was seeking reelection under the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico's ticket. Being the base for many cruise ships, visitors to the island were constantly exposed to the song during their stay in Puerto Rico. This may explain how the song spread to — and became a hit in — cities with sizable Latino communities in the United States, particularly Miami and New York City.
After being remixed by the Bayside Boys and having English lyrics written and added by Grammy nominated producers Carlos de Yarza and Mike "In The Night" Triay and sung by Carla Vanessa, it became a worldwide hit in mid-1996. The single spent 14 weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, one of the longest runs atop the Hot 100 chart in history. 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. During its heyday, the song was played frequently at professional athletic games, rallies, conventions, and other places. Many believe that a world record for group dancing was set in 1996, when a crowd of 50,000 people danced the Macarena in Yankee Stadium in New York City.
"Macarena" remained popular through 1996, but by the end of 1997, its popularity had diminished. The song stayed in the Hot 100 chart for 60 weeks - the longest reign among No. 1 songs, until Adele's 2010 No. 1 single "Rolling in the Deep" later broke the record fifteen years later, logging 65 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100 chart (tying Jewel's 1997 single "Foolish Games"/"You Were Meant for Me"), though it was later surpassed by LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" later that year, after the latter logged 68 weeks in the said chart. The Bayside Boys remix includes a sample from Yazoo (also known in the United States as Yaz) track Situation - the laughter of Yazoo vocalist Alison Moyet. In Addition, the chorus utilized female vocal samples utilized by The Farm in their song "Higher and Higher (Remix)" from their album, Spartacus. The female singer on the remix was hired by the Bayside Boys, and at her request was uncredited. The Bayside Boys toured the U.S. and the world, and featured singer Carla Vanessa, although she is not the voice on the remix itself.
In 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 to the BBC News Service, during the year 2003 alone — a full decade after the song's initial release — Romero and Ruiz made USD $250,000 in royalties. 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 of cojones."
In VH1's 2002 documentary 100 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. Most recently, in 2010, Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio ranked the song at No. 10 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever while giving out an order: "First: Place your arm straight out in front of you at shoulder height, palm facing down. Then: Punch the DJ."
On America's Best Dance Crew, it was danced to on the Whack Track Challenge, given to the Ringmasters.
In the United Kingdom the song was released in June 1996 and peaked at No. 2 on August 17, 1996. It was kept off the No. 1 spot by the Spice Girls song "Wannabe".
Read more about this topic: Macarena (song)
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