Critical Reception
"Amor prohibido" was critically praised for Selena's choice in stepping out of the Tejano music genre, which had Latin American sounds and rhythms. Quintanilla III had written songs that transcend the boundaries of Tejano music, which led Selena to become "The Queen of Tejano music", the first and only Tejano artist to have achieved this feat. Music critics believed "Amor prohibido" is Selena's most popular song. Amazon.com's Ramiro Burr stated that "The hits were obvious—the eloquent "Amor prohibido," on love conducted in secret ... " The Daily Vault stated that " ... Amor prohibido is a seamless track ... " which made them wonder about Abraham Quintanilla Jr., believing he was " ... a professional, albeit over-influential to Selena ... ". About.com wrote that "Dreaming of You" is among "The top 12 Spanish language songs that have been played on English language radio", and that " ... the album of the same name includes "Amor prohibido" and "Como la flor," both of which enjoyed popularity in Latin America ... " during their scoring. Howard Blumenthal wrote in his book The world music CD listener's guide that "Amor prohibido" is one of Selena's best love songs. Guadalupe San Miguel wrote in his book Tejano proud: Tex-Mex music in the twentieth century that "Amor prohibido" is considered Selena's most popular piece. María Herrera-Sobek wrote in her book Chicano folklore: a handbook that "Como la flor" and "Amor prohibido" achieved national and international success. Emma Pérez wrote in her book The decolonial imaginary: writing Chicanas into history that "Amor prohibido" was favored among the LGBT community because of the lyrical content the song. Ed Morales wrote in his book The Latin beat: the rhythms and roots of Latin music that "Amor prohibido" is a " ... classic mass market hit that inhabits the memory, easily floating in the summer air of radios on the streets ... " Morales also stated that "It is catchy but also parable about love and social class that reflects the strains of immigration on the barrio while resonating Romeo and Juliet ... "
Don McLeese of Austin American-Statesmen called "Amor prohibido" compelling. Ramiro Burr of San Antonio Express-News wrote that "Songs such as "Baila esta cumbia," "La carcacha," "Como la flor" and "Amor prohibido" had that instant appeal, that memorable melodic hook ... ", and that "Amor prohibido" and "No me queda mas" were heartbreaking ballads. Burr believed "Amor prohibido", among other chart-topping Selena songs, is her "fans favorite". Mario Tarradell of The Dallas Morning News wrote that "The doors were wide open for the Amor prohibido singles – "Bidi bidi bom bom", "Amor prohibido", "No me queda más" and a Spanish version of the Pretenders' "Back on The Chain Gang" "Fotos y recuerdos" ... ". Jennifer Marie Rios, an American-born singer, said that "Amor prohibido" was one of her favorite Selena songs and stated " ... that was the first cumbia that caught my attention and was like, 'Wow.' I can really relate to it ... ". Sally Jacobs of the Sun Sentinel wrote that "Amor prohibido" is immensely popular in Spanish-speaking countries.
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