Ricardo Montaner has new reason to be feliz…
The 69-year-old Venezuelan singer, who has placed eight career No. 1s across the Billboard charts over his long career, has earned his first champ on the overall Latin Airplay chart, as “Para Que Seas Feliz” jumps 3-1 on the list dated October 3.
The new milestone arrives nearly three decades after the singer debuted on the ranking in 1996, marking the longest wait for a first No. 1 in the history of the 32-year-old chart. (Montaner’s overall history on Billboard‘s charts dates back to the late 1980s.)
“My story with Billboard is fascinating,” Montaner tells Billboard. “Honestly, it gives me immense pleasure to know that we have crossed generations throughout this career. I say it with humility and great pride.”
“Para Que Seas Feliz” rises to No. 1 on Latin Airplay with a 39% surge in audience impressions, reaching 8.9 million in the United States during the September 18-24 tracking week, according to Luminate.
It edges past Romeo Santos and Prince Royce’s “Ay San Miguel,” which slips to No. 2 after one week at the summit.
The coronation marks Montaner’s 21st Latin Airplay entry, dating back to “Soy Tuyo” in 1996.
With nine top 10s on Latin Airplay—including his first, “Es Así,” in 1997—he finally claims the crown after going as high as No. 2 twice: with “El Poder de Tu Amor” in 1999 and “Yo Puedo Hacer” in 2002.
The 30-year wait to No. 1 marks the longest to summit Latin Airplay since the chart’s inception in 1994—surpassing Los Ángeles Azules’ 27-year journey from their 1997 debut to their first chart-topper in July 2024.
“My story with Billboard began in the late ’80s, when my music began playing in the United States with ‘Tan Enamorados’,” Montaner says of the song that earned him a first top 10 on the charts, reaching No. 9 on Hot Latin Songs in 1988. “Billboard was perhaps the only representation we Latinos had in the music industry. We came to conquer the United States and knock on doors, earning the support of all the programmers and DJs of the time.”
“Tan Enamorados” was the launchpad of a successful five-decade Billboard song career.
“We broke through and made a huge impact,” says the singer who placed four No. 1s on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs chart, including “Castillo Azul,” which topped the list for nine consecutive weeks in 1992.
“One of the joys was that, back then, we were able to promote as many as three or four singles from each album, which gave us greater staying power,” recalls Montaner, who has also earned four Latin Pop Airplay No. 1s and two leaders on Top Latin Pop Albums: Ricardo Montaner (1989) and Ida y Vuelta (2016). “Music wasn’t segmented the way it is now—with reggaetón on one side, ballads on another, and regional Mexican music elsewhere. Back then, all genres converged on a single chart, and that made me incredibly happy because we managed to place so many songs in the top spots.”
Montaner’s new reign extends across Latin radio. “Para Que Seas Feliz” adds a third week at No. 1 on Latin Pop Airplay, while it also rises to the top of the Regional Mexican Airplay, largely powered by its regional Mexican remix with Edén Muñoz. The achievement marks Montaner’s first leader on the chart—and first appearance on the tally.
“Fifteen minutes ago, I was speaking with Edgar Barrera, who co-wrote this song with Horacio Palencia and Nathan Galante, about what it means to me—not only to return to Latin Airplay, but also to conquer the No. 1 spot on the regional Mexican chart,” the singer shares. “Do you know what that means? It’s an extraordinary achievement because, alongside the ballad, the duet I recorded with Edén also made a very strong impact in the regional Mexican market, and I feel immensely proud.”
