Gabriel’s Death Causes Spike in Sales & Streams of His Catalog

Juan Gabriel’s death continues to impact the music charts…

The Mexican singer’s death on August 28 has caused a spike in sales and streams of the his repertoire.

Juan Gabriel

JuanGa’s U.S. album sales jumped to 37,000 in the week ending September 1, up 846 percent from the previous week.

Five of his albums dot Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart (dated September 17), with four in the tally’s top 10. His Los Duo 2 ranks the highest, hopping 5-2 (up 1,412 percent to 9,000 copies). The last album he released in his lifetime (on Aug. 5), Vestido de Etiqueta: Por Eduardo Magallenes, slides 1-3 (despite a 192 percent jump in sales, to 5,000 copies) after crowning the September 3 and September 10-dated charts.

Gabriel becomes only the third act to have five simultaneous top 10s. He joins two other acts who achieved the distinction in death: Selena (who died in 1995) and Joan Sebastian (2015) each had five albums in the top 10 in the weeks following their deaths.

Gabriel, who began his career in the early 1970s, has placed a total of 32 albums on the chart (since it began in 1993).

He concurrently holds the top nine spots on the Latin Catalog Albums chart (led by his former Top Latin Albums No. 1, Mis Numero 1 … 40 Aniversario, 9,000 copies — up 1,370 percent). At No. 2, his 2014 set Los Duo, which finished as the top Latin album of the year on Billboard’s 2015 year-end charts.

Latin Catalog Albums Chart Rank (dated Sept. 17):
Rank, Title
No. 1, Mis Numero 1…40 Aniversario
No. 2, Los Duo
No. 3, Mis 40 En Bellas Artes (Parte 1)
No. 4, Mis 40 En Bellas Artes
No. 5, Los Gabriel…Cantan A Mexico (with Ana Gabriel)
No. 6, La Historia Del Divo
No. 7, Frente a Frente (with Ana Gabriel)
No. 8, Mis 40 En Bellas Artes (Parte 2)
No. 9, Los Gabriel…Para Ti (with Ana Gabriel)

On the Hot Latin Songs chart, which blends airplay, sales and streaming, 10 Gabriel tracks make the list. Only Sebastian has placed more songs on the chart at the same time, when he held 11 spots after his death (Aug. 1, 2015 chart).

Gabriel’s classic 1984 track “Querida” leads the entries at No. 4. It’s his highest charting song since 2001’s “Abrazame Muy Fuerte” reached No. 1. The Hot Latin Songs chart launched 30 years ago, and Gabriel’s “Yo No Se Que Me Paso” was the first No. 1 on the inaugural chart (Oct. 4, 1986). The posthumous entries give Gabriel a total of 36 career-charting songs on the list, with 20 having reached the top 10 (and seven No. 1s).

All of Gabriel’s tracks that debut or re-enter on Hot Latin Songs are powered primarily by streams. “Querida” leads with 2.4 million domestic plays during the week, while “Asi Fue” and “Hasta Que Te Conoci” follow with nearly 2 million streams each. Gabriel’s total on-demand audio and video streams increase 1,099 percent, to 52.9 million weekly U.S. plays.

Increased digital sales spur 21 Gabriel songs onto the 50-position Latin Digital Songs chart, the second-most simultaneous songs on the chart after Jenni Rivera placed 24 charting titles following her death in 2012.

“Querida” fronts the debuts, arriving at No. 4 (4,000 downloads). Overall digital song sales for Gabriel increased 3,045 percent, to 54,000 downloads, in the most recent week.

Gabriel Notches Fifth Chart-Topper on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums Chart

Make that five chart-toppers for Juan Gabriel

The 66-year-old Mexican singer has reached the summit on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart for a fifth time on the chart dated September 3, as Vestido de Etiqueta: Por Eduardo Magallanes, debuts with 1,000 copies sold in the week ending August 18, according to Nielsen Music.

Juan Gabriel

The chart-topper continues Gabriel’s hot streak on the Top Latin Albums chart, where he’s notched four No. 1s in the last 18 months — more leaders than any other artist in that span of time.

It’s actually double the next-largest total in that span.

Four acts each earned two No. 1s in the last year-and-a-half: Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizarraga, Gloria Trevi, Julion Alvarez y Su Norteno Banda and La Maquinaria Nortena.

The new No. 1 follows two chart-topping duets sets, Los Duo 2 (No. 1 for seven weeks in 2016) and Los Duo (No. 1 for seven weeks in 2015), and a greatest-hits compilation Mis Numero 1… 40 Aniversario (No. 1 for one week in 2015).

Vestido consists of a selection of Gabriel’s hits re-recorded and re-arranged with a symphonic orchestra by composer and musical director Eduardo Magallanes. The longtime collaborator of Gabriel signed the superstar to RCA Victor in 1971.

Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias Win Big at the Billboard Latin Music Awards

Nicky Jam and Enrique Iglesias have plenty of reason to celebrate…

The 35-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American singer/songwriter and 40-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter were the big winners of the 2016 Billboard Latin Music Awards, propelled by their global hit “El Perdón.”

Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias

Nicky Jam and Iglesias collected six trophies each, including Hot Latin Song of the Year, Vocal Event, Airplay Song of the Year, Digital Song of the YearStreaming Song of the Year and Latin Rhythm Song of the Year. Additionally, Iglesias won Latin Pop Songs Artist of the Year, Solo, while Nicky Jam won Latin Rhythm Songs Artist of the Year, Solo.

After thanking God, his genre Latina, Billboard and the people of Colombia and Puerto Rico, Nicky Jam gave a shout-out to his father, who he was separated from for much of his childhood. “I never brought home to you a medal from school,” he said. “But here is your medal, Papi.”

Right behind in the trophy haul was Mexican singer/songwriter Juan Gabriel, a comeback success story who won Tour of the Year and whose album of duets, Los Duo, won for Top Latin Album of the Year and Latin Pop Album of the Year. Gabriel also won Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Male and Latin Pop Albums Artist of the Year, solo, and was honored with the special Billboard Star Award.

“This doesn’t seem real,” said a giddy Juan Gabriel, the first winner of the night. “I’m amazed. I’m surprised. I am very happy to be here for the first time.”

Other top winners of the evening included Romeo Santos, who won Artist of the Year, Mana, who won Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group, and Shakira, who won Social Artist of the Year.

Here’s a look at the night’s winners:

Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Male: Juan Gabriel
Tropical Songs Artist of the Year, Duo or Group: Gente de Zona
Hot Latin Song of the Year: Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias, “El Perdón”
Tropical Song of the Year: Gente de Zona Feat. Marc Anthony, “La Gozadera”
Top Latin Album of the Year: Juan Gabriel, Los Dúo
Tropical Album of the Year: Victor Manuelle, Que Suenen Los Tambores
Regional Mexican Album of the Year: Gerardo Ortiz, Hoy Más Fuerte
Latin Rhythm Songs Artist of the Year, Solo: Nicky Jam
Latin Rhythm Song of the Year: Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias, “El Perdón”
Airplay Song of the Year: Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias, “El Perdón”
Streaming Song of the Year: Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias, “El Perdón”
Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Duo or Group: Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizarraga
Regional Mexican Songs Artist of the Year, Duo or Group: Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga
Latin Rhythm Songs Artist of the Year, Duo or Group: Zion & Lennox
Latin Pop Album of the Year: Juan Gabriel, Los Dúo
Tour of the Year: Juan Gabriel
Artist of the Year: Romeo Santos
Artist of the Year, New: Ariel Camacho y Los Plebes del Rancho
Social Artist of the Year: Shakira
Crossover Artist of the Year: Justin Bieber
Hot Latin Song of the Year, Vocal Event: Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias, “El Perdón”
Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Male: Romeo Santos
Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Female: Shakira
Digital Song of the Year: Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias, “El Perdón”
Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Female: Selena
Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group: Maná
Latin Pop Song of the Year: Maná Feat. Shakira, “Mi Verdad”
Latin Pop Songs Artist of the Year, Solo: Enrique Iglesias
Latin Pop Songs Artist of the Year, Duo or Group: Mana
Latin Pop Albums Artist of the Year, Solo: Juan Gabriel
Latin Pop Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group: Maná
Tropical Songs Artist of the Year, Solo: Romeo Santos
Tropical Albums Artist of the Year, Solo: Romeo Santos
Tropical Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group: Buena Vista Social Club
Regional Mexican Song of the Year: Ariel Camacho y Los Plebes del Rancho, “Te Metiste”
Regional Mexican Songs Artist of the Year, Solo: El Komander
Regional Mexican Albums Artist of the Year, Solo: Joan Sebastian
Regional Mexican Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group: Julión Álvarez y Su Norteño Banda
Latin Rhythm Album of the Year: Pitbull, Dale
Latin Rhythm Albums Artist of the Year, Solo: Pitbull
Latin Rhythm Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group: Plan B
Songwriter of the Year: Anthony “Romeo” Santos
Producer of the Year: Saga WhiteBlack