Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix) – Los Del Rio | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1 for 14 weeks); 1996
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
A tune inspired by the sight of a beautiful woman dancing at a party capped the career of Los Del Rio; a career begun in 1962 when Antonio Romero and Rafael Ruiz first performed together.
The primary audience for their 30+ albums was made up primarily of older Spaniards living in towns similar to Antonio and Rafael’s birthplace. So when Romero spied the young woman in Caracas, Venezuela in 1992, little did he know that they were on the brink of international fame and fortune.
The Spanish language version of Macarena broke out of Los Del Rio’s 1993 album A Mi Me Gusta, and began its worldwide chart domination. The U.S. didn’t hop on the Macarena bandwagon until a Miami radio station aired a specially commissioned English mix named after the studio that spawned it.
Macarena bounced on, off, and then back on the Hot 100 before reaching #1 and becoming the top single of the rock era.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Los del Río
Lyrics Written by:
- Rafael Ruiz Perdigones
- Antonio Romero Monge
Awards:
- “Macarena (bayside boys mix)” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1997
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).