Belying its title, “Despacito” made its run to historic chart heights anything but “slowly” (its title’s translation to English). Released in January 2017 by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, the global hit continues as the top title on Greatest of All Time Hot Latin Songs. It spent a then-record 56 weeks at No. 1 on the weekly list from that February — in its third frame on the ranking — to August 2018, among a 110-week stay overall.
With Bieber in the mix as of April 2017, “Despacito” became a crossover juggernaut, expanding Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s profiles and the pop star’s reach with Latin music audiences. It topped Latin Digital Song Sales for 69 weeks, Latin Streaming Songs for 59 weeks and Latin Airplay for 19 weeks. Further powered by a five-week reign on Pop Airplay, “Despacito” led the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 for a then-record-tying 16 weeks in May-September 2017.
Romeo Santos’ “Propuesta Indecente” is the retrospective’s No. 2 song. After ruling Hot Latin Songs for four weeks in 2013-14, it went on to total a record 125-week run on the chart overall.
Bad Bunny places two songs in the Greatest of All Time Hot Latin Songs top five. “DtMF” is at No. 3 and “DÁKITI,” with Jhay Cortez, No. 4. The latter is Bunny’s second-longest-leading hit (27 weeks, in 2020-21).
At Nos. 5 and 6 are the top titles from the first decade of the 2000s and from the 1990s, respectively. Son by Four’s pop ballad “A Puro Dolor” notched 20 weeks at No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs in 2000, while Alejandro Fernández’s “Si Tu Supieras” was No. 1 for six weeks in 1997.
As on the artists recap, Shakira scores the top rank among women on Greatest of All Time Hot Latin Songs, where “La Tortura,” featuring Alejandro Sanz, is No. 12, thanks to its 25-week command in 2005 — the longest by a woman. Selena’s “No Me Queda Más” is at No. 25, after it led for seven weeks in 1994-95.
