Billboard Top Latin Albums


Top Latin Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine and is labeled as the most important music chart for Spanish language, full-length albums in the American music market. Like all Billboard album charts, the chart is based on sales. Nielsen SoundScan compiles the sales data from merchants representing more than 90 percent of the U.S. music retail market. The sample includes sales at music stores, the music departments of electronics and department stores, direct-to-consumer transactions, and Internet sales of physical albums or digital downloads. A limited array of verifiable sales from concert venues is also tabulated. To rank on this chart, an album must have 51% or more of its content recorded in Spanish. Listings of Top Latin Albums are also shown on Telemundo's music page through a partnership between the two companies. Before this, the first chart regarding Latin music albums in the magazine was published on the issue dated December 30, 1972. Then, all Latin music information was featured on the Latin Pop Albums chart, which began on June 29, 1985, and is still running along with the Regional Mexican Albums and Tropical Albums chart. The Latin Pop Albums chart features music only from the pop genre, while the Regional Mexican Albums chart includes information from different genres like duranguense, norteño, banda and mariachi, and the Tropical Albums includes different genres particularly salsa, merengue, bachata, and cumbia. In 2005, another chart; Latin Rhythm Albums was introduced in response to growing number of airplays from reggaeton. On the week ending January 31, 2017, Billboard updated the methodology to compile the Top Latin Albums chart into a multi-metric methodology to include track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent albums units.
The first album to appear at number-one on this chart was Mi Tierra by Gloria Estefan on July 10, 1993. This album spent 58 non-consecutive weeks at the top of this chart, a record that stands to date. Mexican singers Marco Antonio Solís holds the record for the most number-one albums by an artist overall with 12. Fellow Mexican performers Los Temerarios is the group with the most chart-toppers, eight.
Jenni Rivera and Selena are the female artists with the most number-one albums with 7 each. Selena's album Dreaming of You is the only album to peak at number one during three different calendar years.

Chart achievements

Artist with the most number-ones

The following are the top 20 longest-leading albums on the Top Latin Albums chart.
WeeksArtistAlbumYear
58Gloria EstefanMi Tierra1993–94
46Bad BunnyX 100pre2019-20
46OzunaOdisea2017–18
44Don OmarKing of Kings2006 - 2007
29Luis MiguelSegundo Romance1994–95
26Ricky MartinVuelve1998–99
24Daddy YankeeBarrio Fino2004–05
23AventuraThe Last2009–10
20SelenaAmor Prohibido1994–95
20Juan GabrielLos Dúo, Vol. 22016–17
19Christina AguileraMi Reflejo2000–01
18Bad BunnyYHLQMDLG2020
17ShakiraFijación Oral Vol. 12005
17Romeo SantosFormula, Vol. 12011-12
17OzunaAura2018
16Enrique IglesiasSex and Love2014
15Enrique IglesiasVivir1997
14Marc AnthonyLibre2001–02
14Daddy YankeeBarrio Fino en Directo2005–06
13SelenaDreaming of You1994 - 1995
12Alejandro FernándezMe Estoy Enamorando1997–98
12Son by FourSon by Four2000-2001
12Romeo SantosFormula, Vol. 22014–15
12ShakiraSale el Sol2010–11

Top 10 Albums of All-Time (1993–2018)

In 2018, Billboard magazine compiled a ranking of the 20 best albums on the chart since its inception in 1993. The chart is based on the most number of weeks the albums spent on top of the chart. For albums with the same number of weeks at number one, they are ranked by the most total weeks on the chart.
RankAlbumArtistPeak yearPeak and duration
1.Mi TierraGloria Estefan1993#1 for 58 weeks
2.OdiseaOzuna2017#1 for 46 weeks
3.King of KingsDon Omar2006#1 for 44 weeks
4.Segundo RomanceLuis Miguel1994#1 for 29 weeks
5.VuelveRicky Martin1998#1 for 26 weeks
6.Barrio FinoDaddy Yankee2004#1 for 24 weeks
7.The LastAventura2009#1 for 23 weeks
8.Amor ProhibidoSelena1994#1 for 20 weeks
9.Los Dúo, Vol. 2Juan Gabriel2016#1 for 20 weeks
10.Mi ReflejoChristina Aguilera2000#1 for 19 weeks

Number-one debuts

Year-end best selling albums

According to the RIAA certification, regular gold certification is awarded for shipping of 500,000 copies, platinum for one million units, and multi-platinum for two million unites, and following in increments of one million thereafter. In addition, albums containing more than 50% Spanish language content may be awarded with Latin certification award, gold, for shipments of 30,000 units, platinum for 60,000 and multi-platinum for 120,000 and following in increments of 60,000 thereafter. In the following table, the certification shown is either the standard or Latin certification depending on whichever one results in a higher value.
YearArtistAlbumLabelRIAA certification
1994Gloria EstefanMi TierraEpic16× Platinum
1995SelenaDreaming of YouEMI Latin35× Platinum
1996SelenaDreaming of YouEMI Latin35× Platinum
1997Julio IglesiasTangoColumbia6× Platinum
1998Alejandro FernándezMe Estoy EnamorandoSony DiscosPlatinum
1999Ricky MartinVuelveSony DiscosPlatinum
2000Marc Anthony'RMM/Sony DiscosGold
2001Paulina RubioPaulinaUniversal Music Latino8× Platinum
2002Marc AnthonyLibreSony DiscosGold
2003JuanesUn Día NormalSurco/Universal Latino6× Platinum
2004Marco Antonio SolísLa Historia Continúa...Fonovisa5× Platinum
2005Daddy YankeeBarrio FinoEl Cartel/V.I.Platinum
2006Daddy YankeeBarrio Fino en DirectoEl Cartel/InterscopeGold
2007RBDCelestialEMI Televisa/Virgin
2008Wisin & Yandel'Machete3× Platinum
2009AventuraThe LastStrichcode/Premium Latin4× Platinum
2010AventuraThe LastStrichcode/Premium Latin4× Platinum
2011Prince RoycePrince RoyceTop Stop Music3× Platinum
2012Romeo SantosFormula, Vol. 1Sony Music Latin3× Platinum
2013Jenni RiveraLa Misma Gran SeñoraFonovisa Records2× Platinum
2014Romeo SantosFormula, Vol. 2Sony Music Latin11× Platinum
2015Juan GabrielLos DúoUniversal Music LatinoPlatinum
2016Juan GabrielLos Dúo, Vol. 2Universal Music Latino
2017Nicky JamFénixSony Music Latin11× Platinum
2018OzunaOdiseaDimelo Vi11× Platinum

Year-end charts