Ricardo Montaner’s ‘Para Que Seas Feliz’ Hits No. 1 After 24 Years

Ricardo Montaner reclaims his Billboard Latin Pop Airplay No. 1 status after 24 years, as “Para Que Seas Feliz” rises 4-1 on the chart dated Sept. 19. It’s his 40th hit on the chart, his fourth leader, and his first No. 1 on the list in more than 24 years, since “Yo Puedo Hacer” spent two weeks on top in August 2002.

“During the 1990s, I had become familiar with repeatedly appearing in Billboard’s top 10,” Montaner tells Billboard on the road. “It was familiar territory, and I must admit that, for a while, I missed it.”

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In total, the singer-songwriter has etched four career chart-toppers among his 40 entries on the tally, dating to 1994. Here are those No. 1s on Latin Pop Airplay:

Title, Peak Date, Weeks at No. 1 “Es Así” Dec. 6, 1997, one “El Poder De Tu Amor,” Oct. 2, 1999, three “Yo Puedo Hacer,” Aug. 10, 2002, two “Para Que Seas Feliz,” Sept. 19, 2026

“Para Que Seas Feliz” climbs 4-1 on Latin Pop Airplay —after spending 13 earlier weeks in the top 10 during its 23-week run (and counting)— with 5.5 million audience impressions, up 60%, earned in the United States in the week ending Sept. 10, according to Luminate.

“Returning after more than 20 years—and doing so as I turn 69 this month—is quite an achievement,” Montaner muses. “That’s why, in music, there are no deadlines or expiration dates. I’m thrilled about this No. 1, which feels like my first No. 1 all over again: completely unexpected.”

Only one other artist has endured a longer gap between No. 1s on Latin Pop Airplay: Gloria Estefan, whose “No Me Dejes de Querer” topped the chart in June 2000, followed by “Raíces” in May 2025—a 24-year, 11-month wait, 10 months longer than Montaner’s 24-year, one-month gap.

Despite the long gap between No. 1s, Montaner has never lost presence on Latin Pop Airplay. His chart journey began with the No. 5-peaking “No Te Pareces a Mí” in 1994 and surged highest in the 2000s—his most prolific decade, with 17 entries, compared with nine in the 1990s, seven in the 2010s and seven so far in the 2020s.

Montaner’s Latin Airplay Comeback Hits Top 10: “Para Que Seas Feliz” also earns Montaner his ninth Latin Airplay top 10, debuting at No. 8 and marking his first appearance in the region since “Cuando a Mi Lado Estás” in 2005.

The arrival ends a nearly two-decade wait and makes him the only core Latin pop soloist, without another act credited alongside him, to reach the chart’s upper tier in 2026 (among the 18 soloists to enter the top 10 this year).

Danny Ocean, who blends Latin pop with reggaetón and tropical sounds, previously led the field with “Corazón” (one week at No. 1 in February). While “Tu Cárcel,” also a one-week ruler, took Colombian group Morat to No. 1 last June.

About “Para Que Seas Feliz” Montaner shares: “My songwriting process hasn’t changed; it’s always the same system: sitting down and summoning the muses, encouraging them to come closer so I can capture them and not let them escape. Thank you to the millions of people who listen to and support me, just as they did when I was starting out.”

While Latin pop stations are driving the song’s No. 1 run, its regional Mexican version — with Edén Muñoz —is gaining momentum, too. Released weeks after the original pop version, the Muñoz collaboration has earned good support from regional Mexican radio, lifting it to No. 17 on this week’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart—just one month after its August debut. (All versions of the song are combined for tracking and charting purposes.)

“Thank you to Edén for joining me on the regional version and for the touch of talent he generously contributed…” Montaner concludes.

The singer’s renewed chart success comes as he continues his El Último Regreso tour, which launched in February and runs through April 2027.

_Originally reported by [Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/ricardo-montaner-para-que-seas-feliz-latin-pop-airplay-1236340872/)._