Do you like this song? #463
Yes I like it, I already know it
Yes I like it, first time listening
No I don't like it, I already know it
No I don't like it, first time listening
Voting ended onJan 11, 2025
Ricky Martin - María (Pablo Flores remix)
1995
"María" is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for his third studio album, A Medio Vivir (1995), and was released as the second single from the album on November 21, 1995. Musically, "María" is a Spanish-language flamenco, dance, and salsa song, featuring elements of mariachi, samba, cumbia, Latin, African, Caribbean, and Latin pop. On the remix, Puerto Rican DJ Pablo Flores upped the tempo and the sex appeal of the song, turning the slow-burn flamenco laced track into an up-tempo samba tune in a house bassline. The remix version became more popular than the original one. "María" became Martin's breakthrough song and his first international hit. It topped the charts in 20 countries, and has sold over five million physical copies worldwide. As a result, the song was featured in the 1999 edition of The Guinness Book of Records as the biggest Latin hit. It was also the Song of the Summer in Spain in 1996 and was the second best-selling single in the world that year.
In Australia, "María" spent six weeks at number one. It topped the country's year-end chart in 1998, and was certified platinum. The song topped the Ultratop Wallonia chart of Belgium for 10 consecutive weeks and was certified double platinum. It spent nine weeks at number one in France and was certified diamond. It went number one in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. In the US, "María" peaked at number six on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart, giving Martin his fifth top 10 hit. The song also reached numbers two and eight on the US Latin Pop Songs and Tropical/Salsa charts, respectively. The first accompanying music videos for the original song and Pablo Flores remix were filmed in La Boca, a barrio of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Following "(Un, Dos, Tres) María"'s success in France, a re-made version of the video for the Pablo Flores remix was filmed in Paris and aired in 1998.
Although Martin was satisfied with the track and he describes it as a song that he is "extremely proud of", the first time he played it for a record label executive, the man said: "Are you crazy? You have ruined your career! I can't believe you are showing me this. You're finished — this is going to be your last album." In an interview with Rolling Stone, he told the magazine that "everybody got scared. They said, 'What are you doing? This is the end of your career. […] You do ballads, and now you're doing Latin sounds. The album is not going to work.'"
In 2018, Cadena Dial hailed the song as the most famous song of the last 24 years. In the same year, Rolling Stone ranked "María (Pablo Flores Remix)" as the 27th Greatest Latin Pop Song of All Time. Also, according to ABC, "María" was voted the favorite song of the summer of all time in Spain, based on a study in 2011. Amazon Music ranked the track as the 31st best-ever Latin hit. It was recognized as one of the best-performing songs of the year at the 1997 BMI Latin Awards. "María" was the main theme of the Brazilian telenovela Salsa e Merengue (1996–1997). The song is available on the main setlist for the dance video game Just Dance 2014. "María (Pablo Flores Spanglish Radio Edit)" was featured in the American animated comedy film Despicable Me 3 (2017).
"María" received a total of 71,8% yes votes!
Previous Ricky Martin polls: #132 "La Bomba".
