In August of 1987, Los Lobos’ version of ‘La Bamba’ became the fifth non-English song to top Billboard’s Hot 100. The song was included on the soundtrack of the film of the same name, a biopic of 50s rock star Ritchie Valens.

Valens’ version of ‘La Bamba,’ which Los Lobos channeled quite well, reached #22 on the same chart in 1958. It peaked the day before he died, at just 17, in a plane crash that also claimed the lives of Buddy Holly and J. P. Richardson (The Big Bopper).

‘La Bamba’ originated as a Mexican folk song and was recorded as early as 1938 (check out this version by Alvaro Hernández Ortiz from that year). Valens saw the tune’s potential as a rock-n-roll song and came up with the arrangement we all know and love today.

While I’m on the subject of Spanish-language number ones, I’ll shout out the sixth and seventh non-english songs to reach the top of the Hot 100. Los Del Rio’s ‘Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix)‘ spent 14 weeks at #1 in 1996, making it one of the longest-running #1s of all time.

And Luis Fonsi’s ‘Despacito’, featuring Daddy Yankee and Justine Bieber did even better, staying at #1 for a then-record 16 consecutive weeks in 2017.