‘Mambo 23’ Takes Juan Luis Guerra Back to No. 1 on Tropical Airplay for First Time in Almost a Decade

Juan Luis Guerra mambos his way to the top of Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart as “Mambo 23” advances 3-1 to lead the Nov. 25-dated list. The new champ arrives nine years after he last led through “Tus Besos” in 2014, for one week in charge.

“Mambo 23” climbs to No. 1 with a 9% gain in audience impressions, to 4.45 million, earned during the Nov. 10-16 tracking week, according to Luminate. The song, released Sept. 22 via Rimas, is the first single from Guerra’s recently released EP Radio Güira (Nov. 3).

With the new champ, Guerra collects his 12th No. 1 on Tropical Airplay and breaks a tie with India for the eighth-most, a score led by Marc Anthony with 35 champs since the ranking began in 1994. Here’s the scoreboard:

35, Marc Anthony
29, Victor Manuelle
23, Prince Royce
18, Romeo Santos
14, Elvis Crespo
14, Gilberto Santa Rosa
13, Jerry Rivera
12, Juan Luis Guerra 440
11, India

As mentioned, Guerra last landed at the summit with “Tus Besos” in 2014. (He notched seven hits between “Tus Besos” and “Mambo 23,” including six top 10s.) The nine-year span becomes the longest between No. 1s since Don Omar took an equal nine years (and eight months) to dominate Tropical Airplay with the one-week ruler “Dutty Love,” featuring Natti Natasha (April 2012) and “Se Menea,” with Nio García, (Dec. 2021).

“Mambo 23” rules the tropical ranking as it ejects Chayanne’s “Bailando Bachata” from its 14-week domination; along with Manuel Turizo’s “La Bachata,” the third-longest run this decade, both with 14 weeks atop. The pair trail Prince Royce’s “Carita de Inocente” with 29 weeks at No. 1, the most in the 2020’s decade, and Daddy Yankee and Marc Anthony’s “De Vuelta Pa’ La Vuelta” (22 weeks in charge).

Elsewhere, “Mambo 23” lifts 25-21 on the overall Latin Airplay, Guerra’s highest rank since “Muchachita Linda” reached No. 15 in Oct. 2015.

For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated Nov. 25) will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Nov. 21).