On July 24, 1987 the film La Bamba was released and with it came the film’s titled song, performed by Los Lobos. It didn’t take the song long to become a hit on the Billboard Hot 100 just a little over a month later. That’s right, 30 years ago, “La Bamba” was at the top of the Hot 100.
Los Lobos’ ‘La Bamba’ Topped Billboard’s Hot 100 30 years Ago
The film La Bamba was based on the life of Ritchie Valens. Lou Diamond Phillips portrayed the famous musician who lost his life in the same plane crash as Big Bopper and Buddy Holly. It was one of the late 80s biographies that seemed to resonate with plenty of fans.
There was a little bit of everything in the film and while we may not have known the translation upon first listen, the song was so darn catchy. So catchy in fact, that it landed on the Billboard Hot 100 starting on August 29, 1987 and running through to September 12.
It just so happens that the Los Lobos version of the song was the one that made it on to the charts. In the music video below, Los Lobos used a bit of inspiration from the film for their visual. It was an awesome touch for a pretty awesome song.
Were you a fan of Los Lobos’ “La Bamba” ? Let us know in the comments section below. You can enjoy the music video for “La Bamba” below.
