La Maquinaria Norteña score their first No. 1 on a Billboard radio chart as “50 y Cincuenta” ascends from No. 3 to rule the Regional Mexican Airplay chart (dated Aug. 20). It’s their first leader spanning a decade of career entries.
“50 y Cincuenta,” released via Azteca/Fonovisa/ UMLE on June 10, arrives at the summit in its ninth week. It evicts Christian Nodal’s “Vivo En El 6,” which falls to No. 5 after its three-week reign, with a 7% gain in audience impressions, to 6.1 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 14, according to Luminate.
“We are extremely grateful for the support of our fans,” the band tells Billboard. “The excitement is as great and as it is gratifying when one of our songs becomes so popular it reaches No. 1 on a Billboard chart.”
While La Maquinaria claim their first radio No. 1, the band secured its first champ almost a decade ago, when the album Vives En Mi debuted and peaked atop the Regional Mexican Albums chart in 2013.
“50 y Cincuenta,” composed by Keith Nieto, Cesar Valdivia and Alfaro Aylín, is the first single from the group’s forthcoming EP, Al Derecho y Al Reverso, slated for a November release. Plus, the new champ lands amidst La Maquinaria Norteña’s eponymous 2022 24-date tour, which kicked off July 1 in San Pedro de Chiautzingo, Mexico.
“50” also gives the New Mexico-based group its first No. 1 in its 26th visit to the chart. The band’s maiden appearance, “Ayer y Hoy,” reached the top 40 in 2011. La Maquinaria has since clocked 11 top 10s, including “Con Honor a Ti,” featuring Grupo Firme, in 2020 and “Amores Van y Vienen,” with La Nueva Estrategia,” in January (both reached No. 6, their previous highest-charting songs until “50 y Cincuenta” climbed higher).
“Thanks to our team for their professionalism,” the group add. “Without you our growth as a band wouldn’t be possible.”
For Nieto, “50” concurrently grants him his first leader as a producer on Regional Mexican Airplay. He clocked a No. 5 through La Fiera de Ojinaga’s “En Otro Canal” in October 2020.
While La Maquinaria reaches a new level of recognition with its first win among regional Mexican stations, “50” also gifts the group its highest-charting entry on the all-genre Latin Airplay chart, pushing 11-9; also its first top 10 since its maiden visit in 2013. Previously the group notched a No. 17 with “Con la Boca Abierta” in 2019.
