Oscar-Nominated Actor Almost Charts His First Top 10 Hit

Not all actors are known as singers, but if any star lasts long enough in Hollywood, they’re bound to find themselves in some sort of production that features music. There’s a long history of celebrities reaching the Billboard charts, not by launching music careers, but by appearing in films and TV shows that require them to sing.

Antonio Banderas is one such movie star, and this week, he not only earns a new hit on a Billboard ranking, but nearly claims his first top 10 ever.

Antonio Banderas Almost Charts a Top 10 Hit

Banderas debuts on the Latin Digital Song Sales chart this week at No. 11. He joins the group Los Lobos on “Cancion del Mariachi,” which misses the highest region on Billboard’s ranking of the bestselling Latin tracks in the U.S. by just one space.

Antonio Banderas Earns a Second Career Smash

“Cancion del Mariachi” marks the second hit on any Billboard tally for Banderas, and as it arrives, it instantly becomes his biggest. Early in 2024, Banderas scored his first popular song on the Hot Christian Songs tally. He was credited as a soloist alongside Joel Smallbone and as part of the cast of Journey to Bethlehem. The track, “Good to Be King,” spent a single turn at No. 48 on the 50-spot ranking of the biggest Christian tracks in America.

Los Lobos Joins Antonio Banderas

Los Lobos is not brand new to the Latin Digital Song Sales chart like Banderas, but the group hasn’t scored a new win in 15 years. Prior to “Cancion del Mariachi” debuting, the band reached as high as No. 2 in November 2023 with “La Bamba,” which originally arrived here in May of 2010. Just a few months after scoring its first win. “Yo Canto” debuted and peaked at No. 12 on the same list, so the group has now accrued just three placements on the Latin tally.

Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi Trilogy

“Cancion del Mariachi” is featured on a compilation titled Mexico and Mariachis: Music From and Inspired by Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi Trilogy. The album was released in 2018, but the song itself is much older.

Tied to a series of films by the director, which is sometimes known as the Mexico Trilogy or the Desperado Trilogy, it features three Western action films written and directed by the talented filmmaker. The collection includes El Mariachi, Desperado, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Banderas portrayed the character of El Mariachi in both Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, which were separated by almost a decade.