B-side "Separados" Format Airplay, Promo single Genre Latin | Released 1989 (1989) Recorded 1988 Length 4:27 | |
"La Incondicional" ("Unconditional") is a pop song written, produced, and arranged by Juan Carlos Calderón and performed by Mexican singer Luis Miguel. It was released in 1989 as the third single from his studio album entitled Busca Una Mujer and became his second #1 single on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart after "Ahora Te Puedes Marchar" in 1987. The song broke several airplay records in Latin America spending seven months at the top of the charts in Mexico(in which it became the biggest hit of the year), Argentina, Chile and Spain among many others countries. The success of the song helped push the album to #4 on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums with approximate sales of three million units.
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"La Incondicional" won Pop Song of the Year at the Premios Lo Nuestro in 1990. In 2008, VH1 Latin America aired the program entitled The 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s in Spanish which declared "La Incondicional" as the #1 Spanish track of the 1980s.
Chart performance
The song debuted on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart at #32 the week of April 1, 1989. After its first week at #32, it dropped out of the chart for one week but then reentered the following week at #36 and climbed all the way to the Top Ten the week of May 6, 1989. "La Incondicional" reached #1 the week of May 26, 1989, and held this position for seven consecutive weeks (replacing "Como Tú" by José José and being replaced by "Baila Mi Rumba" by José Luis Rodríguez. "La Incondicional" ranked third in the Hot Latin Tracks Year-End Chart of 1989 and became Luis Miguel's second #1 single in the United States following "Ahora Te Puedes Marchar" which reached #1 two years earlier. In Latin America, reached number-one on the Guatemalan Spanish Charts and in Ecuador. The song was certified gold in Mexico.
Music video
A music video was directed by Pedro Torres, and was one of the first super-productions presented in Mexico. The music video was filmed in locations of Heroico Colegio Militar in Mexico City. The story was about a man who serves for the Mexican Air Force in his country, and separates from the love of his life. The video was a little shocking for the fans because Luis Miguel's look at the time was a semi-long hair, and in the video he has with a military look with very short hair. It was included in Grandes Exitos Videos.
Cover versions
"La Incondicional" has been covered by several performers including the All Stars Big Band, Miguel Angel, Austin, Banda Viejo Oeste, Richard Clayderman, Ernesto D'Alessio, Estilo de Durango, Fabian, Florida, Mikel Herzog, Juan Gotti, the Latin Stars Orchestra, the Latin Tribute Players, Edith Márquez, Los Nietos, Nu Flavor, La Posta, Emilio Santiago, and Tropical Florida.
Sergio Vargas of the Dominican Republic also recorded a tropical merengue version of the song which was included on his self-titled fourth album. This version peaked at #28 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart in 1990.
Spanish singer Elsa Ríos included a version of the song on her 2007 album also entitled La Incondicional which was a Juan Carlos Calderón tribute album. The album peaked at #61 on the Spanish Album Chart.
Taiwan-born, Hong Kong-based singer Sally Yeh also recorded a Cantopop version titled 他(He) for her 1990 album 珍重 sung in the Chinese language of Cantonese.