''El Ejemplo'' (''The Example'') is a studio album by

Regional Mexican Regional Mexican is a Latin music radio format encompassing the musical genres from the different parts of rural Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Genres include banda, country en español, Duranguense, grupero, mariachi, New Mexico ...

band Los Tigres del Norte. It was released by Fonovisa Records on May 2, 1995, and includes fourteen tracks written by Teodoro Bello and Enrique Valencia, which span song styles such as

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...

corrido The corrido () is a popular narrative metrical tale and poetry that forms a ballad. The songs are often about oppression, history, daily life for criminals, the vaquero lifestyle, and other socially relevant topics. Corridos were widely popular ...

s, cumbias and rancheras. The album was a commercial success peaking at number eight in the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums in the United States, where it was certified Gold by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. To promote the album, Los Tigres del Norte released four singles, "La Fama de la Pareja", the title track and "Golpes en el Corazón" that reached top ten in the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs, while the single "No Puedo Más" peaked at number 15 in the same chart. "Golpes en el Corazón", was later included in the setlist of their live album '' MTV Unplugged: Los Tigres del Norte and Friends'' as a duet with Mexican singer

Paulina Rubio Paulina Susana Rubio Dosamantes (; born 17 June 1971) is a Mexican singer. Referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Golden Girl" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Pop", she first achieved recognition as ...

Release and reception

Mexican band Los Tigres del Norte released their twenty-sixth studio album titled ''El Ejemplo'' on May 2, 1995. The album included twelve tracks written by Teodoro Bello and two songs written by Enrique Valencia. Four

s ("El Tamal", "Tiempos de Mayo", "La Fama de la Pareja" and "Morir Matando"), seven rancheras ("El Ejemplo", "Devuélveme", "No Puedo Más", "Quién", "Como Aceite y Como el Agua", "Un Mar de Vino" and "Te He de Olvidar"), one cumbia ("Me Quedas a la Medida"), one

("Golpes en el Corazón") and one

("Nos Estorbó la Ropa") were recorded. The website

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

gave the album four stars out of five. ''Billboard'' magazine named the album a "likable batch of moving anecdotal corridos, spirited rancheras, and a pair of ballads that would be superb singles: 'Golpes en el Corazón' and 'Nos Estorbó la Ropa'." The first single "La Fama de la Pareja" also received praise, being referred to as a "highlight" of the album.

Singles

The album lead single "La Fama de la Pareja" ("The Fame of the Couple"), a corrido about a husband and wife dedicated to contraband and drug trafficking, peaked at number five in the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Songs chart and at number four in the

Regional Mexican Songs Regional Mexican Airplay (also referred to as Regional Mexican Songs) is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine. It was established by the magazine on October 8, 1994, with "La Niña Fresa" by Banda Zeta being the first number-one so ...

chart. The title track was selected as the second single, and is a ranchera track about a love relationship that ended and the impossibility of getting a divorce, staying married for the sake of their children. "El Ejemplo" ("The Example") reached number six at the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs and three at the Regional Mexican Songs charts, respectively. "Golpes en el Corazón" ("Punches to the Heart") was released as third single and became the biggest hit of the album, peaking at number two in the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs chart for a month (blocked at the top by " Tú, sólo tú" by Selena and "Si nos dejan" by

Luis Miguel Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri (born 19 April 1970) is a Puerto Rican-born Mexican singer, often referred to as ''El Sol de México'' (The Sun of Mexico), which is the nickname his mother gave him as a child—"mi sol". Luis Miguel has sung in mu ...

for two weeks each). "Golpes en el Corazón", about a failed love relationship, spent eight non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Regional Mexican Songs chart and at the

Broadcast Music, Inc. Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BMI's repertoire of over 20.6 milli ...

awards of 1997 won the Latin Song of the Year award. It was also nominated Regional Mexican Song of the Year at the 1996 Lo Nuestro Awards. The track regained interest when was included in the setlist for the '' MTV Unplugged: Los Tigres del Norte and Friends'' recorded by the band in 2011 with the participation of Mexican singer

. This version was nominated for Record of the Year at the 12th Latin Grammy Awards ceremony. "No Puedo Más" ("I Can't Take it Anymore") was chosen as the fourth and last single, peaking at number 15 in the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Songs and at number nine in the Regional Mexican Songs charts, respectively.

Track listing

Source: Los Tigres del Norte — ''El Ejemplo'' (CD liner notes). Fonovisa Records. 1995.

Chart performance

''El Ejemplo'' debuted and peaked at number eight in the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart in the week of May 13, 1995, being the second highest debut of the week after ''

Cuando los Ángeles Lloran ''Cuando Los Ángeles Lloran'' (English: ''When the Angels Cry'') is the fourth studio album by Mexican rock band Maná. It was the first album to feature their new guitarist Sergio Vallín replacing Ulises Calleros & César "Vampiro" López. ...

'' by

Maná Maná () is a Mexican pop rock band. The band is considered one of the best-selling Latin music artists and the most successful Latin American band of all time with over 40 million records sold worldwide. The group's current lineup consists o ...

at number seven. The album reached a peak of number two in the

Regional Mexican Albums Regional Mexican Albums is a genre-specific record chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart was established in June 1985 and originally listed the top twenty-five best-selling albums of mariachi, tejano, no ...

chart in the week of September 16, 1995, being held at the top by Selena's '' Amor Prohibido''. The band earned the Regional Mexican Album of the Year, Duo or Group Award at the Billboard Latin Music Awards of 1996. ''El Ejemplo'' was the 20th bestselling Latin album of 1995 in the United States and was

certified Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

Gold by the

, the first for the band. By 1999, the album had sold over 650,000 copies.

Sales and certifications

References