Referred to as the " Queen of Tejano Music ", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century. In , Billboard magazine put her in third place on their list of "Greatest Latino Artists of All Time", based on both Latin albums and Latin songs chart.
The youngest child of the Quintanilla family, she debuted in the music scene as a member of the band Selena y Los Dinos , which also included her elder siblings A. Quintanilla and Suzette Quintanilla. In the s, she was often criticized and was refused bookings at venues across Texas for performing Tejano musicβa male-dominated music genre. However, her popularity grew after she won the Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year in , which she won nine consecutive times. She signed with EMI Latin in and released her self-titled debut album the same year, while her brother became her principal music producer and songwriter.
The album's commercial success led music critics to call it the "breakthrough" recording of her musical career. One of its singles, " Como la Flor ", became one of her most popular signature songs. In , she released Amor Prohibido , which became one of the best-selling Latin albums in the United States.
It was critically acclaimed as being responsible for Tejano music's first marketable era as it became one of the most popular Latin music subgenres at the time. She was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison with possible parole after 30 years.
Two weeks after Selena's death, George W. Her posthumous crossover album, Dreaming of You , debuted atop the Billboard , making Selena the first Latin artist to accomplish this feat. In , Warner Bros. Selena has sold around 18 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female artists in Latin music.
