Queen of Tejano Selena Quintanilla ranks No. 89 on Rolling Stone's Top 200 greatest singers of all time

Selena landed between country music pioneer Jimmie Rodgers and Bahian beauty Gal Costa.

click to enlarge Tejano icon Selena Quintanilla would have been 52 this year. - Facebook / Selena
Facebook / Selena
Tejano icon Selena Quintanilla would have been 52 this year.
South Texans have long respected the dynamic voice of late Tejano sweetheart Selena Quintanilla. Now, Rolling Stone magazine has named her one of the best singers ever.

The entertainment mag this week released its Greatest Singers of All Time list, where it ranked obvious choices such as Amy Winehouse, Johnny Cash and Aretha Franklin alongside less-conventional ones including Ozzy Osbourne and Toots Hibbert.

Selena landed at No. 89, between country music pioneer Jimmie Rodgers (No. 88) and Bahian beauty Gal Costa (No. 90).

“Her husky vibrato and impressive belting power shaped cumbia hits that defined generations of Tejano music,” Rolling Stone gushed. “Though her life was sadly cut short, her music hasn’t lost any staying power …”

The magazine placed Aretha Frankin at No. 1, Whitney Houston at No. 2 and Sam Cooke at No. 3. Its rankings were based on "originality, influence, the depth of an artist's catalog, and the breadth of their musical legacy."

Selena's inclusion is testament to the continued inspiration her music provides to both performers and fans nearly three decades after her death. Not only did her musical chops have a lasting impact, her contagious, down-to-earth demeanor has ensured her place in musical history.

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