Anthology is the first box set by American singer Selena. It was released posthumously on April 7, 1998, through EMI Latin to commemorate the singer's works. The collection comprises 30 tracks, dispersed across three genre-themed discs: "Pop / English" showcases uptempo pop compositions, "Mariachi" highlights Mexican ballads featuring poignant narratives of heartache, and "Cumbia" presents danceable tropical rhythms. The album encompasses recordings from a 14-year-old Selena on her Alpha (1986) album to the posthumous "Disco Medley" (1997). With a limited number of unaltered tracks, Anthology predominantly features reworked and remastered musical arrangements, while preserving the singer's original vocals. Selena's death in March 1995 prompted an influx of requests from her admirers. The singer's father and manager, Abraham Quintanilla, expressed a desire to maintain his daughter's legacy through her music. However, Selena's family has faced criticism from both fans and the media, who accuse them of capitalizing on her death and commodifying her repertoire.
The album garnered favorable acclaim from music critics, with Stephen Thomas Erlewine describing Anthology as a "comprehensive overview" of Selena's musical career. Erlewine posited that the compilation offers a diverse showcase of the artist's multifaceted talents. Echoing this sentiment, The Orlando Sentinels critics noted that Anthology effectively demonstrates Selena's adeptness in performing across various genres. Upon its release, Anthology debuted at number one on the United States Billboard Top Latin Albums and Regional Mexican Albums chart, selling 10,500 units in its inaugural week. The album also reached number 131 on the Billboard 200 chart and maintained its position atop the Regional Mexican Albums chart for 11 weeks—the longest duration for any album in that year. Anthology ended 1998 as the best-selling Regional Mexican Albums chart in the US, while it placed 12th on the Top Latin Albums year-end chart. Anthology has been certified Diamond (Latin) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting 600,000 units consisting of sales and on-demand streaming.
Background and production
On March 31, 1995, American Tejano music singer Selena was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar, her friend and former manager of the singer's boutiques. Concurrently, the artist was engrossed in the development of a crossover, designed to propel her into the American pop market. The aftermath of her death yielded adverse consequences for Latin music, as the genre—which she had thrust into the mainstream market—experienced a decline in popularity in the wake of her death. The envisaged crossover album, Dreaming of You was posthumously released on July 18, 1995, debuting and peaking atop the United States Billboard 200 albums chart, an unprecedented feat for a predominantly Spanish-language recording in the chart's history. This release incited a "buying frenzy" among Hispanic and Latino Americans for any merchandise associated with or featuring Selena. The ongoing dissemination of Selena's oeuvre fulfills a commitment made by Abraham Quintanilla to his family in the aftermath of his daughter's death, vowing to perpetuate Selena's memory through her music. As stated by A. B. Quintanilla, Suzette Quintanilla, and Selena, the trio had collectively concurred that, should any misfortune befall one of them, their desire would be to persist with their musical endeavors. A. B. recounted that Selena expressed a wish for her presence to "never go away". In the years since Selena's death, her family has faced censure from fans and the media, who have accused them of exploiting the singer and capitalizing on her murder by commodifying her repertoire.
Enclosed within Anthology is a biographical booklet penned by Abraham, in which he recounts the numerous requests he received from individuals seeking a compilation of the singer's oeuvre, expressing his hope that the album fulfills the demand. EMI Latin lauded Anthology as the inaugural collection produced in honor of Selena. Throughout the production process, Abraham characterizes his family's emotions as a manifestation of "a labor of love" and dedicates the album to Selena's fans. He extends gratitude to them for their unwavering support in aiding Selena in realizing her musical ambitions.