Pop Culture Phenomenon 'The Macarena' Still Remembered 20 Years Later

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Wednesday was a landmark anniversary for a pop culture phenomenon, as 20 years ago "The Macarena" took the world by storm.

CBS2's Tony Aiello reported that on Aug. 3, 1996, the one-hit wonder took the top spot on the Billboard chart and the dance is still remembered today.

On Wednesday night in the Bronx, Yankee Stadium fixture "Dr. Rich" summoned up "The Macarena" echo from the summer of '96.

Bobby Murcer was on the mic when 50,000 fans at the old Yankee Stadium danced "The Macarena."

"New York now has the record – 'The Macarena' record!" Murcer said at the time.

The song was an English language remix of a Latin chart single by a group called Los Del Rio.

The video featured hands, to head, to hips dance moves that were easy to learn.

The song spent 14 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100.

"It was everywhere," said Bruce Ribolini of Amherst, New Hampshire.

"I remember dancing to it at my wedding," Liz Fritz of Yorktown, New York, said.

At the 1996 Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton clapped along as delegates danced the night away.

On city streets, senior citizens, construction workers and tourists all joined "The Macarena" craze.

"It united everybody – old, young, everybody did it," Lisa Menter said.

Vice President Al Gore even poked fun at his stiff image with a motionless "Macarena" in 1996.

"The Macarena" had its moment and the beat goes on in our memories.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.