# List of Billboard Tropical Airplay number ones of 1998

Tropical Airplay is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks the top-performing songs (regardless of genre or language) on tropical radio stations in the United States, based on weekly airplay data compiled by Nielsen's Broadcast Data Systems (BDS). It is a subchart of Hot Latin Songs, which lists the best-performing Spanish-language songs in the country. In 1998, 15 songs topped the chart, in 50 issues of the magazine. Due to damage to the BDS monitors in Puerto Rico caused by Hurricane Georges, the Tropical Airplay chart, along with the other Latin song charts, was not published in the issues dated October 10 and October 17.
At the start of the year, Gisselle was at number one with her first chart-topper "Quiero Estar Contigo". She went on to have another number one in 1998 with a cover version of Lani Hall and Camilo Sestos's "Corazón Encadenado" with Sergio Vargas; it would be the latter artist's only number one. Víctor Manuelle had three number ones in 1998 topping the listing with "Así es la Mujer", "Se Me Rompe el Alma" and "Que Habría Sido de Mí". Following a successful stint with Grupo Manía, Elvis Crespo launched his solo career and released his debut album Suavemente (1998). The album spawned two number one singles: the title track and "Tu Sonrisa". "Suavemente" was the longest-running number one of the year with nine weeks and the best-performing tropical song of 1998. Grupo Manía themselves reached number one with "Me Miras y Te Miro". Marc Anthony was the only other artist to reach number one with more than one track in 1998 with "Contra la Corriente" and "Si Te Vas", the latter a cover version of Pedro Fernández's song.
Other acts to reach number one for the first time include Olga Tañón, Ricky Martin, Servando & Florentino, and Juan Luis Guerra. Servando & Florentino's debut single, "Una Fan Enamorada", spent a total of six weeks on top of the chart. Guerra had the final one of the year with "Mi PC" from the album Ni Es lo Mismo Ni Es Igual (1998), which marked the artist's return to the music scene after a four-year absence. Juan Manuel Lebrón (credited as Juanma y su Tuna Para Todo el Año) and Michael Stuart obtained their first and only chart-toppers in the year.

## Chart history

Key :
| † | Indicates number 1 on Billboard's year-end tropical chart |
Chart history :
| Issue date | Title | Artist(s) |
| January 3 | "Quiero Estar Contigo" | Gisselle |
| January 10 | "Por Dos Pulgadas" | Juanma y su Tuna Para Todo el Año |
| January 17 | "Me Miras y Te Miro" | Grupo Manía |
| January 24 | "Así es la Mujer" | Víctor Manuelle |
| January 31 | "Así es la Mujer" | Víctor Manuelle |
| February 7 | "Mi Mayor Venganza" | La India |
| February 14 | "El Frío de Tu Adiós" | Olga Tañón |
| February 21 | "Mi Mayor Venganza" | La India |
| February 28 | "Vuelve" | Ricky Martin |
| March 7 | "El Frío de Tu Adiós" | Olga Tañón |
| March 14 | "El Frío de Tu Adiós" | Olga Tañón |
| March 21 | "Si Te Vas" | Marc Anthony |
| March 28 | "Una Fan Enamorada" | Servando & Florentino |
| April 4 | "Una Fan Enamorada" | Servando & Florentino |
| April 11 | "Una Fan Enamorada" | Servando & Florentino |
| April 18 | "Una Fan Enamorada" | Servando & Florentino |
| April 25 | "Una Fan Enamorada" | Servando & Florentino |
| May 2 | "Una Fan Enamorada" | Servando & Florentino |
| May 9 | "Suavemente" † | Elvis Crespo |
| May 16 | "Suavemente" † | Elvis Crespo |
| May 23 | "Suavemente" † | Elvis Crespo |
| May 30 | "Suavemente" † | Elvis Crespo |
| June 6 | "Suavemente" † | Elvis Crespo |
| June 13 | "Suavemente" † | Elvis Crespo |
| June 20 | "Suavemente" † | Elvis Crespo |
| June 27 | "Suavemente" † | Elvis Crespo |
| July 4 | "Suavemente" † | Elvis Crespo |
| July 11 | "Se Me Rompe el Alma" | Víctor Manuelle |
| July 18 | "Se Me Rompe el Alma" | Víctor Manuelle |
| July 25 | "Se Me Rompe el Alma" | Víctor Manuelle |
| August 1 | "Se Me Rompe el Alma" | Víctor Manuelle |
| August 8 | "Tu Sonrisa" | Elvis Crespo |
| August 15 | "Corazón Encadenado" | Gisselle and Sergio Vargas |
| August 22 | "Tu Sonrisa" | Elvis Crespo |
| August 29 | "Tu Sonrisa" | Elvis Crespo |
| September 5 | "Oye!" | Gloria Estefan |
| September 12 | "Tu Sonrisa" | Elvis Crespo |
| September 19 | "Tu Sonrisa" | Elvis Crespo |
| September 26 | "Contra la Corriente" | Marc Anthony |
| October 3 | "Contra la Corriente" | Marc Anthony |
| October 10 | No charts published | No charts published |
| October 17 | No charts published | No charts published |
| October 24 | "Que Habría Sido de Mí" | Víctor Manuelle |
| October 31 | "Contra la Corriente" | Marc Anthony |
| November 7 | "Contra la Corriente" | Marc Anthony |
| November 14 | "Agua Pasada" | Frankie Negrón |
| November 21 | "Agua Pasada" | Frankie Negrón |
| November 28 | "Agua Pasada" | Frankie Negrón |
| December 5 | "Niña Bella" | Michael Stuart |
| December 12 | "Mi PC" | Juan Luis Guerra & 4.40 |
| December 19 | "Mi PC" | Juan Luis Guerra & 4.40 |
| December 26 | "Mi PC" | Juan Luis Guerra & 4.40 |