Anthony is also the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time

Anthony was first hesitant to pursue a career as a salsa artist and turned down Ralph Mercado's invitation to record a salsa CD. Anthony changed his mind and asked Mercado if he could record it as a salsa song while he was in a cab after hearing Juan Gabriel's popular song "Hasta Que Te Conoc." Anthony's 1993 release of Otra Nota in the Spanish language was influenced by the music of Juan Gabriel, Tito Puente, Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades, and others. At Alfredo Alonso's Radio y Musica Convention, Anthony gave a performance. The song "Make It with You" by Bread was also covered on the CD. Anthony became one of the new salsa stars after further tours around the Americas, which included opening for Blades. He appeared on the song "Vivir Lo Nuestro" from La India's album Dicen Que Soy in 1994.

Anthony earned the Hot Tropical Artist of the Year Billboard award for his 1995 follow-up, Todo a Su Tiempo. With songs like "Te Conozco Bien," "Hasta Ayer," "Nadie Como Ella," "Se Me Sigue Olvidando," "Te Amare," and "Llegaste A Mi," the album was also nominated for a Grammy. The album has achieved gold record status in the US and Puerto Rico after selling more than 800,000 copies.

The television special Marc Anthony: The Concert from Madison Square Garden came after Anthony's next album in Spanish, Contra La Corriente. On Valentine's Day in 2000, HBO aired it. The program was a TV Guide nominee for Music Special of the Year. The song "Y Hubo Alguien" from the album became the first salsa performer and Anthony's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks. The record became the first salsa album to appear on the Billboard 200 in the English language. He lost relations with Ralph Mercado and departed the label in 1999 as a result of a protracted dispute with RMM.