Russell's first charted hit became the smash "Bésame Mucho" which reached #10 on the Billboard's Hot 100 Chart in the United States. It sold over one million copies. Velázquez heaped huge praise on Russell by stating that the worldwide success of "Bésame Mucho", which would become the most recorded Mexican song in history, effectively began with his rendition and recording of the song. A review of this song stated that the Spanish Mexican influences were obvious, with Russell's Spanish contributing to a soft and effective crooning job.