The Top 11 Bossa Nova Songs of Past and Present

Rio de Janeiro (HDR) by Modern Day Nomad

Bossa Nova. The term itself inspires images of Rio and sophistication, of the sweet rhythm created by the marriage of samba and jazz. Created by the genius of João Gilberto and popularized by such sublime musicians as Vinicius de Moraes, António Carlos Jobim, and Elis Regina, the gift of bossa nova has provided us with a musical sensuality that is unique in the world, a soundtrack to many a night made more memorable by that aural aroma coming from the stereo.

For music lovers, bossa nova is among the finer things in life, a poem set to the sound of that favorite of Brazilian exports. Below are my 11 favorite bossas from past and present, a collection that will take you from the creations of João Gilberto in 1957 to the compositions of his daughter Bebel half a century later. Turn up your volume and dim the lights...

11 Ela é Carioca

João Gilberto, the man who started it all. By emmanuelsolera

It’s one of the most iconic bossa nova recordings ever and countless artists have covered it. 'Ela é Carioca' is a light but fitting tribute to the image of the iconic, sensual Rio woman. João Gilberto is credited with composing and releasing this beautiful song in 1968, when he resided in Mexico. The version featured here is by Celso Fonseca, himself an established star in Brazil’s MPB scene.

Ela é Carioca

10 Wave

António Carlos Jobim, by Branca Dias

A classic. Tom Jobim recorded it in 1967 and its eponymous album remains one of the most cherished bossa recordings of all time. The track is simple yet sumptuously melodic, one of those songs that speaks volumes without featuring a single verse. Wave, Jobim’s third album, is his most successful one to date. As with all the great bossas, its been covered by countless artists, but the version you hear on this site is the original.

Wave

9 Meu Esquema

The first time I heard Meu Esquema was right before my freshman year of college. I immediately loved it and its impact on me was tremendous, as it had a big influence in the music I hear today. The song is written and composed by Mundo Livre S/A, a popular Pernambucan manguebit band that isn’t even known for its bossa nova. Meu Esquema is one of their only forays into the genre, and what a foray it is.

Meu Esquema

8 Day by Day

I still remember the first time I heard this song, and it’s stayed with me ever since. I wrote about it here several months ago and still feel very much the same way about it. If anything the song has continued to grow on me. Written and sung by Luca Mundaca, a recent newcomer to Brazil’s music scene, the song is of the same quality as the bossa nova classics and is one of the finest examples of contemporary bossa nova.

Day by Day

7 Desafinado

Composed by Tom Jobim and written by Newton Mendonça, the popular tune Desafinado, meaning ‘slighly out of tune’, is the epitomy of a true bossa nova: its allure lies in its melodic simplicity and equally simple lyrics. Sometimes poetry doesn’t have to be overly complicated in order to be truly meaningful. The version of Desafinado featured here is sung by Elis Regina.

Desafinado

6 Samba da Benção

Bebel Gilberto at Festival de la Tierra (Buenos Aires) by rockmetommyboy

It’s my favorite Bebel Gilberto song, and that’s saying a lot when considering the immense talent that this singer has. Created by the poetic wit of Vinicius de Moraes, it was made truly memorable by Bebel Gilberto’s breathtaking, breathless rendition that appeared on her album Tanto Tempo. It’s a rendition that’s befitting of the daughter of the man who created bossa nova.

Samba da Benção

5 Corcovado

Cristo Redentor, by Rodrigo Soldon

What a stunning song. A lot has been said, written, and sung about Rio de Janeiro, but none of it compares to the bossa nova homage to the mountain upon which the statue of Christ the Redeemer rests on. As with all great bossas it was written by that genius Tom Jobim, and this legendary version of it appears on Getz/Gilberto, one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time. The smoky female voice you hear as the song begins belongs to Astrud Gilberto, wife of João Gilberto.

Corcovado

4 Chega de Saudade

Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim, by Branca Dias

It would be sacrilege to not include on this list what is generally considered to be the first bossa nova song, the song that started it all. It was created by ‘holy trinity’ of bossa nova: Tom Jobim composed it, Vinicius de Moraes wrote the lyrics and João Gilberto sung it. Although Elizeth Cardoso originally recorded the song, it was Gilberto’s recording that made the song a hit in Brazil and started the bossa nova revolution. The version featured here is the João Gilberto rendition.

Chega de Saudade

3 Jussara

I think of Jussara as the best bossa nova song made after the genre’s heyday in the 1950s and 60s, and one of the only ones on this list that does not feature Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Elis Regina or João Gilberto. Jussara has all the trappings of a quality bossa nova: a simply sublime lead singer in Lilian Vieira, an instantly catchy samba lilt and the ubiquitous violão (guitar), but this one even features a couple of electronica elements that make it a 21st century bossa. Aside from being my favorite Zuco 103 song, it’s also one of my absolute favorite bossa ballads.

Jussara

2 The Girl From Ipanema

Stan Getz, Milton Banana, Tom Jobim, Creed Taylor. João Gilberto, and Astrud Gilberto, by Branca Dias

No discussion of bossa nova is ever complete without the mention of The Girl From Ipanema. No song has done more for the genre than this one; no bossa nova is more easily recognizable than The Girl From Ipanema. And that’s all that needs to be said about this classic. If you have ever been to the Ipanema neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, if you have ever admired the confident stride of a beautiful woman, or if you’ve ever enjoyed a fine summer afternoon spent by the ocean, this song will speak volumes to you. The version featured here is the best one: João Gilberto opening, Astrud Gilberto singing in English, and Stan Getz finishing it off.

The Girl From Ipanema

1 Águas de Março

Elis Regina, by Arquivo Cinema

Simply put, it’s the perfect bossa nova. Its dazzling prose is only topped by its poetic brilliance; it’s a song about the rainiest month in Brazil that’s written in stream of consciousness and somehow evokes memories of the waters of March flowing towards some unknown destination after one of those end-of-summer rains. How Jobim achieved this I’ll never know. Although he is the writer and composer of this stellar bossa nova, Elis Regina’s version of it is the best in existence. What a voice, what a bossa.

Águas de Março

Versão em Português em breve!