Popular bossa nova songs: a roundup of recommended classic BGM

Blue BossaJoe Henderson

Joe Henderson – Blue Bossa

Blue Bossa was not born in Brazil; it is said that jazz musician Kenny Dorham created it by fusing hard bop—a subgenre of jazz—with bossa nova.

Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson performed it on his album, and it has since become a jazz standard.

Samba de AviãoMiúcha

Tom Vinícius Toquinho e Miúcha 08 – Samba de Avião

This song is one of the bossa nova masterpieces by Antônio Carlos Jobim, known in Japanese as “Jet Plane Samba.” It’s said that Jobim loved watching planes taking off and landing at the airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and he composed this piece inspired by the view from a plane about to arrive in Rio.

Ela é CariocaAdriana Calcanhotto

Adriana Calcanhotto – Ela é Carioca

One of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s classic bossa nova songs is known in Japanese as “She’s a Carioca.” Incidentally, João Gilberto also released an album with the same title that includes this song.

“Carioca” refers to people who live in Rio de Janeiro, much like how “New Yorker” refers to someone from New York.

One Note SambaAntonio Carlos Jobim

One Note Samba (Samba de Uma Nota So) (Album Version)

The original title “Samba de Uma Nota Só” is one of the representative bossa nova songs, composed with lyrics by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Newton Mendonça.

Unusually, Jobim is said to have also written the English lyrics, and worldwide it may be better known by the name “One Note Samba.” As the title suggests, its simple main melody—made up of a series of notes at the same pitch—is striking.

Chovendo Na RoseiraGal Costa

Gal Costa – Chovendo Na Roseira

This song is one of Antônio Carlos Jobim’s masterpieces, known in Japanese as “Rain Falling on Roses.” It has a challenging melody with delicate intervals that could easily sound unstable if handled poorly, yet it’s a very beautiful piece.

However, since it’s a waltz in 3/4 time, it may not be strictly considered bossa nova.