[2026] Popular MPB Songs: From Classics to Recent Hits!

Preta pretinhaNovos Baianos

Novos Baianos – Preta pretinha

Novos Baianos, the group that led Brazil’s counterculture movement.

Centered on rock while fusing a wide range of traditional styles like samba and bossa nova, they were pivotal figures who showed new possibilities for MPB.

The piece I’m introducing today is a track from their 1972 album Acabou Chorare.

This historic masterpiece has even been ranked number one on all-time best Brazilian music lists.

Inspired by the lyricist’s real-life experience of heartbreak, the song tells a sweet yet bittersweet story, while its acoustic ensemble exudes a certain warmth—a curious charm.

Even among their music, which sang of joy in a melancholy era, this track feels especially tender, as if gently attuned to the subtleties of the human heart.

ConstruçãoChico Buarque

Construção

Chico Buarque is one of Brazil’s most emblematic musicians and an intellectual artist also known as a poet and novelist.

The title track of his landmark album Construção, released in December 1971, is often hailed as one of the greatest masterpieces in MPB history.

The song depicts, almost like a film, the unremarkable day and tragic end of a construction worker.

At first glance it seems like a plain portrayal of everyday life, but the way the lyrics cleverly swap words within the same syntactic structure completely transforms the story’s complexion—a striking device.

The dramatic progression from quiet voice-and-guitar to a sweeping orchestral arrangement further underscores the searing critique of urban society embedded in the lyrics.

Featured in the 2016 Rio Olympics opening ceremony, this work possesses a literary depth that rewards close attention; it’s a piece best experienced when you want to immerse yourself in the world of its words, rather than simply listen in passing.

Tudo O Que Você Podia SerMilton Nascimento

Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser

Milton Nascimento is one of the great singers who laid the foundations of Brazilian music.

Building on MPB, he fused diverse styles such as jazz and rock, and is celebrated in Brazil as a national artist.

Among his works, I especially recommend the opening track of the classic album Clube da Esquina, which he created with Lô Borges in March 1972.

The song seems to sing of the dreams and hopes that young people must have held under the military regime, as well as the possibilities that were lost.

You can fully savor the gradually layered, dreamlike sounds that grow from the quiet resonance of the guitar, along with Milton’s clear, translucent falsetto.

Why not listen when you want to touch the soul of Brazil?

Beija EuMarisa Monte

Marisa Monte – Beija Eu

Marisa Monte freely traverses the traditions of Brazilian music and a contemporary pop sensibility.

Not only a singer but also an accomplished composer and producer, she has been hailed by Rolling Stone Brazil as “the most important living singer in the country.” Here, we introduce the opening track from her landmark album Mais, released in March 1991, which marked the full-fledged start of her career as a singer-songwriter.

The song, which expresses an intimate desire to gently ask a lover for a kiss, beautifully matches her whispery, translucent vocals with a subtly complex, shimmering rhythm.

Produced by Arto Lindsay and featuring contributions from Ryuichi Sakamoto, the album offers an urban, sophisticated sound that is irresistibly pleasing.

It went on to sell over 710,000 copies, cementing her reputation.

CarolinaSeu Jorge

Seu Jorge – Carolina (Ao Vivo)

Seu Jorge, a Brazilian artist also known for his role in the film City of God, has won popularity with an urban sound that blends soul and funk atop a foundation of samba and MPB.

The song that opened up his career is a classic named after a woman.

In it, his hallmark deep, velvety baritone seems to dance as if expressing the thrill of love.

The sophisticated band sound is easy on the ears and naturally puts listeners in a cheerful mood.

The track appears on his debut album, Samba Esporte Fino, produced in Brazil in 2001, which became a stepping stone to his international success.

If you want to explore modern, stylish Brazilian music, this is the perfect place to start.

ShimbalaiêMaria Gadú

Maria Gadú – “Shimbalaiê” – [clipe oficial]

Maria Gadú is a talent who continually refreshes the scene with a rich range of musical styles rooted in MPB.

She can be considered a leading figure in contemporary Brazilian music, impressing even masters like Caetano Veloso.

The piece featured here is the song that marks the origin of her career, which she is said to have composed at the age of ten.

The words riding on a melody that came to her by the seaside at dusk are invented, without semantic meaning.

Like a magical incantation that only a child could hum, it gently loosens the listener’s heart.

Her deep, resonant voice and the acoustic textures that trace a maracatu rhythm are irresistibly soothing.

Released as a single from her debut album “Maria Gadú,” it was featured in the TV drama “Viver a Vida” and even reached number one on the charts in Italy in the summer of 2011.

It’s a classic that perfectly suits those moments when you want to sink into a nostalgic mood.

Águas de MarçoElis Regina

Elis Regina, Águas de Março

Elis Regina was a Brazilian popular music and jazz singer who had been active since 1961.

Her death in 1982 at the young age of 36, when she was regarded as one of the great Brazilian singers, dealt a major shock to Brazil.