# Famous Bossa Nova Songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 15, 2010, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770 "2010-07-15T13:17:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/1 "2010-07-15T13:17:08Z")
I was reading a blip on the song “[The Girl from Ipanema](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_from_Ipanema)” which was a very well known bossa nova song. Then I got to thinking what is bossa nova music? So I looked it up on the Wikipedia but it didn’t give song lists. So what are some better known example of bossa nova or even \*bossa nova-like \*songs, that may be well known? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/2 "2010-07-15T13:26:21Z")
[Desafinado](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6w3a2v_50U) [Wave](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d8y4HxW8Eg) [How Insensitive](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHIe9B5plDI) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/3 "2010-07-15T13:29:33Z")
The first one that comes to mind is “Blame it on the Bossa Nova.” Should be youtubeable, but I can’t hear it at work. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/4 "2010-07-15T13:57:29Z")
Isn’t at least one of the James Bond theme songs Bosa Nova? “Human” by Goldfrapp is bosa nova and it gets compared to those theme songs. ---
**Author:** ![slitterst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@slitterst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slitterst)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/5 "2010-07-15T14:06:14Z")
Well, Quincy Jones has a whole album entitled “Big Band Bossa Nova,” which starts off with what’s now probably the most famous example of the style, thanks to Austin Powers [Soul Bossa Nova](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNy-Wh5woz0) The rest of the album is good, too. ---
**Author:** ![banjoDavid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@banjoDavid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/banjoDavid)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/6 "2010-07-15T14:06:55Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > The first one that comes to mind is “Blame it on the Bossa Nova.” Should be youtubeable, but I can’t hear it at work. That was sung by Edie Gorme, wife of Steve Lawrence. Had the 45 record when I was a kid ---
**Author:** ![seanchai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@seanchai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seanchai)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/7 "2010-07-15T14:09:23Z")
Wasn’t there a coffee song? “They’ve got an awful lot of coffee in Brazil”. an seanchai ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/8 "2010-07-15T14:49:46Z")
All of the Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto album is instantly recognizable to me, which of course contains Ipanema and Desafinado. Antonio Carlos Jobim is one of the musical geniuses of our time. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/9 "2010-07-15T14:58:29Z")
Composers: Antonio Carlos Jobim Luis Bonfa Joao Gilberto Carlos Lyra Vinicius de Moraes Some songs: Chega de Saudade (No More Blues) O Barquinho (Little Boat) O Pato (The Duck) Agua de Beber (Water to Drink) Manha de Carnaval (Morning of the Carnaval) A Day In the Life of a Fool Black Orpheus Summer Samba Dindi One Note Samba Check YouTube for any of these and follow links. American Jazz Players with Bossa Nova material: Stan Getz Herbie Mann Dizzy Gillespie Charlie Byrd Zoot Sims Barney Kessel Bud Shank Laurindo Almeida ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/10 "2010-07-15T15:05:35Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I was reading a blip on the song “[The Girl from Ipanema](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_from_Ipanema)” which was a very well known bossa nova song. Then I got to thinking what is bossa nova music? So I looked it up on the Wikipedia but it didn’t give song lists. > > So what are some better known example of bossa nova or even \*bossa nova-like \*songs, that may be well known? I don’t know if it qualifies, but Aguas de Março (Waters of March) has always had a bossa nova-ish feel to me. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/11 "2010-07-15T15:06:24Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Isn’t at least one of the James Bond theme songs Bosa Nova? “_The Look of Love_” from **Casino Royale** (1967). ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/12 "2010-07-15T15:19:26Z")
John Pizzarelli recorded a CD called [Bossa Nova](http://www.amazon.com/Bossa-Nova-John-Pizzarelli/dp/B0001XAL14/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1279206876&sr=1-5), including some of the songs **Zeldar** named plus _Desfinado_, _Aquelas Coisas Todas_, _So Danco Samba_, _Aguas De Marco_, and _Soares Samba_. It’s good but not great. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/13 "2010-07-15T15:42:04Z")
Favorite rock song that features a bossa nova beat? How about **Break on Through (to the Other Side)** by the Doors. The intro and main percussion riff is straight-up bossa nova stick work. Listen [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dLAv0NklTg) ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/14 "2010-07-15T16:07:58Z")
Thanks I’ll start looking for them ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/15 "2010-07-15T17:42:00Z")
I have to admit I don’t know the exact definition of a bossa nova beat, but it seems to me that Elvis’ _Bossa Nova Baby_ might fit the bill. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/16 "2010-07-15T23:11:45Z")
One Mint Julep, Ray Charles (and Quincy Jones) might fit the beat, too. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/17 "2010-07-16T03:25:41Z")
**Corcovado** and **Blue Bossa** haven’t been mentioned yet, the soundtrack to **Next Stop Wonderland** is a nice sampler. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/18 "2010-07-16T03:34:16Z")
_Mas Que Nada_? (I always get confused with bossa nova, samba, and other things.) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/19 "2010-07-16T13:46:16Z")
[Chocolate Bliss](http://www.menusandmusic.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=010MC&Category_Code=MC05&Product_Count=5) Mmmmm…Dazzling Chocolate Recipes and Seductive Bossa Nova Music ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770/20 "2010-07-16T15:19:51Z")
This is the place to recommend Rita Lee. She has an album that consists of covers of the Beatles done in a bossa nova style. [Minha Vida](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU-DLaVW6TQ) (in my life) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-bossa-nova-songs/546770.md?page=2)