Brazil

Sertanejo dominates Brazilian streaming charts and radio today, but samba remains the country's most culturally iconic genre. Funk carioca and Brazilian hip-hop are the fastest-growing genres among younger audiences.

Last reviewed: 2026-03

Bossa nova is a genre that fused samba rhythms with cool jazz harmony. It originated in the late 1950s in Rio de Janeiro's Zona Sul neighborhood, pioneered by João Gilberto and Tom Jobim. Their song Garota de Ipanema became one of the most recorded songs in history.

Tom Jobim, who co-created bossa nova, is widely considered the most important Brazilian composer. Other towering figures include samba poet Cartola, vocalist Elis Regina, tropicália pioneers Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, and classical composer Heitor Villa-Lobos.

Last reviewed: 2026-03

Tropicália was a late-1960s Brazilian cultural movement led by Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil that mixed bossa nova, psychedelic rock, and Afro-Brazilian traditions with political protest against the military dictatorship. It transformed Brazilian art and music.

Funk carioca is a Brazilian dance music genre that emerged in Rio de Janeiro's favelas in the late 1980s. It adapted Miami bass and freestyle into a distinctly Brazilian sound with heavy 808 beats. Anitta became its biggest global ambassador, reaching #1 on Spotify worldwide.