country
Brazil
From choro to funk carioca, 150 years of rhythm
Listen through Brazil
5 defining tracks in the order they were released, from 1928 to 1968, each with a line on why it matters.
Preview: plays 5 of 16 tracks.
- 1920s
- 1930s
- 1940s
- 1950s
- 1960s
30-second previews, streamed from Apple.
The Hitlist
The defining tracks from this region
Preview: 5 of 16 tracks
Garota de Ipanema
Tom JobimThe architect of bossa nova and one of the most important composers of the 20th century. Tom Jobim's harmonic sophistication and melodic genius produced standards like Garota de Ipanema and Águas de Março that became part of the global musical vocabulary.
Brazil's musical history is one of the richest on earth, born from the collision of African, indigenous, and European traditions. From the choro circles of 19th-century Rio through bossa nova's global conquest and tropicália's revolutionary fusions, to funk carioca's digital-age dominance, Brazilian music has continually reinvented itself while never losing its rhythmic DNA.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular music genre in 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
What is bossa nova and where did it originate?+
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.
Who are the most influential Brazilian musicians of all time?+
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
What was the Tropicália movement?+
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.
What is funk carioca?+
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.
Sources & References
- 1Música Popular Brasileira: uma história — José Ramos Tinhorão, 1998Book
- 2Chega de Saudade: A História e as Histórias da Bossa Nova — Ruy Castro, 1990Book
- 3Brutality Garden: Tropicália and the Emergence of a Brazilian Counterculture — Christopher Dunn, 2001Book
- 4Enciclopédia Itaú Cultural da Música Popular Brasileira — Itaú Cultural, 2024
- 5Dicionário Cravo Albin da Música Popular Brasileira — Ricardo Cravo Albin, 2023
- 6500 Maiores Músicas da Música Brasileira — Rolling Stone Brasil, 2007
- 7Billboard Brasil Hot 100 — Billboard Brasil, 2024
Further Reading
About This Article
This page is based on documented Brazilian music history, verified artist biographies, Billboard and Spotify chart data, and cross-referenced sources from Brazilian music journalism (Rolling Stone Brasil, Folha de São Paulo) and academic research.
Curated by the timeline.music editorial team. Every YouTube ID on this page has been verified live against the original recording.
▸Read the timeline as text
The sound of Brazil, decade by decade: 11 genres and 39 artists, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
- 1910s
- Choro with Pixinguinha and Villa-Lobos.
- 1920s
- Choro with Pixinguinha and Villa-Lobos.
- 1930s
- Choro with Pixinguinha and Villa-Lobos; Samba with Carmen Miranda and Cartola.
- 1940s
- Choro with Pixinguinha and Villa-Lobos; Samba with Carmen Miranda and Cartola; Forró with Luiz Gonzaga.
- 1950s
- Choro with Pixinguinha and Villa-Lobos; Samba with Carmen Miranda; Forró with Luiz Gonzaga; Bossa Nova with João Gilberto, Tom Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes.
- 1960s
- Samba with Jorge Ben Jor; Forró with Luiz Gonzaga; Bossa Nova with João Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Sérgio Mendes and Vinícius de Moraes; Tropicália with Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa and Os Mutantes; MPB with Chico Buarque, Elis Regina and Milton Nascimento; Sertanejo with Roberto Carlos.
- 1970s
- Samba with Cartola, Jorge Ben Jor and Tim Maia; Forró with Luiz Gonzaga; Bossa Nova with João Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Sérgio Mendes and Vinícius de Moraes; Tropicália with Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa and Os Mutantes; MPB with Chico Buarque, Elis Regina, Milton Nascimento and Djavan; Sertanejo with Roberto Carlos and Chitãozinho & Xororó; Brazilian Rock with Raul Seixas.
- 1980s
- Samba with Jorge Ben Jor, Tim Maia and Zeca Pagodinho; Forró with Luiz Gonzaga; Bossa Nova with João Gilberto, Tom Jobim and Sérgio Mendes; MPB with Chico Buarque, Elis Regina, Milton Nascimento, Djavan and Marisa Monte; Sertanejo with Roberto Carlos and Chitãozinho & Xororó; Brazilian Rock with Raul Seixas, Sepultura and Legião Urbana.
- 1990s
- Samba with Jorge Ben Jor, Tim Maia and Zeca Pagodinho; Bossa Nova with Tom Jobim and Sérgio Mendes; MPB with Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento, Djavan and Marisa Monte; Sertanejo with Roberto Carlos and Chitãozinho & Xororó; Brazilian Rock with Sepultura and Legião Urbana; Funk Carioca with Racionais MC's; Axé with Ivete Sangalo; Brazilian Hip-Hop with Racionais MC's.
- 2000s
- Samba with Jorge Ben Jor, Zeca Pagodinho and Seu Jorge; Bossa Nova with Sérgio Mendes; MPB with Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento, Djavan and Marisa Monte; Sertanejo with Roberto Carlos and Chitãozinho & Xororó; Brazilian Rock with Sepultura; Funk Carioca with Racionais MC's; Axé with Ivete Sangalo; Brazilian Hip-Hop with Racionais MC's.
- 2010s
- Samba with Zeca Pagodinho and Seu Jorge; Bossa Nova with Sérgio Mendes; MPB with Chico Buarque, Djavan and Marisa Monte; Sertanejo with Roberto Carlos, Chitãozinho & Xororó and Diego & Victor Hugo; Brazilian Rock with Sepultura; Funk Carioca with Racionais MC's and Anitta; Axé with Ivete Sangalo; Brazilian Hip-Hop with Racionais MC's.
- 2020s
- Samba with Zeca Pagodinho and Seu Jorge; MPB with Djavan and Marisa Monte; Sertanejo with Roberto Carlos, Chitãozinho & Xororó and Diego & Victor Hugo; Brazilian Rock with Sepultura; Funk Carioca with Racionais MC's and Anitta; Axé with Ivete Sangalo; Brazilian Hip-Hop with Racionais MC's.