Bossanova (studio album) by Pixies

Bossanova by Pixies
Year: 1990
Overall rank: 429th   Overall chart historyOverall chart history
Average Rating: 
79/100 (from 937 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution   Average rating historyAverage rating history
Accolades:
Award Top 5 albums of 1990 (5th)
Award Top 100 albums of the 1990s (76th)
Award Top 500 albums of all time (429th)

Pixies bestography

Bossanova is ranked 3rd best out of 27 albums by Pixies on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by Pixies is Doolittle which is ranked number 18 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 32,895.

Pixies album bestography « Higher ranked (103rd) This album (429th) Lower ranked (843rd) »
Surfer RosaBossanovaTrompe Le Monde

Upcoming concerts

Aug
27
Wed
18:00
PIXIES - North American Tour 2025 with special guests Spoon and Fazerd
Petco Park, San Diego, United States. United States
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Aug
28
Thu
18:00
PIXIES - North American Tour with special guests Spoon and Fazerdaze
Greek Theatre-U.C. Berkeley, Berkeley, United States. United States
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Aug
30
Sat
18:00
Pixies w/ Spoon
McMenamins Historic Edgefield Manor, Troutdale, United States. United States
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Listen to Bossanova on YouTube

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Bossanova track list

  Track ratingsTrack ratings The tracks on this album have an average rating of 82 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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Track
Rating/Comments
1.
Rating: 84 (182 votes)Comments: 1
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2.
Rating: 80 (170 votes)Comments: 2
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3.
Track pick
Rating: 89 (243 votes)Comments: 4
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4.
Rating: 83 (181 votes)Comments: 1
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5.
Rating: 83 (179 votes)Comments: 1
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6.
Rating: 82 (169 votes)Comments: 1
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8.
Track pick
Rating: 86 (211 votes)Comments: 1
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10.
Rating: 83 (175 votes)Comments: 2
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11.
Rating: 78 (155 votes)Comments: 1
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12.
Rating: 79 (161 votes)Comments: 1
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13.
Rating: 78 (159 votes)Comments: 2
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14.
Rating: 83 (169 votes)Comments: 2
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Track pick Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.

Bossanova rankings

Bossanova collection

Bossanova ratings

Average Rating: 
79/100 (from 937 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 937 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
90/100
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08/16/2025 21:40 Ilor  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 25177/100
 
85/100
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08/09/2025 12:41 Igtonumama  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 10,67962/100
 
75/100
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08/07/2025 23:00 edguyerrison  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 13574/100
 
75/100
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07/22/2025 19:17 Milhaud  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,36669/100
 
90/100
 Report rating
07/08/2025 02:29 ScottJones  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 7084/100

Rating metrics: Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 2% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 79.2/100, a mean average of 78.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 79.3/100. The standard deviation for this album is 13.9.

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Bossanova comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 47 comments |
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Rating:  
90/100
From 07/08/2025 02:30
I liked the surf music influence on much of this, e.g. "Ana" and "The Happening". Not as consistently brilliant as their previous two albums, but none of it was less than good. Listworthy, from 1001 albums you must hear.
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Rating:  
100/100
From 07/01/2025 12:20
As quintessential as Doolittle and Surfer Rosa, Pixies' third album Bossanova contains some of their finest moments as a band, including Velouria, Is She Weird, Dig for Fire, and the dreamy closer, Havalina. While Doolittle was a landmark album that changed the landscape of music history, Bossanova is equally special as a time capsule of Pixies at their peak, carrying the melodic sensibilities of Doolittle, whilst building a whole new sound and identity.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 06/22/2023 08:28
Not on the same level as their 80s albums, but still very solid piece of alternative rock, Velouria and The Happening are amazing and tracks like All Over The World and Ana are interesting change of paste for them.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
70/100
From 01/29/2023 12:05
Similar in style and sound to their 2 earlier releases but the quality and consistency is significantly weaker in my opinion. This is mainly due to the increase in filler tracks on this album with so many songs feeling lacking in substance and like they could be skipped. They seem to be lacking a bit of the energy, punch and catchiness the songs on the previous releases had. There are some highlights on here still however, with tracks like Velouria, Is She Weird and Ana doing a great job of catching my interest. These songs amongst a few others make this record still worth checking out as there are some Pixies classics on here. Overall, this isn't their strongest album but has moments of brilliance in a record that is quite up and down.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 08/13/2022 08:03
Impossible for it to be as good as Doolittle but it's not far off
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 02/14/2022 14:11
Yeah
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 04/14/2021 15:52
Revolucionários do rock, esse álbum ecoa em todo anos 90's"
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Rating:  
70/100
From 07/08/2020 01:34
Significantly weaker than Surfer Rosa and Doolittle. The intense sense of spontaneity is no longer present.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (2 helpful | 2 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 06/18/2020 16:46
Of the four full-length albums released by the Pixies during their heyday (here I'm not counting the classic EP Come on Pilgrim), Bossanova is the one with which I've spent the least amount of time. It's much more of a straightforward rock album than either Surfer Rosa or Doolittle, meaning it lacks some of the bizarre quirks that make those albums such unique listening experiences. But it's much more recognizably a true Pixies album than Trompe le Monde, which feels at times like a Frank Black solo project (albeit one that utilizes his strengths far better than most of his actual solo material). On “Havalina,” the song's narrator spots a javelina—an ornery wild pig common in the southwestern desert landscapes that seem to inspire much of the album—walking across a plain. The music is a slow dance between celestial bodies, heavenly but melancholic. He sees the boar, and in two short lines, the song is over. Songs on Bossanova are triumphs of minute, private epiphany: small, diamond-bright moments that flash in the listener's ear and fade away.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 02/06/2020 21:19
There's something special about this album. I like it almost as much as Doolittle and Surfer Rosa. The surf sound works for me, and I like that the songs are a little less aggressive. Gets overlooked for obvious reasons, but don't forget about this one, it's classic Pixies.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

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Best Albums of 1990
1. Violator by Depeche Mode
2. Heaven Or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins
3. Nowhere by Ride
4. Rust In Peace by Megadeth
5. Bossanova by Pixies
6. Goo by Sonic Youth
7. Ritual De Lo Habitual by Jane's Addiction
8. Repeater by Fugazi
9. Fear Of A Black Planet by Public Enemy
10. The La's by The La's
11. The Good Son by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
12. Canción Animal by Soda Stereo
13. Reading, Writing And Arithmetic by The Sundays
14. Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches by Happy Mondays
15. I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got by Sinéad O'Connor
16. Soundtrack From Twin Peaks by Angelo Badalamenti
17. Painkiller by Judas Priest
18. Ragged Glory by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
19. Facelift by Alice In Chains
20. Flood by They Might Be Giants
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