Bossanova (studio album) by Pixies

Bossanova by Pixies
Year: 1990
Overall rank: 441st   Overall chart historyOverall chart history
Average Rating: 
79/100 (from 908 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution   Average rating historyAverage rating history
Accolades:
Award Top 5 albums of 1990 (5th)
Award Top 100 albums of the 1990s (79th)
Award Top 500 albums of all time (441st)

Pixies bestography

Bossanova is ranked 3rd best out of 26 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 37,827.

Pixies album bestography « Higher ranked (97th) This album (441st) Lower ranked (789th) »
Surfer RosaBossanovaTrompe Le Monde

Upcoming concerts

May
31
Fri
17:30
PIXIES and MODEST MOUSE with special guest CAT POWER Summer 2024
Firefly Distillery, North Charleston, United States. United States
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Jun
01
Sat
18:30
PIXIES and MODEST MOUSE with special guest CAT POWER Summer 2024
PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte, United States. United States
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Jun
02
Sun
18:30
PIXIES and MODEST MOUSE with special guest CAT POWER Summer 2024
Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville, United States. United States
Tickets from $35.00 (Ticketmaster) Get tickets
 
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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 (173 votes)Comments: 1
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2.
Rating: 81 (160 votes)Comments: 2
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3.
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Rating: 88 (237 votes)Comments: 4
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4.
Rating: 83 (174 votes)Comments: 1
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5.
Rating: 83 (170 votes)Comments: 1
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6.
Rating: 82 (160 votes)Comments: 1
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8.
Track pick
Rating: 85 (203 votes)Comments: 1
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10.
Rating: 83 (164 votes)Comments: 2
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11.
Rating: 78 (147 votes)Comments: 1
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12.
Rating: 79 (154 votes)Comments: 1
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13.
Rating: 78 (152 votes)Comments: 2
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14.
Rating: 83 (162 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 908 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 908 ratings for this album.

Sort ratings
RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
70/100
 Report rating
03/10/2024 21:48 RadioGraaah  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 46878/100
 
65/100
 Report rating
03/02/2024 16:35 Brassmat  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 9274/100
 
70/100
 Report rating
01/26/2024 23:06 thepardunk  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,09673/100
 
75/100
 Report rating
01/20/2024 10:19 Siromynian  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,30280/100
 
80/100
 Report rating
12/27/2023 18:08 DaaN  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 45478/100

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 78.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 79.3/100. The standard deviation for this album is 14.0.

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Bossanova comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 45 comments |
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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) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 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) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 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) | +1 votes (1 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"
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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) | +1 votes (2 helpful | 1 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) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 07/08/2019 10:34
Prefer this overall to Surfer Rosa (although fewer standout moments), but it's all personal preference.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 05/28/2019 20:19
As I have written before on Doolittle I'm new to The Pixies and this follow up did not disappoint I'm beginning to understand why Pixies are loved
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 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. The La's by The La's
10. Fear Of A Black Planet by Public Enemy
11. Canción Animal by Soda Stereo
12. The Good Son by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
13. Reading, Writing And Arithmetic by The Sundays
14. Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches by Happy Mondays
15. Soundtrack From Twin Peaks by Angelo Badalamenti
16. Flood by They Might Be Giants
17. I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got by Sinéad O'Connor
18. Painkiller by Judas Priest
19. Shake Your Money Maker by The Black Crowes
20. Facelift by Alice In Chains
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