Originally released in March 1964, this collaboration between saxophonist Stan Getz and guitarist João Gilberto came at seemingly the end of the bossa nova craze Getz himself had sparked in 1962 with Jazz Samba, his release with American guitarist Charlie Byrd. Jazz Samba remains the only jazz album to reach number one in the pop charts. In fact, the story goes that Getz had to push for the release of Getz/Gilberto since the company did not want to compete with its own hit; it was a good thing he did. Getz/Gilberto, which featured composer Antonio Carlos Jobim on piano, not only yielded the hit "Girl from Ipanema" (sung by Astrud Gilberto, the guitarist's wife, who had no professional experience) but also "Corcovado" ("Quiet Night")—an instant standard, and the definitive version of "Desafinado". Getz/Gilberto spent 96 weeks in the charts and won four Grammys. It remains one of those rare cases in popular music where commercial success matches artistic merit. Bossa nova's "cool" aesthetic—with its understated rhythms, rich harmonies, and slightly detached delivery—had been influenced, in part, by cool jazz. Gilberto in particular was a Stan Getz fan. Getz, with his lyricism, the bittersweet longing in his sound, and his restrained but strong swing, was the perfect fit. His lines, at once decisive and evanescent, focus the rest of the group's performance without overpowering. A classic. —Fernando Gonzalez

Though not the songs that would put her on the pop music map—that would come with 1987's Solitude Standing—Vega—Vega's first album, Suzanne Vega, shows her folky song-writing origins and, song-for-song, may still be her best. Produced by Patti Smith guitarist Lenny Kaye, the sound is softly sculpted by Kaye's silvery guitar and an airy, occasional string section, matching the dream-like introspection of "Queen and the Soldier" and the surreal word play of "Small Blue Thing". Vega's philosophical, quiet-but-confident approach would open the door for a second generation of female singer-songwriters like Dar Williams and Shawn Colvin. Her debut remains an unassuming sleeper for one of the 1980s best folk or pop albums. —Roy Francis Kasten

CD > POPULAR MUSIC > ROCK

"Je suis prêt. Prêt pour ce qui va venir," annonce Bono en intro d'Achtung Baby, l'album qui prouvera que le soi-disant "groupe des années 80" était capable d'enflammer les années 90 en remplaçant son rock de stade révolutionnaire par des synthés hurlants, des rythmiques de club et des bruitages industriels. Le son du groupe évolue tout en sachant rester accessible ("Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses," "Even Better Than the Real Thing," et "Mysterious Ways,"). "The Fly," "Zoo Station," et "Acrobat" sont encore plus ambitieux, alors que "One", ballade mélancolique, pleine de tristesse, de compassion et d'espoir est le plus beau morceau produit par U2. —Daniel Durchholz

Un groupe qui ne cesse d'évoluer tout en restant fidèle à lui-même... Peu de groupes sont capables de développer une puissance aussi magnifique. —Rolling Stone (1/9/92).