By the late 1970s, Barbieri had shifted his focus again, this time to the pop jazz that was becoming prevalent at the time. During this phase of his career was recording for A&M Records. One of the most successful albums of that time, and one of the most successful of his career, was Caliente. The album featured a Barbieri’s cover version of Carlos Santana’s Europa. Another big album during his years with A&M Records was Shadow of the Cat. A&M label owner, and jazz trumpet great, Herb Alpert played the trumpet for three songs on that album.

Barbieri’s wife died in the 1980s and six weeks after her passing he underwent triple bypass surgery. Because of the toll these events had on him, Barbieri disappeared from the public eye for quite some time. He returned in an impactful way in 1997; his Columbia Records release Que Pasa was the fourth best selling contemporary jazz album of that year.

In 2004, Universal Music honored Gato Barbieri by releasing a compilation of his work in their 20th Century Masters series. The other musicians to receive that honor in 2004 were Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Parker, and Carmen McRae. Gato was also honored by his home country the same year when the Argentine Ambassador to the United States presented him with a lifetime achievement award at the Argentine Consulate in New York City.

Gato Barbieri plays a Selmer Mark VI tenor saxophone with a short facing Berg Larsen Metal 105 mouthpiece and Rico 1 ½ reeds.