Top 10 Famous French Male Singers

Top 10 Famous French Male Singers

France is known for producing some of the greatest artistic talents of all time – and music is no exception! From Charles Aznavour to Johnny Hallyday, discover the top 10 famous French male singers who left their mark for decades to come.

1. Charles Aznavour

Possibly the most iconic and well-known on our list is of course, French-Armenian Charles Aznavour. Dubbed France’s Frank Sinatra, Aznavour’s rich tenor voice seemed to put France (and the world) under his spell. Dropping out of school at just 9 years old to pursue his singing career, Charles Aznavour was active for over fifty years.

In his early days, Aznavour sung at various cabarets and night clubs around Paris and even opened for Edith Piaf on a few occasions. Over his lifetime, Charles Aznavour sold over 200 million albums in several languages. He was also awarded a place in the Legion of Honor as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2. Jacques Brel

While Jacques Brel was actually Belgian-born, he nonetheless had a lot of musical success in France and eventually abroad. Born in 1929 in Brussels, Brel showed plenty of potential and signed a record deal with Philips records at a young age.  He then moved to Paris in the mid 1950s to pursue his singing career. After several years of struggle, his efforts finally paid off, and he met great success – embarking on several world tours and sharing the stage with greats like Charles Aznavour and Serge Gainsbourg.

3. Serge Gainsbourg

Equally renowned for his unique artistic persona as for being one of the most seductive men in France, Serge Gainsbourg is without a doubt one of the top 10 famous French male singers. Born in 1928 in Paris, Gainsbourg was one of the country’s most influential singer-songwriter, musician, actor, director, painter, screenwriter, and poet.

Most know him for his romantic and experimental pop music, but with forays into the worlds of reggae, funk, rock, and even electronica; it’s hard to put a label on his style. During the 60s and 70s, Gainsbourg was one of the most influential figures in the counterculture/Boheme/yé-yé movement in France, and recorded some of his most famous songs during this period. His duets with former partners Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin remain some of his best-sellers to this day.

4. Joe Dassin

With a deeply romantic voice, Joe Dassin seems to have captured the hearts of French people (and international audiences) forever. His songs bring about a truly ‘French’ feeling, and hinge on the most classic clichés – but that doesn’t stop them from being beautiful. And seemingly, timeless. Dassin’s biggest hits like ‘l’été Indien’ and ‘et si tu n’existais pas’ remain the most popular today, confirming his timeless quality.

5. Charles Trenet

With a career spanning well over six decades, Charles Trenet is certainly one of the top 10 famous French male singers of all time. Born in 1913 in Paris, Trenet’s singing-songwriting career covered some of the most marked periods in history, especially in France. Trenet’s most popular song is ‘La Mer’, which he recorded in 1946, though he wrote and recorded over a thousand songs during his career! In addition to ‘La Mer’, Trenet’s other biggest hits like ‘Boum!’ have been covered by numerous international artists in many languages.

6. Johnny Hallyday

Born in 1943 during the German occupation of France, Jean-Philippe Léo Smet went on to become one of the most famous French rock stars and actors, though he’s better known by his stage name Johhny Hallyday. Hallyday’s classic ballads garnered him the title of ‘the French Elvis Presley’. With over 180 international tours and 110 million record sales, he’s one of France’s most successful artists of all time. Among most popular songs are ‘Retiens la nuit’, ‘Souvenirs, souvenirs’ and ‘Reqiuem pour un fou’, which still feature on many top French radio stations today.

7. Georges Brassens

Not only one of the top ten famous French male singers, Georges Brassens was also an accomplished French poet and songwriter. Born in 1921, his career started off when he was still rather young. From 1952-1976, Brassens took up residence in a quiet street in Paris’ 14th arrondissement. During his time in Paris, Brassens composed and recorded hundreds of songs, which spanned across fourteen albums. His biggest hit to date is ‘Les copains d’abord’, which is still well known in France.

8. Jacques Dutronc

Besides being one of the top ten famous French male singers, Jacques Dutronc was a talented songwriter and guitarist. And he’s been married to Françoise Hardy (one of our top ten famous French female singers) since 1981. Before launching his solo career, Dutronc composed many successful songs for Françoise Hardy, which effectively sparked their romantic connection as well. Today, Dutronc’s most memorable song is ‘Il est cinq heures, Paris s’éveille’; a lovely classic ballad about waking up in Paris.

9. Yves Montand

Born as Ivo Livi in 1921 in Italy, Yves Montand is a French-Italian singer and actor. Montand’s family moved to France in 1923, and he grew up in sunny Marseille. Edith Piaf discovered Yves Montand in 1944, and incorporated him into her act. His career took off from there, and he starred in several hit French films and acted internationally as well. Even playing on Broadway! Yves Montand’s classic songs about Paris and romance remain his most famous to this day. My personal favorite is ‘Sous le ciel de Paris’, a deeply romantic ballad about Paris.

10. Claude François

Well, my list of the top 10 famous French male singers wouldn’t be complete without Claude François. Born in 1939 in Egypt, Claude François largely grew up in France, and became one of the country’s most famous dancers and pop singers. Renowned for his colorful costumes and catchy tunes, Claude François quickly became and icon on the European pop scene during the 1960s and 70s. His biggest hit was ‘cette année-là’, which is still well-known today.

Now you know a little bit more about the top 10 famous French male singers. Who would you add to the list?

Hope to see you soon in Paris!