French pop music is

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...

sung in the French language. It is usually performed by singers from France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, or any of the other

francophone The Francophonie or Francophone world is the whole body of people and organisations around the world who use the French language regularly for private or public purposes. The term was coined by Onésime Reclus in 1880 and became important a ...

areas of the world. The target audience is the

market (primarily France), which is considerably smaller than and largely independent from the mainstream

anglophone The English-speaking world comprises the 88 countries and territories in which English is an official, administrative, or cultural language. In the early 2000s, between one and two billion people spoke English, making it the largest language ...

market.

History

The first distinct French pop music styles that emerged were the French rock and the

yé-yé ''Yé-yé'' () or ''yeyé'' () was a style of pop music that emerged in Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe in the early 1960s. The French term ''yé-yé'' was derived from the English "yeah! yeah!", popularized by British beat music ban ...

, which originated in France during the 1960s. They were influenced by the American rock & roll of the 1950s. In the early days, this style of French pop music was easily distinguishable from the earlier category of French music called

chanson A (, ; , ) is generally any Lyrics, lyric-driven French song. The term is most commonly used in English to refer either to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval music, medieval and Renaissance music or to a specific style of ...

in English. Eventually the early French pop music and the chanson styles crossed over and combined.

Radio in France

French pop music can be heard on radio stations in France, such as NRJ, RTL 2, Virgin Radio (formerly Europe 2), Radio Nova, Chérie FM, and others. (There are francophone radio stations outside France, but the ones in France are the most influential with respect to French pop music.) Besides French pop music, these radio stations typically play mainstream pop music (in English) as well as

Latin pop Latin pop () is a pop music subgenre that is a fusion of US–style music production with Latin music genres from anywhere in Latin America and Spain. It originates with List of countries where Spanish is an official language, Spanish-speaking ...

, Italian pop, and African pop depending on the station. Radio stations in France are required to play at least 40% of their songs in French, during prime hours. France's ''Pelchat amendment'' to the ''1994 Broadcasting Reform Act'' is the law which requires this.Loi n°94-88 du 1er février 1994 modifiant la loi no 86-1067 du 30 septembre 1986 relative à la liberté de communication
article 12 imposes the 40% rate.

Francophone pop music artists

A list of Francophone pop music artists and the decades when they rose to prominence.

1920s

Josephine Baker Freda Josephine Baker (; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker, was an American and French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She was the first Black woman to s ...

1930s

* Charles Trenet

1940s

* Juliette Gréco *

Edith Piaf Edith is a feminine given name derived from the Old English word , meaning ''wealth'' or ''prosperity'', in combination with the Old English , meaning '' strife'', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian lang ...

1950s

* Hugues Aufray * Charles Aznavour * Brigitte Bardot * Georges Brassens * Annie Cordy *

Dalida Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti (; 17 January 1933 – 3 May 1987), professionally known as Dalida (, ; ), was an Italian naturalized French singer and actress. Leading an international career, Dalida has sold over 140 million records worldwide. Some ...

* Jean Ferrat * Henri Salvador

1960s

Adamo Adamo is both a masculine given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Adamo Abate (c. 990 – 1060–1070), Italian medieval Benedictine abbot and saint, a promoter of the unification of the Southern populatio ...

* Barbara *

Michel Berger Michel Jean Hamburger (28 November 1947 – 2 August 1992), known professionally as Michel Berger, was a French singer and songwriter. He was a figure of France's pop music scene for two decades as a singer. As a songwriter he wrote for artists ...

Jane Birkin Jane Mallory Birkin ( ; 14 December 1946 – 16 July 2023) was a British and French actress, singer, and designer. She had a prolific career as an actress, mostly in French cinema. A native of London, Birkin began her career as an actress, ...

* Mike Brant * Éric Charden * Robert Charlebois * Christophe * Julien Clerc *

Nicole Croisille Nicole Croisille (9 October 1936 – 4 June 2025) was a French singer and actress. She appeared in 24 films between 1961 and 2005, and recorded several albums since 1961. Perhaps her most heard work is on the soundtrack of 1966 film, '' A Man a ...

* Joe Dassin * Michel Delpech * Jacques Dutronc * Jean-Pierre Ferland *

Nino Ferrer Nino Agostino Arturo Maria Ferrari (; 15 August 1934 – 13 August 1998), known as Nino Ferrer (), was an Italian-born French singer-songwriter and author. Biography and career Nino Ferrer was born on 15 August 1934 in Genoa, Italy, but lived t ...

* Claude François * Michel Fugain *

Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French singer-songwriter, actor, composer, and director. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provocative rel ...

* France Gall *

Françoise Hardy Françoise Madeleine Hardy (; 17 January 1944 – 11 June 2024) was a French singer-songwriter, actress, and author. She was known for singing melancholic, sentimental ballads. Hardy rose to prominence in the early 1960s as a leading figure in F ...

* Johnny Hallyday * Marie Laforêt * Serge Lama *

Eddy Mitchell Claude Moine (; born 3 July 1942), known professionally as Eddy Mitchell, is a French singer and actor. He began his career in the late 1950s, with the group Les Chaussettes Noires (The Black Socks). He took the name ''Eddy'' from the American ...

Nana Mouskouri Ioanna "Nana" Mouskouri ( ; born 13 October 1934) is a Greek singer and politician. Over the span of her career, she has released an estimated 450 albums in at least thirteen languages, including Greek language, Greek, French language, French, ...

* Georges Moustaki * Claude Nougaro * Michel Polnareff * Raphaël * Serge Reggiani * Dick Rivers * Sheila * Les Surfs * Michèle Torr *

Sylvie Vartan Sylvie Vartan (; born Sylvie Georges Vartanian on 15 August 1944) is a Bulgarians in France, Bulgarian-French singer and actress. She is known as one of the most productive and tough-sounding yé-yé artists. Her performances often featured ela ...

* Nanette Workman

1970s

* Dick Annegarn * Daniel Balavoine * Francis Cabrel * Alain Chamfort * Louis Chedid * Richard Clayderman * Riccardo Cocciante * Harmonium * Jacques Higelin * Michel Jonasz *

Patrick Juvet Patrick Juvet (21 August 1950 – 1 April 2021) was a Swiss model and singer-songwriter, who had a string of hit records in Europe. While his early career was focused on making pop records, he found international success as a disco music perf ...

* Daniel Lavoie * Maxime Le Forestier * Gérard Lenorman * Offenbach *

Michel Pagliaro Michel Armand Guy Pagliaro (born 9 November 1948) is a Canadian rock singer, songwriter and guitarist from Montreal, Quebec. Although he writes and records predominantly in French, Pagliaro has reached international success mainly with material ...

* Ginette Reno * Renaud * Nicole Rieu * Véronique Sanson *

Michel Sardou Michel Charles Sardou (; born 26 January 1947) is a French singer and occasional actor. He is known not only for his love songs ("La maladie d'amour", "Je vais t'aimer"), but also for songs dealing with various social and political issues, su ...

* William Sheller * Alain Souchon * Téléphone * Laurent Voulzy

1980s

* Arno * Alain Bashung * Patrick Bruel *

Axel Bauer Axel Bauer (born 7 April 1961) is a French singer, composer, guitarist, and actor, born in Paris. A figure of the French rock scene, he was discovered in 1983 with the song "Cargo". Several times awarded a gold record, he has sold three million r ...

* Calogero *

Manu Chao Manu Chao (; born José Manuel Tomás Arturo Chao Ortega on 21 June 1961) is a French-Spanish musician. He sings in French language, French, Spanish language, Spanish, English language, English, Italian language, Italian, Arabic, Catalan language ...

* Etienne Daho *

Céline Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the " Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had a significant impact on popular musi ...

* Claude Dubois *

Mylène Farmer Mylène Jeanne Gautier (; born 12 September 1961), known professionally as Mylène Farmer (), is a French singer and songwriter. Having sold more than 30 million records worldwide, she is among the most successful recording artists of all time ...

* Liane Foly * Jean-Jacques Goldman * Les Innocents * Patricia Kaas * Bernard Lavilliers * Marc Lavoine * Maurane * Florent Pagny * Vanessa Paradis * Luna Parker *

Mario Pelchat Mario Pelchat (born 1 February 1964) is a Canadian Francophone singer from Quebec. He received the Felix Award in 1990 and 1992. Biography Pelchat was born in Dolbeau-Mistassini, Quebec and has performed since 1973. His first 45 RPM single was ...

* Les Rita Mitsouko * Têtes Raides *

Roch Voisine Joseph Armand Roch Voisine, (born 26 March 1963) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, actor, and radio and television host who lives in Montreal and Paris. He writes and performs material in both English and French. He won the Juno Award for Male V ...

1990s

Air An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...

* Anaïs * Isabelle Boulay * -M- *

Gérald De Palmas Gérald Gardrinier (; born 14 October 1967 in Saint-Denis, Réunion), better known by his stage name Gérald de Palmas, is a French singer-songwriter. Biography Early life Gérald de Palmas was born in France. His father was a land surveyor ...

* Lara Fabian * Thomas Fersen * Patrick Fiori * Philippe Katerine * Lynda Lemay * Louise Attaque * Mano Solo * Pascal Obispo * Kevin Parent * Bruno Pelletier * Axelle Red * Red Cardell * Hélène Ségara * Zazie * Zebda

2000s

AaRON According to the Old Testament of the Bible, Aaron ( or ) was an Israelite prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of Moses. Information about Aaron comes exclusively from religious texts, such as the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament ...

* Myriam Abel *

Alizée Alizée Lyonnet ( Jacotey; born 21 August 1984), known professionally as Alizée, is a French pop singer. She is one of the best-selling French female artists of the 21st century, and the singer with the most exports out of France. Her best-k ...

* Keren Ann * Chimène Badi * Bénabar * Amel Bent * Benjamin Biolay * Carla Bruni * Bertrand Burgalat *

Cali Santiago de Cali (), or Cali, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in southwest Colombia, with 2,280,522 residents estimate by National Administrative Department of Statistics, DANE in 2023. The city span ...

* Caroline Costa * Cœur de pirate * Emma Daumas * Vincent Delerm * Julien Doré * Sofia Essaïdi * Élodie Frégé * Garou * Grégoire * Sophie Hunter * Jenifer * L5 *

Grégory Lemarchal Grégory Jean-Paul Lemarchal (13 May 1983 – 30 April 2007), known professionally as Grégory Lemarchal, was a French singer who rose to fame by winning the fourth series of the reality television show ''Star Academy (French TV series), Star Aca ...

* Nolwenn Leroy * Leslie * Loane * Lorie * Renan Luce * M83 * Christophe Maé * Priscilla * M. Pokora * Phoenix * Quynh Anh * Kate Ryan *

Shy'm Tamara Marthe (born 28 November 1985), better known as Shy'm , is a French singer and actress. She released her first album, ''Mes fantaisies'', in 2006 and has since released six more albums. She had three Platinum albums, including her number ...

* Natasha St-Pier * Stromae * Tahiti 80 * Sébastien Tellier * Tété * Andrée Watters * Christophe Willem * Yelle * Julie Zenatti

2010s

* Angèle * Angelina * Ben l'Oncle Soul * Charlotte Cardin * * Kendji Girac * Bilal Hassani * Indila * Jain * Joyce Jonathan * Julia * Carla Lazzari * Lou * Louane * Clara Luciani * Madame Monsieur * Maëlle * Aya Nakamura * * Slimane * Tal * Wejdene * Zoë

2020s

* * Zaho de Sagazan * Valentina

References

* David Looseley, ''Popular Music in Contemporary France: Authenticity, Politics, Debate'', Berg Publishers, 2004 () * Hugh Dauncey & Steve Cannon (editors), ''Popular Music in France from Chanson to Techno: Culture, Identity, and Society'', Ashgate Publishing, 2003 () * Hugh Dauncey & Philippe Le Guern, ''Stéréo. Sociologie comparée des musiques populaires – France / Grande-Bretagne'', Nantes, Éditions Mélanie Seteun, 2008 (). Published in English: ''Stereo: Comparative Perspectives on the Sociological Study of Popular Music in France and Britain'', Aldershot, Ashgate, 2010 () * Barbara Lebrun & Catherine Franc, "French Popular Music. Actes du Colloque de Manchester, juin 2003", '' Volume! La revue des musiques populaires'', Nantes, Éditions Mélanie Seteun, 2003 (ISSN 1634-5495) * Collectif (Auteur) Un Siècle de chansons françaises 1979–1989 (Partition de musique),Csdem, 2009 ({{ASIN, B002AC5U92) Pop Pop music by country