Western Europe
The sound of France
Chanson set a template for the sung-spoken lyric that pop is still borrowing. The late-nineties house records are the better-known story; the tradition they grew out of is the more interesting one.
1,224 artists in the catalog.
What France does that nowhere else does
Genres far more common here than across the rest of the catalog. The multiplier is how much more common, weighted by how many artists carry it.
Five records to start with
Not a canon — a way in. Each one links to what it is, who it's for and where to go next.
French artists worth walking into
Ordered by how much we can tell you, not just by how well-known they are.
David Guetta
French house · dance-pop
Where to start →Jean-Michel Jarre
ambient music
Where to start →Avril Lavigne
alternative rock · pop rock
Where to start →Françoise Hardy
French pop · ballade
Where to start →Amanda Lear
disco
Where to start →Eddy Mitchell
rock and roll
Where to start →Paul Mauriat
easy listening
Where to start →Hugues Aufray
ballade · chanson
Where to start →Alain Souchon
chanson
Where to start →Hector Berlioz
Romantic music · classical music
Where to start →Sheila
Eurodisco · chanson
Where to start →Michel Sardou
French pop · chanson
Where to start →