Michel Sardou is a French singer who can boast of being the direct descendant of a great line of artists. Line which sees its starting point in the middle of the 19th century.
To date, he has to his credit no less than 25 studio albums and around 350 songs. With more than 90 million records sold throughout his career, he is also one of the most successful French artists.
His youth turned out to be quite complicated, with artist parents whom he followed in the evenings to the cabarets where they performed, which inevitably had repercussions on his education. So when he arrived at the age of 17 and with little motivation for studies, he almost left to settle in Brazil to set up a strip club ...!
His artistic career began in the early 1960s when he performed in small cabarets in Montmartre. 1965 saw him really start his career with the release of his first Single "Le Madras", a title co-written with Michel Fugain and Patrice Laffont. Without real success.
The year 1966 will be a pivotal year for him with the meeting of Jacques Revaux, who will become one of his main appointed composers. As well as a forced departure from military service, a parenthesis that will last 18 months and inspire the famous song "Le rire du sergent".
He came back in force in 1967 with the title “Les ricains”, a controversial song which was immediately censored by the authorities in place. But who has the merit of putting it in the spotlight.
The end of the 60s is more delicate, the singer is struggling and Eddie Barclay ends up terminating his contract (like that of Pierre Perret also on the same day….), That's what we call having flair !
Everything changed in 1970, he created his own label Tréma and recorded the album "J'habite en France", an album that would change everything. From this album will be extracted his first big success, namely "Les bals populaires". Shortly followed by "J'habite en France" and "Et mourir de plaisir", 2 other successful titles.
The hits will now follow one another at an impressive speed : "Le rire du sergent" in 1971, "Le surveillant général" in 1972 but also and especially "La maladie d'amour" in 1973. This flagship title of his discography, which exceeds for the first time one million copies sold, is taken from the eponymous album which will remain at the top of sales for 21 weeks.
Will follow "Les vieux mariés", "Les villes de solitude" in 1973 and "Une fille aux yeux clairs" in 1974. Which will earn him the wrath of the MLF which considers that certain lyrics in the songs are frankly offensive to women .
New controversial Single in 1975 with "Le France", the song is a huge success which will sell over a million copies and will be hailed by the unions and the Communist Party !
The year 1976 also proved to be complicated with the release of the album "La Vieille", from which two new controversial titles were to be extracted with "Jaccuse", "Je suis pour" and "Le temps des colonies". The album is a success but attacks are coming from all sides, as much on the colonialist subject as on the burning subject of the death penalty. The left-wing dailies are unleashed against the artist.
1977 is not much better with anti-Sardou committees created to disrupt his concerts. Which forces him to calm things down on texts that are a little too committed.
This is how the album "La java de Broadway" was released, a peaceful album that will sell more than a million copies. From which will be extracted the eponymous hit as well as "10 ans plus tôt". He did it again a year later in 1978 with the album "Je vole" which produced the hits "En chantant", his sales record of over 1.2 million copies, and "Je vole".
Less success in 1979 for the album "Verdun". Ditto in 1980 for the album "Victoria". Two albums that will not produce any major hits. After years of controversy, the singer needs a step back and is rarer on the screen.
A salutary retreat which allowed him to come back in force in 1981 with the album "Les lacs du Connemara", a flagship album which produced two of his biggest hits, namely the hit of the same name which sold over 1 million. of copies, but also “Etre une femme”. The latter sets fire to all the dance floors in France. The album is a colossal success.
In 1982 the album "Il était là and its flagship title "Afrique adieu" was released. This was followed later in 1983 by the album "Vladimir Ilich" from which the eponymous title was mainly extracted. Less success but success nonetheless.
1984 saw the release of the album "Io domenico" with his flagship Single "Les deux écoles". Even if the title is a success, sales are irreparably reduced. The proof with the album "Chanteur de jazz" which came out in 1985 and whose eponymous title will only sell 250,000 copies despite an obvious quality.
His last notable success was in 1987 with the album "Musulmanes", from which the hit of the same name was extracted.
Other titles will be released later, but never regain an equivalent level of sales. It will therefore be a smooth end of his career for this singer who will forever remain as one of the most popular and gifted of his generation.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
60s Decade :
Le madras 1965
Les filles d’aujourd’hui 1966
Les ricains 1967
Petit 1967
Si j'avais un frère 1968
America, America 1969
70s Decade :
Les bals populaires 1970
Et mourir de plaisir 1970
J’habite en France 1970
Je t’aime je t’aime 1971
Le rire du sergent 1971
Le surveillant général 1972
Un enfant 1972
Bonsoir Clara 1972
La maladie d’amour 1973
Les vieux mariés 1973
Les villes de solitude 1974
Je veux l’épouser pour un soir 1974
Une fille aux yeux clairs 1974
Un accident 1975
Le France 1975
Le temps des colonies 1976
Je vais t’aimer 1976
La vieille 1976
J'accuse 1976
Dix ans plus tôt 1977
La java de Broadway 1977
En chantant 1978
Je vole 1978
Manie manie 1978
Dans la même année 1979
80s Decade :
K7 1980
La génération loving you 1980
Etre une femme 1981
Les lacs du Connemara 1981
Je viens du sud 1982
Afrique adieu 1982
La première fois qu'on s'aimera 1983
Vladimir Ilitch 1983
Les 2 écoles 1984
Io domenico 1985
Chanteur de jazz 1985
Mélodie pour Elodie 1986
Musulmanes 1986
Féminin comme 1987
Tous les bateaux s’envolent 1987
La même eau qui coule 1988
Le successeur 1989
Attention les enfants danger 1989
90s Decade :
Marie Jeanne 1990
Le Bac G 1992
Le cinéma d'Audiard 1992
Salut 1997
S’enfuir et après 1998
2000s Decade :
Cette chanson là 2000
Loin 2004
La rivière de notre enfance 2004
Non merci 2005
Je n'oublie pas 2005
Allons danser 2006
Concorde 2007
2010s Decade :
Et puis après 2010
Voler 2010
Le figurant 2017
San Lorenzo 2017
2020s Decade :
Souris moi 2022
En quelle année Georgia 2023
Tracks :
1965 ... and yes, it is the same one who will become a few years later one of the biggest stars of French song. And it is far from being ridiculous !
1966 ... a pure moment of happiness with these so Kitsch images. Ah, what a beautiful time !
1967 ... then comes this title, a first controversial title that will radically change the course of the artist's career. The beginning of an incredible epic that will last several decades ...
1967 ... an undeniable talent, out of the ordinary, which takes shape piece by piece. And which will literally explode in the years that will follow ...
1968 ... the 1960s will above all allow him to make himself known and to gain momentum slowly but surely. For the start of the great fireworks display, we will have to wait until the following decade ...
1969 ... a very 'Flower Power' title so revealing of the mood of the time that any good singer must produce at the end of the 1960s. A model of the genre as they say !
1970 ... the title which will change everything and propel him into spheres of which he did not even suspect the existence. A title which elevates One Shot to the rank of undisputed star !
1970 ... the hits will now follow one another at an impressive speed. A tidal wave that nothing and no one will be able to stop ...
1970 ... a decidedly exceptional year which saw him align 3 mega hits, just that. The career is launched for good !
1971 ... a vintage that will not be as prestigious as the previous one, of course. But when we see what is looming on the horizon, we are far from worrying, very far ...
1971 ... a title, a style, an era, a carefree attitude and a joie de vivre that we are not about to find ... MAS-TER-FUL !
1972 ... song lyrics chiseled to perfection that often come close to the permissible limit. A provocative side that will forever remain its trademark ...
1972 ... he alternates with a certain brio festive piece and Intimist piece The proof with this new particularly inspired title ...
1972 ... we start again in the popular register. A register that has made its success and of which he is undoubtedly one of the best representatives
1973 ... here he signs one of the most beautiful titles of the decade and of the twentieth century on the French song side. A marvel of finesse and inspiration which definitively consecrates him as one of the greatest French singers of the time !
1973 ... one WONDER hunts another. An amazing year which sees him align two exceptional titles. And it is far from over !
1974 ... and always this alternation of festive songs, sumptuous Intimist titles but also protest, even controversial titles. With him, anything goes !
1974 ... the years go by and the mega hits follow one another. Here he signs a sublime Ultimate Slow which once again confirms the exceptional talent he has in this field
1974 ... a decidedly extraordinary inspiration which allows to align the most successful melodies as seldom at the time. MA-GIC !
1975 ... and we start again this new year on the hats of wheel once again. That's the case to say...
1975 ... surely one of his most emblematic titles. A sung tribute of incredible lyricism for the former flagship of the French navy. MAS-TER-FUL !
1976 ... a year 1976 which begins under the sign of celebration and once again carefree. The kind of song bordering on provocation that would literally be impossible to get on the air today ...
1976 ... a new WONDER, one more ! The artist is at the height of his art and his possibilities. And once again, it's far from over !
1976 ... still a very great Cru this year 1976 with a 3rd mega hit, once again in the Intimist register. But it excels everywhere so nothing surprises anymore !
1976 ... another title in which he will push the art of criticism and controversy to its climax. A shock title which will cause controversy at the time but with more than certain visionary realism ...
1977 ... and it goes on and on and on and on. Every title released turns into gold almost immediately !
1977 ... THIS title is a real turning point in the artist's career. Certainly, it is a particularly inspired title like the others. But it is above all the artist's first Dance hit. The first in a long series that will arrive in the years to follow ...
1978 ... one could say from this title that it is the artist's Mona Lisa. But there are so many other titles that deserve this title that we will be content to say that it is little to be a cut above all the others ... Yes, yes, it is possible !
1978 ... a title brought up to date in 2015 thanks to the particularly successful cover of Louanne. Like what, the artist's titles are now timeless and multi-generation !
1978 ... another year for the triplet of hits. It becomes a habit, even a mania !
1979 ... the last year of an exceptional 1970s decade for the artist. Everything will have smiled on him, he will have reached the heights of success as well as those of glory. The 1980s will be a little more complicated to manage ...
1980 ... but for now, nothing serious, the momentum remains the same and successes will follow one another during this year 1980
1980 ... a year 1980 which plays mainly in the Intimist. And it works perfectly, once again !
1981 ... which will surely remain as his Dance Masterpiece. An awesome title which definitely establishes him as one of the greatest also in this field
1981 ... and what to say about it ! What is incredible about him is the brilliance with which he alternates styles and rhythms. He is the only one able to go from a mega hit Dance to a title with Celtic connotations with such disconcerting ease ...
1982 ... another title whose recovery will be almost stronger than the original. And yes, this title is indeed from Michel Sardou and not from Chimène Badi !
1982 ... back to pure dance. In your opinion, success or not ? Mega success of course, one more !
1983 ... bringing together 2 of the biggest stars of the 1970s starts with a good feeling. Afterwards, the result is certainly nice but it will not speak more than that to the younger generations ...
1983 ... another title where the singer openly displays his political opinions, one more you might say. But with him, it became a habit ...
1984 ... another title where the singer openly displays his political opinions, one more you will tell me. But with him, it became a habit. Here, I have the impression of repeating myself ...
1985 ... then a small slump. The Singles that come out are a notch below its usual average and the successes are rarer ... Back in force in 1985 with this title where we find a Sardou in great shape !
1985 ... an Olympic form which is confirmed with this new colorful and particularly playful title !
1986 ... we go back to the Intimist, a field in which he has hardly ever experienced disappointment. And once again, it's a good job !
1986 ... undoubtedly one of the flagship titles of the decade on the French side. A sublime hymn to women and to the exotic, whose strength and scope of the message have grown considerably over the years ...
1987 ... more than 20 years after its beginnings, still present and still as effective. A longevity that we simply owe to a decidedly extraordinary talent ...
1987 ... another great year. Admittedly, the artist no longer touches the top of the Top50 as before, but the quality is still there and that is the essential !
1988 ... we're slowly heading into a new decade and my gosh, it went pretty well, all in all. This decade of 80 will not have had the same Aura as the previous one but frankly, it is clear that the artist's discography has grown even further with new successes on the clock and not the least !
1989 ... inspiration is once again at the rendez-vous and transcends this song which literally floats in the air ... MA-GIC !
1989 ... the last title of the decade. The artist is still in the game and has lost nothing of his splendor. It is clear that the following decade, accompanied by its cohort of exuberant and excessive sides will hardly be compatible with its style ...
1990 ... a start of the 90s on the hats of wheel with this particularly rhythmic title and which shows that the artist does not intend to be 'eaten' by the little young people without fighting to the end !
1992 ... another song that will be controversial but which nevertheless started from a good feeling : that of wanting to respond to a fan. Unfortunately, his critical words on the low value of the French Bac G will earn him a salvo of attacks in particular from eminent members of the National Education ...
1992 ... a beautiful tribute to this brilliant dialogue writer that was Michel Audiard. There are controversial songs and tribute songs. It's up to you to see which ones you prefer ...
1997 ... the rest will turn out to be much more chaotic. The titles that will come out in the 1990s will not know the success of those of previous decades. With a few exceptions. Like that...
1998 ... as paradoxical as it may seem, it will be necessary to wait for the following decade to find some favor with the public. Because, for this one, it is well and truly over. Anyway, an incredible career which will have spanned 4 decades and which will have left in French musical history many treasures of which he can be particularly proud !
2000 ... what we do not necessarily know is that Sardou will join Fugain on this one : Sardou will write the lyrics and Fugain will compose the music. Dream duo as we say !
2004 ... even if the artist has gone out of fashion for a long time, what he continues to produce largely holds up. Talent is not lost as they say ...
2004 ... it is this magical duo, even this trio, which will see him return to the front of the stage in a shattering way. With 2 partners of the caliber of Garou and Didier Barbelivien, the result could only be of a very high level ...
2005 ... always these words which hit the mark and which each time sum up very well the general mood of the society of the moment. Punchy words that have always been his strength as much as his weakness ...
2005 ... he still believes in it but unfortunately there is only him to believe in it. The decade 2000 will relegate him slowly, but inevitably, to the oblivion of contemporary musical history ...
2006 ... a once again controversial title which will be accused of being a promotional title for one of the future candidates for the presidency of the Republic, namely a certain...Nicolas Sarkozy ! Decidedly, on the provocative side, the decades follow and repeat ...
2007 ... the last title of the decade but certainly not the last one. Because with him, nothing is ever over, you have to know that !
2010 ... and here he is entering his 6th decade of career. Always there, always ready to do battle no matter what. A will to believe in it always and again which necessarily commands respect !
2010 ... he tries everything for all with this luxury duo. Despite a title of more than certain quality, this magical duo will not manage to produce THE title that could have allowed him to make a resounding comeback on the front of the stage ...
2017 ... the production of titles becomes more and more episodic. Times are hard for the artist and to continue to exist for a little while is an outright feat now ...
2017 ... the last major title. A little over 50 years after its debut, could the circle be coming full circle ? To be continued as they say ...
2022...
2023...
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