French rock is a form of rock music produced in France, primarily in the French language.
In the 1970s, France saw the arrival of Alan Stivell's Breton folk-rock as well as a wave of progressive rock bands like Ange, Shylock, Magma, Eskaton, Atoll and Pulsar. French punk rock also appeared, including bands like Stinky Toys, Oberkampf and Métal Urbain. It was during this period that a few other variety music artists - Catherine Ribeiro, Jacques Higelin, Bernard Lavilliers and others - flirted with rock, but without completely changing over.
Things changed course in the 1980s. The changing of the political culture was accompanied by an explosion in youth culture. This helped the emergence of a distinct French rock that could match the lucrativeness of American and British rock music. At this time, French progressive rock was peaking, with the bands Dün, Terpandre and Emeraude achieving the most success. Téléphone (pub rock), and La Muerte (psychobilly) also took French rock to new levels.
In the following lists, artists and groups are classified by their decade of origin, even if their career spans multiple decades, or if they took time to become famous.
Famous quotes containing the words french and/or rock:
“The Russians imitate French ways, but always at a distance of fifty years.”
—Stendhal [Marie Henri Beyle] (1783–1842)
“Under that rock that holds
the first swift kiss
of the spring-sun’s white, incandescent breath,
I’d seek
you flowers.”
—Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961)