Jacques Brel & Chanson

The song tradition, and the man who defined it. Brel at the Olympia, 'Ne me quitte pas' and 'Amsterdam', plus the Flemish and Walloon songwriters either side of him, words first, and a voice close to the microphone.

Part of The Belgian Sound

26 moments in this segment.

1. 1959-01-01 - Jacques Brel - "Ne me quitte pas". Jacques Brel, Belgium's towering chansonnier, and his most famous song.
2. 1962-01-01 - Jacques Brel - "Madeleine". poor jacques.
3. 1962-02-02 - Jacques Brel - "Le Plat Pays". Brel's hymn to the flat country of Flanders.
4. 1963-03-03 - Jacques Brel - "Les Vieux". Brel's tender portrait of old age.
5. 1963-04-04 - Salvatore Adamo - "Tombe la neige". Salvatore Adamo, the Belgian-Italian crooner and his worldwide hit.
6. 1964-01-01 - Jacques Brel - Amsterdam. Jacques Brel, the towering Belgian chansonnier, performing 'Amsterdam'.
7. 1965-02-02 - Salvatore Adamo - "Vous permettez, Monsieur". Adamo's tender dancefloor ballad.
8. 1966-01-01 - Jacques Brel - Ne me quitte pas. Brel's 'Ne me quitte pas' is one of the most covered songs in the world.
9. 1966-03-03 - Jacques Brel - "Quand on n'a que l'amour". Brel's early anthem of love as the only thing that matters.
10. 1966 - Jacques Brel - "Amsterdam" (live). Brel's thunderous live 'Amsterdam', the peak of his stagecraft (1966).
11. 1966 - Brel - the last concert legacy. Brel's enduring legacy 35 years on (1966).
12. 1967-06-06 - Salvatore Adamo - "Inch'Allah". Adamo's much-covered ballad.
13. 1977-02-02 - Plastic Bertrand - "Ça plane pour moi". Plastic Bertrand's punk-pop novelty, a global earworm.
14. 1978-04-04 - Frédéric François - Belgian varieté. Frédéric François, a Belgian varieté mainstay.
15. 1980-07-07 - Annie Cordy - "Tata Yoyo". Annie Cordy, Belgium's beloved variety star.
16. 1981-03-03 - Oscar Benton - "Bensonhurst Blues". Oscar Benton, whose blues ballad was a huge Belgian hit.
17. 1982-05-05 - TC Matic - "Oh La La La". TC Matic's angular new-wave rock-chanson.
18. 1991-09-09 - Maurane - the Brussels chanson-jazz voice. Maurane, singing in French with a jazz inflection.
19. 1993-07-07 - Axelle Red - "Sensualité". Axelle Red, the Flemish soul-pop voice singing in French.
20. 1994-06-06 - Maurane - "Toutes les mamas". Maurane's soulful signature.
21. 1996-09-09 - Lara Fabian - "Je t'aime". Lara Fabian, the Belgian-Italian pop diva.
22. 1999-10-10 - Arno - "Les Yeux de ma mère". Arno solo, the gravel-voiced Ostend legend.
23. 2000 - TC Matic - "Putain Putain". Arno's TC Matic, the raw voice of Belgian rock-chanson (2000).
24. 2005-01-01 - Arno - Les Yeux de ma mère. Arno, the gravel-voiced godfather of Belgian rock.
25. 2005-11-11 - Arno - "Oostende Bonsoir". Arno's love song to his home city Ostend.
26. 2013-07-07 - Arno & Stromae - "Putain Putain" (live). Arno with Stromae, two generations of Belgian song meeting on the Putain Putain anthem.