Chanson

Chanson (French for "song") qualifies most French-language singers/songwriters for whom the quality of the text is essential and where the rhythm of the music follows that of the text. Early 20th century chansonniers like Maurice Chevalier, Mistinguett, Charles Trenet, Rina Ketty and Édith Piaf were mostly inspired by Cabaret, Musette and various forms of entertainment music. This is the root of the category "musique de variétés", which is a French concept and marketing term close to the American Adult Contemporary. In the 1950s, some singers began to acknowledge the artistic potential of chanson and write songs in an assumed literary approach. These singers often drew their inspiration from poetry writers, hence this category of chanson is sometimes called Chanson à texte. The main figures were Georges Brassens, Jacques Brel, Léo Ferré as well as Boris Vian, Barbara and early Serge Gainsbourg.