The discography of French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg consists of 16 studio albums, 4 live albums, 1 compilation album, 80 singles and EPS, and several soundtrack albums.
Albums Studio albums YearAlbumChartSalesCertificationsFR1958 Du chant à la une1371959 N° 2–1961L'Étonnant Serge Gainsbourg–1962Serge Gainsbourg N° 4–1963 Gainsbourg Confidentiel–1964 Gainsbourg Percussions–1968 Initials B.B.–1969 Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg41971 Histoire de Melody Nelson561973Vu de l'extérieur–1975 Rock around the bunker51976 L'Homme à tête de chou85 SNEP: Gold1979 Aux armes et cætera1 FRA: 650,000 SNEP: Platinum1981Mauvaises nouvelles des étoiles47 SNEP: Gold1984 Love on the Beat3 SNEP: Platinum1987 You're Under Arrest2 SNEP: Platinum
Live albums 1980: Enregistrement public au Théâtre Le Palace (re-released in 2006 as Gainsbourg... et cætera – Enregistrement public au Théâtre Le Palace in an expanded edition) 1986: Gainsbourg Live (Casino de Paris) 1989: Le Zénith de Gainsbourg 2001: 1963 Théâtre des Capucines
Compilation albums 1968: Bonnie & Clyde (with Brigitte Bardot) 2021: L'Album de sa vie (100 titles) (Peak FR: #19, BEL (Wa): #89)
Selected film scores 1964: How Do You Like My Sister? 1967: Anna 1968: Le Pacha 1969: Slogan 1970: Cannabis (instrumental) 1970: La Horse 1976: Je t'aime moi non plus – Ballade de Johnny-Jane (instrumental) 1977: Madame Claude (instrumental) 1977: Goodbye Emmanuelle (instrumental) 1980: Je vous aime (only three pieces sung by Gainsbourg, including one sung with Catherine Deneuve; one song performed by Gérard Depardieu) 1986: Putain de film ! – B.O.F. Tenue de soirée
Editions De Gainsbourg à Gainsbarre (1989, 1994, Philips) A 207-track survey of Gainsbourg's career from 1959 to 1981 on nine CDs, issued both separately and in a box: Vol. 1 – Le Poinçonneur Des Lilas, 1959-1960; Vol. 2 – La Javanaise, 1961-1963; Vol. 3 – Couleur Café, 1963-1964; Vol. 4 – Initials B.B., 1966-1968; Vol. 5 – Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus, 1969-1971; Vol. 6 – Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que Je M'en Vais, 1973-1975; Vol. 7 – L'Homme à Tête de Chou, 1975-1981; Vol. 8 – Aux Armes et Cætera, 1979-1981; and Vol. 9 – Anna, 1967–1980. A two-CD highlights collection, also called De Gainsbourg à Gainsbarre, was culled from this edition in 1990. The box was reissued in 1994 with two more discs containing the later albums Love on the Beat (1984) and You're Under Arrest (1987). Gainsbourg Forever (2001, Mercury) An 18-CD box issued to mark the tenth anniversary of Gainsbourg's death containing each of his sixteen studio albums and the EP Essais Pour Signature (1958) in its original format (one per CD), plus a disc of rarities, Inédits, Les Archives 1958-1981. A separate 3-CD box, Le Cinéma de Serge Gainsbourg: Musiques de Films 1959–1990 (2001, Mercury) covered his film music. Serge Gainsbourg Intégrale (2011, Philips) A 20-CD, 271-track box issued to mark the twentieth anniversary of Gainsbourg's death. The first sixteen discs contain his studio albums and related tracks. They are followed by a disc of singles, a disc of television and radio recordings, and two discs of film music.
Albums written for other artists 1973: Di doo dah – Jane Birkin 1975: Lolita Go Home – Jane Birkin (about half of the album) 1977: Rock'n rose – Alain Chamfort 1978: Ex fan des sixties – Jane Birkin 1980: Guerre et pets – Jacques Dutronc (about two-thirds of the album) 1981: Amour année zéro – Alain Chamfort 1981: Souviens-toi de m'oublier – Catherine Deneuve 1982: Play blessures – Alain Bashung 1983: Isabelle Adjani (or Pull marine) – Isabelle Adjani 1983: Baby Alone in Babylone – Jane Birkin 1986: Charlotte for Ever – Charlotte Gainsbourg 1987: Lost Song – Jane Birkin 1989: Made in China – Bambou 1990: Amours des feintes – Jane Birkin 1990: Variations sur le même t'aime – Vanessa Paradis Furthermore, several albums by Jane Birkin released after Gainsbourg's death were devoted to Gainsbourg material, including Versions Jane (1996), Arabesque (2002) and Birkin/Gainsbourg : Le Symphonique (2017). Additionally, most Jane Birkin live albums feature almost entirely or entirely Gainsbourg material.
Selected tribute albums and posthumous releases 1995: Intoxicated Man (tribute album by Mick Harvey) 1995: Gainsbourgsion! (tribute album by April March) 1997: Pink Elephants (tribute album by Mick Harvey) 1997: Great Jewish Music: Serge Gainsbourg (tribute album) 1997: Comic Strip (collection of songs recorded between 1966 and 1969) 2001: I Love Serge: Electronicagainsbourg (remix album) 2005: Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited (tribute album) 2008: Classé X (compilation) 2008: Gainsbourg Gainbegiratuz (tribute) 2011: Best of Gainsbourg: Comme Un Boomerang (compilation) 2016: Delirium Tremens (tribute album by Mick Harvey) 2017: Intoxicated Women (tribute album by Mick Harvey) 2020 Serge Vie Heroique (tribute tape by Serge Nikos)
Singles and EPs The majority of his EPs (represented in italics) were also released as 7-inch promo jukebox singles.
YearSinglePeak chart positionsAUTBE (WA)FRANLNORSUIUKUS1958Le Poinçonneur des Lilas – – – – – – – –1959La Jambe de bois (Friedland) – – – – – – – –Le Claqueur de doigts – – – – – – – –L'Anthracite – – – – – – – –1960L'Eau à la bouche – 49 – – – – – –Les Loups dans la bergerie – – – – – – – –Romantique 60 – – – – – – – –1961La Chanson de Prévert – – – – – – – –Les Oubliettes – – – – – – – –1962Les Goémons – – – – – – – –1963Vilaine fille, mauvais garçon – – – – – – – –Strip-tease – – – – – – – –1964Comment trouvez-vous ma sœur ? – – – – – – – –Chez les yé-yé – – – – – – – –Couleur Café – – – – – – – –1966Qui est "In", Qui est "Out" – 47 – – – – – –1967Vidocq – – – – – – – –Anna – – – – – – – –Toutes folles de lui – – – – – – – –Comic Strip – 45 – – – – – –L'Horizon – – – – – – – –1968"Bonnie and Clyde" (with Brigitte Bardot) – 18 – – – – – –"Manon 70" – – – – – – – –"Requiem pour un con" – – 49 – – – – –"Ce sacré grand-père" – – – – – – – –"Initials B.B." – 42 93 – – – – –Mister Freedom – – 80 – – – – –"L'anamour" – – – – – – – –1969"Élisa" – – – – – – – –"Je t'aime... moi non plus" (with Jane Birkin) 1 2 3 2 1 1 1 58"La Chanson de Slogan" (with Jane Birkin) – – – – – – – –"La Horse" – – 94 – – – – –1970"Un petit garçon appelé Charlie Brown" – – – – – – – –"Cannabis" – – – – – – – –1971"Ballade de Melody Nelson" – – 29 – – – – –1972"La Décadanse" (with Jane Birkin) – 13 47 – – – – –"Sex-Shop" – – – – – – – –"Moogy-Woogy" – – – – – – – –1973"Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais" – 35 73 – – – – –1974"Je t'aime... moi non plus" (re-release) – – – 4 – – 31 –1975"Rock Around the Bunker" – 47 – – – – – –"L'Ami Caouette" – 31 – – – – – –1976"Marilou sous la neige" – 50 – – – – – –"Ballade de Johnny-Jane" – – – – – – – –1977"Madame Claude" – – – – – – – –"My Lady Héroïne" – 47 – – – – – –"Good Bye Emmanuelle" – – – – – – – –"Chanson du chevalier blanc" – – – – – – – –1978"Sea, Sex and Sun" – – – – – – – –1979"Des laids, des laids" / "Aux armes et cætera" – – – – – – – –"Vieille Canaille" – – – – – – – –1980"Harley Davidson" – – – – – – – –"Requiem pour un twister" – – – – – – – –"Dieu fumeur de Havanes" (with Catherine Deneuve) – – 8 – – – – –1981"Souviens-toi de m'oublier" (with Catherine Deneuve) – – – – – – – –"Le Physique et le figuré" – – – – – – – –"Ecce Homo" – – – – – – – –1982"Bana Basadi Balalo" – – – – – – – –1984"Love on the Beat" – – – – – – – –1985"Lemon Incest" (with Charlotte Gainsbourg) – – 2 – – – – –"No Comment" – – – – – – – –1986"Vieille Canaille" (with Eddy Mitchell) – – 17 – – – – –"Je t'aime... moi non plus" (with Brigitte Bardot) – – – – – – – –"Charlotte Forever" (with Charlotte Gainsbourg) – – – – – – – –1987"You're Under Arrest" – – 47 – – – – –1988"Aux enfants de la chance" – – 35 – – – – –"Mon Légionnaire" – – – – – – – –1989"Hey Man Amen" (Live) – – – – – – – –"Couleur Café" (Live) – – – – – – – –1990"Stan the Flasher" – – – – – – – –1991"Requiem Pour un Con" (Remix 91) – – 8 – – – – –1995"Élisa" (re-release) – – 36 – – – – –2000"Je t'aime" (The Mixes) – – – – – – – –2003"Lola Rastaquouère" – – – – – – – –Marilou Reggae – – – – – – – –"Aux Armes!" (featuring Big Youth) – – – – – – – –2010"Les Cœurs Verts" – – – – – – – –Le Jardinier d'Argenteuil – – – – – – – –Si j'étais un espion – – – – – – – –2011"Comme un boomerang" – – 40 – – – – –2017"Équateur" – – – – – – – –2020À la Maison de la Radio – – – – – – – –
Notes
Singles written for other artists "Laisse tomber les filles" (1964) – France Gall "N’écoute pas les idoles" (1964) – France Gall "Les Incorruptibles" (1965) – Petula Clark "La Gadoue" (1965) – Petula Clark "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" (1965) – France Gall "Attends ou va-t'en" (1965) – France Gall "Nous ne sommes pas des anges" (1965) – France Gall "Baby Pop" (1966) – France Gall "Les Sucettes" (1966) – France Gall "Les Papillons Noirs" (1966) – Michèle Arnaud "Harley Davidson" – Brigitte Bardot "Teenie Weenie Boppie" (1967) – France Gall "Ne dis rien" (1967) – Anna Karina "Comment te dire adieu?" (1968) – Françoise Hardy (lyrics) "Betty Jane Rose" (1978) – Bijou "Joujou à la casse" (1979) – Alain Chamfort "Manureva" (1979) – Alain Chamfort "Amour Puissance Six" (1989) – Viktor Lazlo "Dis-lui toi que je t'aime" (1990) – Vanessa Paradis "White and Black Blues" (1990) – Joëlle Ursull (lyrics by Gainsbourg)
References