The History of Music Genres
Make Way For Yé-yé
The History Of The 1960’s Popular French Genre
French Counterculture
Jazz and Chanson were the dominant genres of the time. As the Americans welcomed the rebellious rock of the British invasion, the French were experiencing their own counterculture genre. While the Americans were protesting the war and promoting free love, the French were flourishing under a post-war reconstruction age. As French high culture continued to enjoy traditional jazz singers like Maurice Chevalier and chanson singers like Edith Piaf, the youth were celebrating a different sound. Young Gallic people at the time celebrated rock and roll and championed the era’s youthful and chic beauty.
Critics recognized the turning of the tide during a massive, 100,000 audience(!) packed festival at the Nation in Pairs in 1963. The main attraction, the universally beloved couple and rock stars Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan shocked the country with their electrifying performance. While fans were screaming with uncontainable glee, around 500–1000 blousons de noirs barged their way into the crowd to cause chaos and destruction. These youths broke windows, destroyed stores, and chased concert goers around. Apparently, they were angry about political issues like France’s war in Algeria…
