France best selling albums ever:
Summary 2000-2015

introduction

Since almost three weeks we have been going threw all million selling albums since 2000 in France. Pre-2000 albums will shortly follow, but it is time to stop for a minute in order to summarize all results. On following pages, you will be presented with various rankings of bestselling Studio album, Foreign album, Female album etc. with short comments per section. Obviously, the comprehensive ranking is also presented, containing all 44 million sellers released during our century. Let’s go!

Per Act Type

Female Albums

01 Adele – 21 (2011) : 1 850 000
02 Norah Jones – Come Away With Me (2002) : 1 590 000
03 Mylène Farmer – Les Mots (2001) : 1 550 000
04 Hélène Ségara – Au Nom D’Une Femme (2000) : 1 470 000
05 Carla Bruni – Quelqu’Un M’A Dit (2002) : 1 405 000
06 Amy Winehouse – Back To Black (2006) : 1 300 000
07 L5 – L5 (2001) : 1 260 000
08 Isabelle Boulay – Mieux Qu’Ici-Bas (2000) : 1 125 000
09 Zaz – Zaz (2010) : 1 100 000
10 Laura Pausini – E Ritorno (2001) : 1 005 000

In a market massively dominated by local acts, the 10 million selling female albums is strangely leaded by a couple of international singers, Adele and Norah Jones. The top also contains two hits packages, by Mylène Farmer and Laura Pausini. Both facts together mean Hélène Ségara still has the best selling studio album for a local female act. Along with Zaz they are incredibly enough the only two artists from the list born in France. Adele remains the most recent million selling female artist. No female managed more than one million seller.

Band Albums

01 Kyo – Le Chemin (2003) : 1 330 000
02 Noir Désir – Des Visages Et Des Figures (2001) : 1 230 000
03 Indochine – Paradize (2002) : 1 225 000
04 Beatles – One (2000) : 1 060 000

A mere four bands got a million selling album since 2000. Interestingly, they are all different bands, although all rock-related. There is no international band who managed the trick with a studio album, even if Muse and Coldplay came close. The Beatles are up there still, with the compilation One.

Male Albums

01 Patrick Bruel – Entre Deux (2002) : 2 230 000
02 Stromae – Racine Carrée (2013) : 2 000 000
03 Garou – Seul (2000) : 1 970 000
04 Renaud – Boucan D’Enfer (2002) : 1 950 000
05 Jean-Jacques Goldman – Chansons Pour Les Pieds (2001) : 1 770 000
06 Johnny Hallyday – À La Vie, À La Mort (2002) : 1 750 000
07 Yannick Noah – Yannick Noah (2000) : 1 650 000
08 Christophe Maé – Mon Paradis (2007) : 1 610 000
09 Raphael – Caravane (2005) : 1 525 000
10 Henri Salvador – Chambre Avec Vue (2000) : 1 460 000

Patrick Bruel manages the best selling album of the century although it isn’t his personal best, talk about a crazy feat. Unlike Female ranking, this one is destroyed by local acts, in fact, they are all local acts. Stromae 2013 album defyed market laws to end as high as #2. This list contains half-veterans (Bruel, Renaud, Goldman, Hallyday, Salvador) and half youngters at the time (Stromae, Garou, Noah, Maé, Raphael). By the way, I’m sticking with Top 10 only as comprehensive ranking is displayed in following pages.

Various Artists Albums

01 Bruno Coulais – Les Choristes (2004) : 1 720 000
02 Comédie musicale – Roméo et Juliette (2000) : 1 490 000
03 Comédie musicale – Les Dix Commandements (2000) : 1 180 000
04 Yann Tiersen – Amélie Poulain (2001) : 1 090 000
05 Star Academy 2 – Chante Les Années 80 (2002) : 1 080 000
06 Star Academy – L’Album (2001) : 1 030 000
07 Compilation – Génération Goldman (2012) : 1 000 000

Two soundtracks, two musicals, two TV shows albums, one compilation of covers. Most of them barely sold a million although Les Choristes is one of the very best sellers of the century.