France best selling albums ever:
Summary 2000-2015

PER Album TYPE

Debut Albums

01 Garou – Seul (2000) : 1 970 000
02 Christophe Maé – Mon Paradis (2007) : 1 610 000
03 Norah Jones – Come Away With Me (2002) : 1 590 000
04 Mika – Life In Cartoon Motion (2007) : 1 425 000
05 Carla Bruni – Quelqu’Un M’A Dit (2002) : 1 405 000
06 L5 – L5 (2001) : 1 260 000
07 Kendji Girac – Kendji (2014) : 1 175 000
08 Zaz – Zaz (2010) : 1 100 000

The Top 2 best selling debuts are both from former Musicals stars, Garou and Maé. The latter, along with Zaz and young Kendji Girac are likely the most alive artists among the list.

English Albums

01 Adele – 21 (2011) : 1 850 000
02 Norah Jones – Come Away With Me (2002) : 1 590 000
03 Mika – Life In Cartoon Motion (2007) : 1 425 000
04 Amy Winehouse – Back To Black (2006) : 1 300 000
05 Seal – Soul (2008) : 1 080 000
06 Beatles – One (2000) : 1 060 000

One of the most surprising list mostly because it reveals there have been only six English speaking albums selling a million released in last 15 years. The Top 4 is especially strong yet. Norah Jones seemed uncatchable for long but the arrival of Adele blockbuster album changed the game.

Non English/French Albums

01 Manu Chao – Proxima Estacion Esperanza (2001) : 1 065 000
02 Laura Pausini – E Ritorno (2001) : 1 005 000

Those are the two albums that are nor in French neither in English. They are respectively mostly Spanish and mostly Italian albums.

Best Of Albums

01 Mylène Farmer – Les Mots (2001) : 1 550 000
02 Beatles – One (2000) : 1 060 000
03 Laura Pausini – E Ritorno (2001) : 1 005 000

Mylène Farmer doesn’t hold the best selling hits package as it is often claimed, nevertheless she is #1 as far as XXIth century albums are concerned. Those three albums have been released in 2000-2001 reflecting both this sets need time to build large sales and that digital world decreased their worth significantly as it is often easier to barely download the one or two hits we are looking for.

Cover Albums

01 Patrick Bruel – Entre Deux (2002) : 2 230 000
02 Star Academy 2 – Chante Les Années 80 (2002) : 1 080 000
03 Seal – Soul (2008) : 1 080 000
04 Star Academy – L’Album (2001) : 1 030 000
05 Compilation – Génération Goldman (2012) : 1 000 000

Mostly cash-in records, some still managed massive figures, most notably Patrick Bruel.

Statistics

• Total number of million sellers: 44
• Multiple million sellers: Yannick Noah (3), Calogero (2)
• Oldest act: Henri Salvador, 82

Per Year

• 2000 – 9
• 2001 – 8
• 2002 – 8
• 2003 – 3
• 2004 – 3
• 2005 – 2
• 2006 – 2
• 2007 – 3
• 2008 – 1
• 2009 – 0
• 2010 – 1
• 2011 – 1
• 2012 – 1
• 2013 – 1
• 2014 – 1
• 2015 – 0

FRANCE best selling 2000-2015 ALBUMS

01 Patrick Bruel – Entre Deux (2002) : 2 230 000
02 Renaud – Boucan D’Enfer (2002) : 2 130 000
03 Stromae – Racine Carrée (2013) : 2 000 000
04 Garou – Seul (2000) : 1 970 000
05 Adele – 21 (2011) : 1 850 000
06 Jean-Jacques Goldman – Chansons Pour Les Pieds (2001) : 1 770 000
07 Johnny Hallyday – À La Vie, À La Mort (2002) : 1 750 000
08 Bruno Coulais – Les Choristes (2004) : 1 720 000
09 Yannick Noah – Yannick Noah (2000) : 1 650 000
10 Christophe Maé – Mon Paradis (2007) : 1 610 000
11 Norah Jones – Come Away With Me (2002) : 1 590 000
12 Mylène Farmer – Les Mots (2001) : 1 550 000
13 Raphael – Caravane (2005) : 1 525 000
14 Comédie musicale – Roméo et Juliette (2000) : 1 490 000
15 Hélène Ségara – Au Nom D’Une Femme (2000) : 1 470 000
16 Henri Salvador – Chambre Avec Vue (2000) : 1 460 000
17 Mika – Life In Cartoon Motion (2007) : 1 425 000
18 Calogero – Calogero (2002) : 1 420 000
19 Carla Bruni – Quelqu’Un M’A Dit (2002) : 1 405 000
20 Calogero – 3 (2004) : 1 360 000
21 Kyo – Le Chemin (2003) : 1 330 000
22 Gérald de Palmas – Marcher Dans Le Sable (2000) : 1 310 000
23 Amy Winehouse – Back To Black (2006) : 1 300 000
24 Yannick Noah – Pokhara (2003) : 1 295 000
25 Yannick Noah – Charango (2006) : 1 275 000
26 L5 – L5 (2001) : 1 260 000
27 Noir Désir – Des Visages Et Des Figures (2001) : 1 230 000
28 Indochine – Paradize (2002) : 1 225 000
29 Bénabar – Reprise Des Négociations (2005) : 1 200 000
30 Comédie musicale – Les Dix Commandements (2000) : 1 180 000
31 Kendji Girac – Kendji (2014) : 1 175 000
32 Isabelle Boulay – Mieux Qu’Ici-Bas (2000) : 1 125 000
33 Zaz – Zaz (2010) : 1 100 000
34 Yann Tiersen – Amélie Poulain (2001) : 1 090 000
35 Star Academy 2 – Chante Les Années 80 (2002) : 1 080 000
36 Seal – Soul (2008) : 1 080 000
37 Florent Pagny – Ailleurs Land (2003) : 1 075 000
38 Manu Chao – Proxima Estacion Esperanza (2001) : 1 065 000
39 Beatles – One (2000) : 1 060 000
40 Michel Sardou – Du Plaisir (2004) : 1 050 000
41 Grégory Lemarchal – La Voix D’Un Ange (2007) : 1 040 000
42 Star Academy – L’Album (2001) : 1 030 000
43 Laura Pausini – E Ritorno (2001) : 1 005 000
44 Compilation – Génération Goldman (2012) : 1 000 000

As usual, feel free to comment and / or ask a question!