Hi Henrik, here's a ranked list from a weekly french news publication which usually tackles with politics and social issues but it also covers a large cultural ground. This one came out in January 1991. More than 40 critics voted and it was done in conjunction with FRANCE INTER (a national radio) and the SACEM (an author's rights society). I found it on www.infodisc.fr; a site based on artists' sales.

1-Jacques DUTRONC - Il Est 5 Heures, Paris S'éveille (1968)
2-Jacques BREL - Ne Me Quitte Pas (1959)
3-Gérard MANSET - Il Voyage En Solitaire (1974)
4-Léo FERRE - Avec Le Temps (1970)
5-Yves MONTAND - Les Feuilles Mortes (1955)
6-Edith PIAF - La Vie En Rose (1956)
7-LES RITA MITSOUKO - Marcia Baila (1984)
8-Alain BASHUNG - Gaby Oh Gaby (1980)
9-Johnny HALLYDAY - Retiens La Nuit (1962)
10-Serge GAINSBOURG - Je T'aime...Moi Non Plus (1969)
11-Charles TRENET - La Mer (1955)
12-Jacques BREL - Amsterdam (1964)
13-Georges BRASSENS - Chanson Pour L'Auvergnat (1956)
14-Francoise HARDY - Tous Les Garcons Et Les Filles (1962)
15-Serge GAINSBOURG - La Javanaise (1962)
16-CHRISTOPHE - Les Mots Bleus (1975)
17-ANTOINE - Les Elucubrations D'Antoine (1966)
18-Michel POLNAREFF - Le Bal Des Laze (1968)
19-BARBARA - Dis, Quand Reviendras-Tu ? (1964)
20-Nino FERRER - Le Sud (1975)
21-Claude NOUGARO - Une Petite Fille (1962)
22-Charles AZNAVOUR - La Boheme (1965)
23-Alain BASHUNG - Vertige De L'Amour (1981)
24-Henri SALVADOR - Syracuse (1962)
25-Robert CHARLEBOIS & Louise FORESTIER - Lindbergh (1969)
26-CHRISTOPHE - Aline (1965)
27-Serge GAINSBOURG - Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que Je M'en Vais (1974)
28-Vanessa PARADIS - Joe Le Taxi (1987)
29-Edith PIAF - Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien (1961)
30-Charles TRENET - Que Reste-T-Il De Nos Amours ? (1955)
31-Serge GAINSBOURG - Le Poinconneur Des Lilas (1958)
32-Claude FRANCOIS - Comme D'habitude (1968)
33-Jacques DUTRONC - Et Moi Et Moi Et Moi (1966)
34-Georges BRASSENS - Les Copains D'abord (1965)
35-Eddy MITCHELL - Couleur Menthe A L'eau (1980)
36-Richard ANTHONY - Et J'entends Siffler Le Train (1962)
37-Gilbert BECAUD - Et Maintenant (1962)
38-MOULOUDJI - Le Déserteur (1955)
39-Johnny HALLYDAY - Quelque Chose De Tennessee (1985)
40-Léo FERRE - Jolie Mome (1961)
41-Edith PIAF - Milord (1959)
42-Georges BRASSENS - Bancs Publics (1956)
43-Johnny HALLYDAY - Que Je T'aime (1969)
44-LES RITA MITSOUKO - C'est Comme Ca (1986)
45-BARBARA - Ma Plus Belle Histoire D'amour (1965)
46-Michel POLNAREFF - Love Me Please Love Me (1966)
47-Charles AZNAVOUR - Je M'voyais Deja (1960)
48-LES CHATS SAUVAGES - Twist A Saint Tropez (1962)
49-Francis CABREL - C'est Ecrit (1989)
50-Guy BEART - Bal Chez Temporel (1958)
51-Jean FERRAT - La Montagne (1964)
52-Pierre BAROUH & Nicole CROISILLE - Un Homme Et Une Femme (1966)
53-Jeanne MOREAU - Le Tourbillon (1962)
54-Michel DELPECH - Chez Laurette (1965)
55-Francis CABREL - Je L'aime A Mourir (1979)
56-Alain SOUCHON - Allo Maman Bobo (1977)
57-Brigitte BARDOT - Harley Davidson (1967)
58-Laurent VOULZY - Belle-Ile-En Mer (1985)
59-BARBARA - Gottingen (1965)
60-Jean Jacques GOLDMAN - Quand La Musique Est Bonne (1982)
61-Johnny HALLYDAY - Elle Est Terrible (1963)
62-Julien CLERC - La Californie (1969)
63-Daniel BALAVOINE - L'aziza (1985)
64-Michel SARDOU - La Maladie D'amour (1973)
65-Jacques Higelin - Pars (1978)
66-Charlélie COUTURE - Comme Un Avion Sans Ailes (1981)
67-Maxime LE FORESTIER - San Francisco (1973)
68-Ronnie BIRD - Fais Attention (1965)
69-Joe DASSIN - L' Ete Indien (1975)
70-Charles TRENET - Nationale 7 (1955)
71-France GALL - Les Sucettes (1966)
72-Colette MAGNY - Mélocoton (1963)
73-Hervé VILARD - Capri C'est Fini (1965)
74-Jean-Louis MURAT - Si Je Devais Manquer De Toi (1987)
75-Julien CLERC - Ma Préference (1978)
76-Dario MORENO - Si Tu Vas A Rio (1958)
77-Jacques DUTRONC - Les Plays Boys (1967)
78-Hugues AUFRAY - La Fille Du Nord (1966)
79-TELEPHONE - Un Autre Monde (1984)
80-Boby LAPOINTE - Aragon Et Castille (1961)
81-Anna KARINA - Sous Le Soleil Exactement (1967)
82-Nino FERRER - Mirza (1965)
83-Claude NOUGARO - O Toulouse (1967)
84-Eddy MITCHELL - Toujours Un Coin Qui Me Rappelle (1964)
85-Mort SHUMAN - Le Lac Majeur (1972)
86-Yves SIMON - Au Pays Des Merveilles De Juliet (1973)
87-TRUST - Antisocial (1980)
88-Jane BIRKIN - Fuir Le Bonheur De Peur Qu'il Ne Se Sauve (1983)
89-RENAUD - Mistral Gagnant (1985)
90- THE GIPSY KINGS - Djobi Djoba (1988)
91-NIAGARA - Soleil D'hiver (1988)
92-Philippe LAVIL & Jocelyn BEROARD - Kolé Séré (1987)
93-Plastic BERTRAND - Ca Plane Pour Moi (1978)
94-Mylene FARMER - Pourvu Qu'elles Soient Douces (1988)
95-MANO NEGRA - Pas Assez De Toi (1988)
96-Sylvie VARTAN - La Plus Belle Pour Aller Danser (1964)
97-Etienne DAHO - Bleu Comme Toi (1988)
98-Serge REGGIANI - Les Loups Sont Entrés Dans Paris (1967)
99-LIO - Banana Spit (1980)
100-Johnny HALLYDAY - Excuse-Moi Partenaire (1963)

yes I knew that list, but I didn't know if this could be included..
Anyway, good list
To my mind brassens and Gainsbourg are a little too low

Why not? Looks good to me. Thanks Olivier!

i just thought you couldn't put "foreign only" stuff
But if you accept that, it has to be included, of course

Interesting list (although I admit that I know barely one third of the material). Hope the inclusion if the list could help to appear on AM lists such wonderful songs as “Avec le temps” or “Amsterdam”. Anyway I miss on the list more Brel numbers (“Les paumés du petit matin”, “Mathilde” or “Jef” for instance) or Brassens’ “La mauvaise reputation”. And, of course, the post-1991 material…

I'm agree with Honorio. I miss on the list more Brel numbers, too. Specially my favourite song of this artist: Vesoul. Here is a videoclip of this song, with English subtitles:

miguel
Vesoul, along with Amsterdam, is also my favorite Brel number ! I love this video
and there is his swansong album of his comeback in 1977 which is absolutely wonderful

Honorio, I just wanted to inform you that the song "La Mauvaise Réputation" is actually on the B-Side of the 45 Tours voted #13. It is quite similar to the EP in its format. At that time, they had 4 Songs on it. In this case, it was :
A1-Chanson Pour L'Auvergnat (Elle Est A Toi Cette Chanson)
A2-La Priere
A3-Une Jolie Fleur (dans une peau d'vache)
A4-La Mauvaise Réputation I was surprised to see that it was ranked #3 EP of the year 1956 on RATE YOUR MUSIC; just behind The Platters "Only You" and the King's "Heartbreak Hotel". "Les Sabots d'Hélene" is #4.

Merci beaucoup, Olivier. I like a lot this particular Brassens song (and “La mala reputación”, a cover made by Paco Ibáñez, an Spanish artist exiled in France for political reasons).

I know paco Ibanez covers of brassens
i like also the one he made of "Saturne"