French icon and national treasure Serge Gainsbourg was no stranger to sexual proclivities, his provocative releases often causing uproar and dividing public opinion in his time. Today, he is regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, dabbling in a multitude of genres from early efforts in jazz, chanson, and yé-yé to later explorations in rock, funk, reggae, and electronica. Gainsbourg's body of work makes him difficult to categorize, yet his legacy as a true poet, artist, and prolific musician has solidified his status as one of the world's most influential popular musicians.
Gainsbourg wrote over 550 songs, which have been covered more than 1,000 times by diverse artists. His lyrics usually feature wordplay with humorous, bizarre, provocative, sexual, satirical or subversive overtones. Since his death from a second heart attack in 1991, Gainsbourg's music has reached legendary stature in France. While controversial in his lifetime, he has become one of France's best-loved public figures. Gainsbourg is well-known for his concept albums, such as Histoire de Melody Nelson, and his duets, and torrid love affairs, with both Brigitte Bardot & Jane Birkin.
