With his passionate, theatrical and overall fantastic writings and performances, Jacques Brel rightfully gained the title of one of the best singer/songwriters in the world. Brel beautifully interpreted death, love and desperation which made every creation of his a masterpiece. It is no surprise that the artist of Belgian origin became a major influence on international artists such as Bowie and Cohen, as well as having his songs translated and performed by world-renowned singers such as Sinatra. Limiting Brel’s repertoire to 15 songs is almost unfair to his genius, but we are giving it our best shot.

Scroll down to the bottom for the full YouTube and Spotify playlists.

15. J’arrive


14. Le moribond

13. Ces gens-là

12. La chanson de Jacky

11. Marieke

10. Madeleine

9. Bruxelles

8. Les bourgeois

7. Vesoul

6. Le plat pays

5. Mathilde

4. Jef

3. La valse à mille temps

2. Ne me quitte pas

1. Quand on n’a que l’amour

YouTube playlist:

Spotify playlist: