RIP Françoise Hardy, la grandmère du grunge
If you’re at all familiar with the history of French rock, you’ll know that Françoise Hardy died on June 11 at the age of 80 of laryngeal cancer. She was considered a national treasure in France, a pioneer in French yé-yé music (their version of 60s rock) and had success internationally.
While she became famous for her melancholy ballads (and later as an astrologer, if you can believe it), some also refer to her as “la grandmère du grunge.”
Why? Have a listen to this single she released in 1964.