Composers from France

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Frenchs Composers of all time. This list of famous Frenchs Composers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Frenchs Composers.

1. #1

   

   Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

   1520 - 1594

   HPI 83.45102 langs

   Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina is most famous for his contributions to the development of the polyphonic style of Renaissance music.

2. #2

   

   Maurice Ravel

   1875 - 1937

   HPI 83.1688 langs

   Maurice Ravel is most famous for his orchestral works, including Bolero, the opera L'enfant et les sortilèges, and the ballet Daphnis et...Read moreShow less

   Maurice Ravel is most famous for his orchestral works, including Bolero, the opera L'enfant et les sortilèges, and the ballet Daphnis et Chloé.

3. #3

   

   Hector Berlioz

   1803 - 1869

   HPI 83.08108 langs

   Hector Berlioz is most famous for his symphony "Symphonie Fantastique."

4. #4

   

   Georges Bizet

   1838 - 1875

   HPI 83.0487 langs

   Georges Bizet is most famous for his opera Carmen.

5. #5

   

   Claude Debussy

   1862 - 1918

   HPI 82.99101 langs

   Claude Debussy was a French composer who is most famous for his compositions of Impressionist music.

6. #6

   

   Camille Saint-Saëns

   1835 - 1921

   HPI 80.4666 langs

   Camille Saint-Saëns is most famous for his "Danse Macabre" which he wrote in 1872. This piece, which is based on a poem by Henri Cazalis,...Read moreShow less

   Camille Saint-Saëns is most famous for his "Danse Macabre" which he wrote in 1872. This piece, which is based on a poem by Henri Cazalis, tells the story of a man who is confronted by Death in the form of a skeleton.

7. #7

   

   Jean-Philippe Rameau

   1683 - 1764

   HPI 79.0561 langs

   Jean-Philippe Rameau is most famous for his contributions to the French opera. He was a composer, theorist, and organist.

8. #8

   

   Charles Gounod

   1818 - 1893

   HPI 78.6963 langs

   Charles Gounod is most famous for his opera Faust, which is based on the novel of the same name by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

9. #9

   

   Erik Satie

   1866 - 1925

   HPI 78.5467 langs

   Erik Satie was a French composer and pianist who was most famous for his "Gymnopédies" and "Gnossiennes".

10. #10

    

    Gabriel Fauré

    1845 - 1924

    HPI 78.2061 langs

    Gabriel Fauré is most famous for his piano compositions.