Abstract
This article takes Johnny Hallyday’s current status as a national icon as the starting point for an investigation of the relationship between popular music, authenticity and national culture in contemporary France. Public representations of Hallyday at the time of his sixtieth birthday in June 2003 were very different from those prevailing at the start of his career, when he scandalised the cultural establishment by appearing as the conduit for US-style rock’n’roll, which seemed to symbolise the Americanisation of French cultural values. Today, he is portrayed as belonging squarely to the canonical French chanson tradition and even as the incarnation of l’exception culturelle française. This discursive transformation testifies to a parallel mutation in the status of pop music in France, which the article traces.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
