SINGER
Jacques Brel
1929 - 1978

Jacques Brel
Jacques Romain Georges Brel (French: [ʒɑk ʁɔmɛ̃ ʒɔʁʒ bʁɛl] ; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed theatrical songs. He generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, but later throughout the world. He is considered a master of the modern chanson. Although he recorded most of his songs in French and occasionally in Dutch, he became an influence on English-speaking songwriters and performers, such as Scott Walker, David Bowie, Brett Anderson, Alex Harvey, Marc Almond, Neil Hannon, and Rod McKuen. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Jacques Brel is the 55th most popular singer (down from 46th in 2019), the 41st most popular biography from Belgium (down from 36th in 2019) and the most popular Belgian Singer.
Jacques Brel is most famous for his song "Ne me quitte pas" which was translated into English as "Don't Leave Me."
Memorability Metrics
Page views of Jacques Brel by language
Among SINGERS
Among singers, Jacques Brel ranks 55 out of 4,381. Before him are Axl Rose, Mireille Mathieu, Jay-Z, Nana Mouskouri, Sammy Davis Jr., and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. After him are Albano Carrisi, Sade, Shakira, Kate Bush, Sinéad O'Connor, and James Brown.
Most Popular Singers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsAxl Rose
1962 - Present
HPI: 76.08
Rank: 49
Mireille Mathieu
1946 - Present
HPI: 76.03
Rank: 50
Jay-Z
1969 - Present
HPI: 75.88
Rank: 51
Nana Mouskouri
1934 - Present
HPI: 75.87
Rank: 52
Sammy Davis Jr.
1925 - 1990
HPI: 75.78
Rank: 53
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
1948 - 1997
HPI: 75.67
Rank: 54
Jacques Brel
1929 - 1978
HPI: 75.56
Rank: 55
Albano Carrisi
1943 - Present
HPI: 75.50
Rank: 56
Sade
1959 - Present
HPI: 75.38
Rank: 57
Shakira
1977 - Present
HPI: 75.31
Rank: 58
Kate Bush
1958 - Present
HPI: 75.15
Rank: 59
Sinéad O'Connor
1966 - 2023
HPI: 75.08
Rank: 60
James Brown
1933 - 2006
HPI: 74.80
Rank: 61
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1929, Jacques Brel ranks 15. Before him are Hassan II of Morocco, Imre Kertész, and Irene Papas. After him are Yayoi Kusama, Michael Ende, Jean Baudrillard, Frank Gehry, Oriana Fallaci, Peter Higgs, Mohamed Al-Fayed, Max von Sydow, and Sándor Kocsis. Among people deceased in 1978, Jacques Brel ranks 9. Before him are Golda Meir, Kurt Gödel, Aram Khachaturian, Santiago Bernabéu Yeste, Manne Siegbahn, and Aldo Moro. After him are Mohammed Daoud Khan, Giorgio de Chirico, Robert Shaw, Harry Martinson, Ramón Mercader, and Adolf Dassler.
Others Born in 1929
Go to all RankingsHassan II of Morocco
POLITICIAN
1929 - 1999
HPI: 76.68
Rank: 12
Imre Kertész
WRITER
1929 - 2016
HPI: 76.45
Rank: 13
Irene Papas
ACTOR
1929 - 2022
HPI: 74.69
Rank: 14
Jacques Brel
SINGER
1929 - 1978
HPI: 74.44
Rank: 15
Yayoi Kusama
PAINTER
1929 - Present
HPI: 74.30
Rank: 16
Michael Ende
WRITER
1929 - 1995
HPI: 74.28
Rank: 17
Jean Baudrillard
PHILOSOPHER
1929 - 2007
HPI: 74.26
Rank: 18
Frank Gehry
ARCHITECT
1929 - Present
HPI: 74.05
Rank: 19
Oriana Fallaci
JOURNALIST
1929 - 2006
HPI: 73.72
Rank: 20
Peter Higgs
PHYSICIST
1929 - 2024
HPI: 73.59
Rank: 21
Mohamed Al-Fayed
BUSINESSPERSON
1929 - 2023
HPI: 73.47
Rank: 22
Max von Sydow
ACTOR
1929 - 2020
HPI: 73.40
Rank: 23
Sándor Kocsis
SOCCER PLAYER
1929 - 1979
HPI: 73.22
Rank: 24
Others Deceased in 1978
Go to all RankingsGolda Meir
POLITICIAN
1898 - 1978
HPI: 82.01
Rank: 3
Kurt Gödel
MATHEMATICIAN
1906 - 1978
HPI: 79.53
Rank: 4
Aram Khachaturian
COMPOSER
1903 - 1978
HPI: 79.24
Rank: 5
Santiago Bernabéu Yeste
SOCCER PLAYER
1895 - 1978
HPI: 79.08
Rank: 6
Manne Siegbahn
PHYSICIST
1886 - 1978
HPI: 77.16
Rank: 7
Aldo Moro
POLITICIAN
1916 - 1978
HPI: 76.98
Rank: 8
Jacques Brel
SINGER
1929 - 1978
HPI: 75.56
Rank: 9
Mohammed Daoud Khan
POLITICIAN
1909 - 1978
HPI: 75.36
Rank: 10
Giorgio de Chirico
PAINTER
1888 - 1978
HPI: 75.23
Rank: 11
Robert Shaw
ACTOR
1927 - 1978
HPI: 75.17
Rank: 12
Harry Martinson
WRITER
1904 - 1978
HPI: 74.14
Rank: 13
Ramón Mercader
EXTREMIST
1913 - 1978
HPI: 73.99
Rank: 14
Adolf Dassler
BUSINESSPERSON
1900 - 1978
HPI: 73.95
Rank: 15
In Belgium
Among people born in Belgium, Jacques Brel ranks 41 out of 1,190. Before him are Albert I of Belgium (1875), Mary of Hungary (1505), Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor (1697), Eleanor of Austria (1498), Georges Lemaître (1894), and William III of the Netherlands (1817). After him are Hergé (1907), Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564), Henri La Fontaine (1854), Princess Stéphanie of Belgium (1864), Pepin of Herstal (635), and Margaret of Parma (1522).
Others born in Belgium
Go to all RankingsAlbert I of Belgium
POLITICIAN
1875 - 1934
HPI: 76.09
Rank: 35
Mary of Hungary
POLITICIAN
1505 - 1558
HPI: 75.80
Rank: 36
Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor
POLITICIAN
1697 - 1745
HPI: 75.69
Rank: 37
Eleanor of Austria
POLITICIAN
1498 - 1558
HPI: 75.65
Rank: 38
Georges Lemaître
PHYSICIST
1894 - 1966
HPI: 75.64
Rank: 39
William III of the Netherlands
POLITICIAN
1817 - 1890
HPI: 75.63
Rank: 40
Jacques Brel
SINGER
1929 - 1978
HPI: 75.56
Rank: 41
Hergé
COMIC ARTIST
1907 - 1983
HPI: 75.44
Rank: 42
Pieter Brueghel the Younger
PAINTER
1564 - 1636
HPI: 75.41
Rank: 43
Henri La Fontaine
LAWYER
1854 - 1943
HPI: 75.10
Rank: 44
Princess Stéphanie of Belgium
POLITICIAN
1864 - 1945
HPI: 74.86
Rank: 45
Pepin of Herstal
POLITICIAN
635 - 714
HPI: 74.84
Rank: 46
Margaret of Parma
POLITICIAN
1522 - 1586
HPI: 74.77
Rank: 47
Among SINGERS In Belgium
Among singers born in Belgium, Jacques Brel ranks 1. After him are Lara Fabian (1970), The Singing Nun (1933), Violetta Villas (1938), Stromae (1985), José van Dam (1940), René Jacobs (1946), Edgar P. Jacobs (1904), Sandra Kim (1972), Kate Ryan (1980), Arno (1949), and Natacha Atlas (1964).
Jacques Brel
1929 - 1978
HPI: 75.56
Rank: 1
Lara Fabian
1970 - Present
HPI: 65.74
Rank: 2
The Singing Nun
1933 - 1985
HPI: 65.70
Rank: 3
Violetta Villas
1938 - 2011
HPI: 63.10
Rank: 4
Stromae
1985 - Present
HPI: 62.73
Rank: 5
José van Dam
1940 - Present
HPI: 62.16
Rank: 6
René Jacobs
1946 - Present
HPI: 61.88
Rank: 7
Edgar P. Jacobs
1904 - 1987
HPI: 60.95
Rank: 8
Sandra Kim
1972 - Present
HPI: 59.77
Rank: 9
Kate Ryan
1980 - Present
HPI: 58.80
Rank: 10
Arno
1949 - 2022
HPI: 57.69
Rank: 11
Natacha Atlas
1964 - Present
HPI: 57.47
Rank: 12