Michel Armand Guy Pagliaro (born 9 November 1948) is a Canadian rock singer, songwriter and guitarist from Montreal, Quebec. Although he writes and records predominantly in French, Pagliaro has reached international success mainly with material released in English. He was nominated for a 1975 Juno Award as male vocalist of the year.
Pagliaro was born and raised in Montreal. He began performing in 1962, at the age of 13. In 1965, he began making his first records. Pagliaro's first nationally English-charted hit was his 1970 single "Give Us One More Chance". Other significant hits in English include "Lovin' You Ain't Easy" (1971) which reached Number 31 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1972, "Rainshowers" (1972), "Some Sing Some Dance" (1972), and "What The Hell I Got" (1975). Pagliaro was the first Canadian artist to score top 40 hits on both the anglophone and francophone pop charts in Canada.
Michel Pagliaro also produced the first album of his son Roman's group Les Fous de la Reine, which won both Musiqualité and Diapason music contests in 2014. That album's first two singles, La Guillotine and La face cachée de la neige, got a positive reception and were played regularly on commercial radio stations, including CKOI-FM. He was still performing as of 2016.
At the Juno Awards of 1975, Pagliaro was nominated for the Male Vocalist of the Year award. Pagliaro received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts, in 2008. His song "J'entends frapper", a major hit in Quebec, was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010.
In 2002, Pagliaro was the recipient of the National Achievement Award at the annual Francophone SOCAN Awards held in Montreal.
In 2025, Pagliaro was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Pagliaro sometimes made different albums with the same title. All releases listed here are originals, not reissues.
Collaborations and performances as guest star
1966 Les Chanceliers (Citation); Reissued partially in 1969 Le P'tit Poppy (Tradition)
1968 Reels Psychadeliques, vol. 1 (with Ouba) (Revolution)
1968 Reels Psychadeliques, vol. 2 (with Ouba) (Revolution)
1971 Pagliaro & Martel (with Renée Martel) (Trans-World, Compilation)
1972 Michel Pagliaro et les Chanceliers (Tradition, Compilation)
1975 Patof – Patof Rock. Michel Pagliaro : electric guitars (uncredited) (Campus)
1993 Au nom de l'amour. Héros (new recording); Au nom de l'amour (with the group). (other songs by various artists) (Au Nom de l'Amour)
1994 Jacques Higelin – Aux héros de la voltige. Michel Pagliaro : electric guitars on the whole album; arrangements on Le Berceau De la Vie; music on Électrocardiogramme Plat, Hot Chaud and Aux Héros De La Voltige (EMI)
2001 Freak Out Total (with Ouba) (Gear Fab, Compilation)
2005 Jacques Higelin – Entre 2 gares (Compilation). Michel Pagliaro : guitars (EMI)