Master Series is the title of a line of greatest hits albums, released in European countries primarily by PolyGram International, as well as A&M Records, Deram Records, FFRR Records, Mercury Records, and Polydor Records. In addition, some albums were reissued by Universal Music Group under the Universal Masters Collection and Millennium Edition titles.
Four Master Series series of albums were released: from 1987–1990, 1996–1998, 1998–1999, and from 2003 onwards.
The covers of each series are visually unified:
1987 series: Black background, "Master Serie" in a sans-serif typeface, the artist's name in a script typeface, a prominent red stripe, and a photo.
1996 series: Black background, the artist's name in a serif typeface, and a collage of photos.
1998 series: White background, "Master Series" in a script typeface, the artist's name in a sans-serif typeface, and a photo.
2003 series: A large photo crossfading into a black background with the artist's name in a serif typeface, and "Master Serie" set against a red glow.
The 1996 series represented various bands in eclectic genres (such as new wave) with relatively small followings, and the 1998 series included hard rock/progressive rock musicians and bands. These series are branded with the international title Master Series. The French title Master série is used to brand the more traditional line with a strong focus on European pop singers, which are frequently issued in multiple volumes. Each subsequent series also reissued some albums from the previous series.
Daniel Balavoine Volume 1(1986) – Master Serie
Daniel Balavoine Volume 2(1992) – Master Serie
Barbara Volume 1 – Master Serie
Barbara Volume 2 – Master Serie
Georges Brassens Volume 1 – Master Serie
Georges Brassens Volume 2 – Master Serie
Georges Brassens Volume 3 – Master Serie
Mike Brant – Master Serie
Jacques Brel Volume 1 – Master Serie
Jacques Brel Volume 2 – Master Serie
Alain Bashung – Master Serie
Jane Birkin – Master Serie
Frida Boccara – Master Serie
Jacques Brel – Master Serie
Jean-Michel Caradec (1989) – Master Serie
Christophe – Master Serie
Michel Delpech – Master Serie
Jacques Dutronc – Master Serie
François Feldman (1994) – Master Serie
Jean Ferrat Volume 1 (1988) – Master Serie
Jean Ferrat Volume 2 (1990) – Master Serie
Nino Ferrer – Master Serie
Claude François Volume 1 – Master Serie
Claude François Volume 2 – Master Serie
Serge Gainsbourg – Master Serie
Daniel Guichard – Master Serie
Johnny Hallyday Volume 1 – Master Serie
Johnny Hallyday Volume 2 (1990) – Master Serie
Jean-Luc Lahaye – Master Serie
Bernard Lavilliers – Master Serie
Maxime Le Forestier (1987) – Master Serie
Guy Marchand – Master Serie
Melina Mercouri – Master Serie
Yves Montand – Master Serie
Nana Mouskouri Volume 1 – Master Serie
Nana Mouskouri Volume 2 – Master Serie
Georges Moustaki – Master Serie
Claude Nougaro Volume 1 – Master Serie
Claude Nougaro Volume 2 – Master Serie
Claude Nougaro Volume 3 – Master Serie
Edith Piaf – Master Serie
Serge Reggiani – Master Serie
Renaud – Master Serie
Nicole Rieu – Master Serie
Demis Roussos – Master Serie
William Sheller – Master Serie
Mort Shuman Volume 1 – Master Serie
Mort Shuman Volume 2 (1991) – Master Serie
Yves Simon (1988) – Master Serie
Alan Stivell (1990) – Master Serie
Tri Yann(1986) – Master Serie
Boris Vian – Master Serie
1991 Jimmy Somerville – Master Series
10cc – Master Series
1996 ABBA – Master Series
1997 ABC – Master Series
Wolfgang Ambros – Master Series
1997 Joan Armatrading – Master Series
1996 The Allman Brothers Band – Master Series
1997 Army of Lovers – Master Series
1997 Big Country – Master Series
1997 Burt Bacharach – Master Series
1996 Bananarama – Master Series
1997 Berlin – Master Series
1998 Maria Bill – Master Series
1996 Black – Master Series
Elkie Brooks – Master Series
1996 Sam Brown – Master Series
1996 Jimmy Somerville – Master Series (reissue)
1997 Camel – Master Series
1998 Peter Cornelius – Master Series
1996 Dexys Midnight Runners – Master Series
Yvonne Elliman – Master Series
1998 Rainhard Fendrich – Master Series
Bill Haley – Master Series
1998 Ludwig Hirsch – Master Series
1997 Joe Jackson – Master Series
1997 The Jam – Master Series
1996 Tom Jones – Master Series
1996 Level 42 – Master Series
1997 Liza Minnelli – Master Series
1998 The Moody Blues – Master Series
Nana Mouskouri – Master Series (reissue)
1996 The Neville Brothers – Master Series
Iggy Pop – Master Series
Demis Roussos – Master Series (reissue)
The Rubettes – Master Series
Scorpions – Master Series
The Small Faces – Master Series
1998 Squeeze – Master Series
STS – Master Series
Donna Summer – Master Series
1998 Visage – Master Series
1998 Waterloo & Robinson – Master Series
Bruce Willis – Master Series
1998 Georg Danzer - Master Series
1998 Kurt Ostbahn - Master Series
1998 Stefanie Werger - Master Series
1998 Arik Brauer - Master Series
1998 ABBA – Master Series (reissue)
Graeme Allwright – Master Series
Ange – Master Serie
Daniel Balavoine – Master Serie (reissue)
Bananarama – Master Series (reissue)
Visage – Master Series
Barbara – Master Serie (reissue)
1999 Barclay James Harvest – Master Series
Brigitte Bardot – Master Serie
The Barron Knights – Master Series
Acker Bilk – Master Series
Jane Birkin – Master Serie (reissue)
Georges Brassens – Master Serie
Jacques Brel – Master Serie (reissue)
Roy Buchanan – Master Series
1999 Kim Carnes – Master Series
Mirek Černý – Master Serie
1998 Dio – Master Series
Jean Ferrat – Master Serie (reissue)
Serge Gainsbourg – Master Serie (reissue)
France Gall – Master Serie
Godley & Creme – Master Series
Johnny Hallyday – Master Serie (reissue)
Engelbert Humperdinck – Master Series
1999 Joe Jackson – Master Series (reissue)
1998 Tom Jones – Master Series (reissue)
Kool & the Gang – Master Serie
Jean-Luc Lahaye – Master Serie (reissue)
Bernard Lavilliers – Master Serie
Enrico Macias – Master Serie
The Mamas & the Papas – Master Series
Guy Marchand – Master Serie (reissue)
Melina Mercouri – Master Serie (reissue)
1998 John Miles – Master Series
Eddy Mitchell – Master Serie
Jeanne Moreau – Master Serie
Nana Mouskouri – Master Series (reissue)
Georges Moustaki – Master Serie
Nicoletta – Master Serie
Robert Palmer – Master Series
Edith Piaf – Master Serie (reissue)
Pink Fairies – Master Series
The Platters – Master Series
Cozy Powell – Master Series
Renaud – Master Serie
Serge Reggiani – Master Serie (reissue)
Nicole Rieu – Master Serie (reissue)
The Righteous Brothers – Master Series
Demis Roussos – Master Serie (reissue)
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Master Series
The Shadows – Master Series
Mort Shuman – Master Serie
1998 Status Quo – Master Series
Alan Stivell – Master Serie (reissue)
1998 The Style Council – Master Series
Taxmeni – Master Series
1998 Thin Lizzy – Master Series
Hervé Vilard – Master Serie
1998 Rick Wakeman – Master Series
Roger Whittaker – Master Series
Wolfgang Ambros – Millennium Edition
2000 Joan Armatrading – Millennium Edition
Burt Bacharach – Millennium Edition
Black – Millennium Edition
Elkie Brooks - Millennium Edition
Ludwig Hirsch – Millennium Edition
John Miles – Millennium Collection
2003 ABBA – Master Serie (reissue)
Daniel Balavoine – Master Serie (reissue)
Barbara – Master Serie (reissue)
Brigitte Bardot – Master Serie (reissue)
Gilbert Bécaud – Master Serie
Jane Birkin – Master Serie (reissue)
Georges Brassens – Master Serie (reissue)
Jacques Brel – Master Serie (reissue)
Jan de Wilde – Master Serie
Jean Ferrat – Master Serie (reissue)
Serge Gainsbourg – Master Serie (reissue)
Kool & the Gang – Master Serie (reissue)
Bernard Lavilliers – Master Serie (reissue)
Enrico Macias – Master Serie (reissue)
Eddy Mitchell – Master Serie (reissue)
Jeanne Moreau – Master Serie (reissue)
Nana Mouskouri – Master Serie (reissue)
Georges Moustaki – Master Serie (reissue)
Nicoletta – Master Serie (reissue)
Florent Pagny – Master Serie
Edith Piaf – Master Serie (reissue)
Serge Reggiani – Master Serie (reissue)
Renaud – Master Serie (reissue)
André Rieu – Master Serie
Tino Rossi – Master Serie
Demis Roussos – Master Serie (reissue)
Michel Sardou – Master Serie
Alan Stivell – Master Serie (reissue)
Herve Vilard – Master Serie (reissue)
