Chamfort was a promising pianist in his youth, and the piano became his instrument of choice.

His first band The Dreamers had minor success as a repertory jazz outfit, and was followed by a typically sixties rock music group Murator.

Chamfort met famed writer and producer Jacques Dutronc, who proposed to help him with future works for television and film, and it is with Dutronc that Chamfort's career expanded.

After being discovered by Dutronc, it was with Claude François and ultimately Serge Gainsbourg that he made a number of albums, including his first album recorded as Alain Chamfort: Poses [fr].

Chamfort composed for the cinema; he worked with Jean-Pierre Mocky and with Arnaud Sélignac.