Popular French Love Songs to Add to Your Playlist
We're so excited that Spring is here, because it means that new things are around the corner! We love walking around the blossoming parks of Paris and catching little glimpses of blue sky over the city. The next best thing to accompany our joyful springtime walks is a fresh new soundtrack! And if you're in France, why not lean into the local culture with some popular French music to make you feel all the feelings!
French love songs have a timeless charm that can add an extra layer of magic to any romantic occasion. So, whether you're planning a cozy evening with your significant other or creating the ultimate wedding playlist, we've curated a list of popular French love songs that are sure to tug at your heartstrings.
The first part are current French love songs that are popular, and the second half are classic French love songs that you may already know (or not!).
You can see it all on my spotify playlist HERE.
A big thanks to my team for helping assemble this list as we all have different tastes so there’s something there for everyone! Enjoy!!
This blog post was so fun to put together and we really hope you find some songs you just can’t get enough of. For french learners, creating a french music playlist and listening to french music is a great way to learn new words, improve your listening comprehension skills, and absorb some french culture. The best part is that you can have a good time learning something without feeling like you're studying. A little extra practice can never hurt. Feel free to look up a complete lyrics translation of your favorite songs if you want to understand some idiomatic expressions about true love. Next thing you know, you'll be sounding like native french speaker.
If you’re prepping for a dinner party, going out dancing, spending a rainy day inside, or walking around newly-sunny Paris alone with headphones on, you will soon have the tools for your ultimate French soundtrack. And believe me, some of these songs are really catchy.
Check out some of our recent jams below in no particular order…
Thérapie Taxi: “Été 90”
Check out this group if you want a late night vespa ride, Parisian nightclub vibe.
Also by this artist: “Hit Sale” and “Candide Crush”
Foé: “C’est fou comme je t’aime”
Check out this 20 year old producer of low-fi, bedroom pop music from Toulouse if you want a nostalgic vintage photograph vibe.
Eddy de Pretto: “LOVE’n’TENDRESSE”
Check out this pop singer from the suburbs of Paris whose latest album, CRASH CŒUR, was just released in France in 2023.
Also by this artist: “Pause x Kiss (feat. Yseult)”
La Femme: “Elle ne t’aime pas”
Check out this French psych-punk rock band from Biarritz.
Also by this artist: “Où va le monde”
Lynda: “J’te donnerai”
Check out this urban pop/R&B singer from Paris who has gained a lot of popularity in France the last few years.
Angèle: “Oui ou Non”
Check out this Belgian singer who writes French pop music. She was one of 2018’s biggest breakout musicians and she's had international success, especially in France and Belgium. Go check out her cool music videos too! Go check out the music video for "Balance ton porc" if you have some time. This song is actually about the Me Too Movement.
Also by this artist: “Le temps fera des choses” and “Que du Love” and “Ta reine”
Iliona: Si tu m'aimes demain
Check out another great Belgian singer who writes French pop music! Like Angèle, Iliona is also from Brussels. She plays piano, sings, and produces her music, and she rose to fame in 2020 after the release of her song "Moins joli."
and some others…
Julien Doré: "Le lac"
Louane: “À quoi tu penses vraiment”
Dadju & Tayc: “I Love You” (top ten on french charts right now)
Keblack: “Laisse-Moi” (top ten on french charts right now)
PLK: “Il pleut à Paris” (top 15 on french charts right now)
Raphaël: "Caravane"
Kumisolo: “Ce soir”
Renan Luce: "La lettre"
Ex-Aequo: “Jean-Paul Groove”
Carla Bruni: “Un grand amour”
Maître Gims x Sting: “Reste”
Souf: “Ma reine”
KYO: "Dernière danse"
If you prefer the ambience of older French music, here is a list of some golden oldies with heartfelt lyrics.
Think those classy songs from the 60s and 70s with airy synths or slow piano, and lots of vibrato!
Edith Piaf: “Hymne à l’amour”
If you somehow haven’t come across Édith Piaf in your musical journey, just know that she is the queen of French love songs.
Also by this artist: “La vie en rose” and “Je ne regrette rien”
Françoise Hardy: “Tous les garçons et les filles” and “Le temps de l’amour” (these two are so catchy)
Claude François: "Belles belles belles"
Dalida & Alain Delon: “Paroles Paroles”
Josephine Baker (Madeleine Peyroux): “J’ai deux amours”
France Gall: “Laisse tomber les filles” and "Il jouait du piano debout"
Art Sullivan: "Adieu Sois Heureuse"
Yves Montand: “Car je t’aime”
Céline Dion & Jean-Jacques Goldman: "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" (Celine Dion is well known for her unique musical style, lyrics with emotional depth, and her powerful voice. Her poignant lyrics are famous in Canada, Europe, the United States, and beyond)
Francis Cabrel: "Je l'aime à mourir"
Eddy Mitchell: "Couleur menthe à l'eau"
Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin: "Je t'aime...Moi non plus"
Carla Bruni: “Quelqu’un m’a dit”
Dalida: "Mourir sur scène"
Joe Dassin: “Siffler sur la colline”
Charles Aznavour: “La Bohème” (this must be one of the most famous songs in French history)
Charles Trenet: “La Mer” (the unofficial anthem of France!)
We hope you have fun amping up your playlist with some of the biggest hits and love songs in France right now. Pretty soon, french people will be asking YOU for music advice!
Okay, so you have a soundtrack…now you probably need a movie moment to go along with it! If you want photos in Paris that feel like love in the movies we are your Paris photographer. We specialize in paris photo shoots and artwork to hang in your home so you can relive your movie moment for decades to come.
Book your portrait session with us HERE