Do you want to learn French with music, but don’t know any artist?
Today is your lucky day.
You’re about to discover the world of French music with this diverse selection of songs you can use to learn French.
I tried to include different genres and artists from various French speaking country so you’re guaranteed to find songs you enjoy.
Oh and I highly recommend you to check out the Mimic Method if you’re looking for a fun way to improve your pronunciation with music.
Note: I didn’t include links to all the songs for legal reasons, but you can easily find most of these artists on Youtube or Spotify.
Chanson française
Chanson française is a genre you probably never heard about.
And to tell you the truth, nobody seems to know what it is either.
The only certainty is that artists in the chanson française genre usually attach lots of importance to lyrics and tend to speak clearly which makes it an ideal genre for a French learner like you.
Here are a few famous singers of chanson française:
Jacques Brel
Jacques Dutronc
Alain Souchon
Carla Bruni
Yves Montand
Zaz
Stromae
Georges Brassens
Charles Trenet
Serge Gainsbourg
Edith Piaf
Mano Solo
Leo Ferré
Jean Ferrat
Renaud
Charles Aznavour
Maxime Le Forrestier
Lynda Lemay
Variété française
The difference between variété française and chanson française is rather unclear and many singers seem to belong to both groups.
Here are a few singers of variété française:
Michel Sardou
Pascal Obispo
Joe Dassin
Plastic Bertrand
Christophe Maé
Renan Luce
Vanessa Paradis
Garou
Françoise Hardy
Michel Jonasz
Charles Trenet
Bernard Lavilliers
Véronique Sanson
Alizée
Pop
France Gall
Indila
Yelle
Cookie Dingler
Camille
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7ryxk41HtI
Jane Birkin
Étienne Daho
Rock
Alain Bashung
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1UjEY3tK3Q
Noir Désir
Eddy Mitchell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJUKHlN32vY
Kyo
les cowboys fringants
Téléphone
Manu Chao
Mano Negra
Pop rock
Indochine
BB Brunes
Reggae
Broussai
Tryo
Neg Marrons
Danakil
Datune
Folk pop
Coeur de Pirate
Lisa Leblanc
Rap
MC Solaar
Maître Gims
Oxmo Puccino
Grand Corps Malade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcxRMikZrbY
Manau
Disney songs
I know there are some Disney fans in the French Together community, so here are a few songs you may enjoy:
Aladdin
Frozen
Le Roi Lion
What are you favorite French songs and artists?
I love Grand Corps Malade and Danakil. What about you? Who are your favorite French artists?
Ricki Kelly
May 30, 2019 at 5:46 pmI love Christine and the Queens! A lot of her songs have an English and a French version.
Richard Quinn
May 20, 2019 at 4:43 amJusqu’ici, ma chanson préférée est” Ella, elle l’a” par France Gall et Kate Ryan aussi.
David
April 12, 2019 at 1:55 amClara Luciani and Shy’m are brilliant!
Lynn Anderson
January 3, 2019 at 7:50 pmI like Francis Cabrel, especially his album Samedi soir sur la terre, which contains the beautiful songs “Je t’aimais, je t’aime, je t’aimerais” (good lesson in verb tenses!), “Octobre,” and “Tot ou tard s’en aller.” Love your site with all the helpful hints!
Alizah Umar
September 6, 2018 at 5:40 pmI love Lou, Lenni Kim and Evan et Marco. They are the best and because of their songs I have learned a lot of French! These songs are catchy and modern ?
Tim
May 8, 2018 at 9:02 pmcomme Celine Dion ? mais oui !
Tim
May 8, 2018 at 8:57 pmElodie Frege, ZAZ, Stacy Kent, Carla Bruni, Lara Fabian
Jay
May 8, 2018 at 6:22 pmTout va bien by Marvin
Dualite by Blacko
Tom Sanders
April 26, 2018 at 8:32 pm“Petit homme” by Dalida. Version francaise de “Little Man” par Sonny et Cher. It’s one of a handful of versions francaises that I can sing all the way through.
Connie Ickes/Reese
May 8, 2018 at 8:33 pmBenjamin,
I can’t believe the artists u missed. Céline Dion, Eddie Marnay,Ginette Reno, Laura Fabian, Jon Jaques Goldman, Varonic de Caire to name a few. Granted some of Celine’s can be difficult but once u have them down and the pronunciation is correct, u will most certainly enjoy them. What got me hooked is her very first recording her mother wrote called ce n était qu un reve which is such a beautiful chanson.
Irene B-G
August 7, 2017 at 6:49 am” Non, je ne regrette rien” – Edith Piaf. Je l’adorais depuis ma jeunesse. Je n’arrête pas l’écouter en ce moment. De plus, elle est facile de comprendre.
Alijayne
July 25, 2017 at 5:19 pmJ’aime beaucoup Mika … Elle me dit
William
July 22, 2017 at 3:56 amBien des chansons magnifiques, c’est mon genre préféré. Par exemple: Mon enfance, le plat pays, les vieux, Jef (Brel); Misogynie à part [surtout les deux dernières strophes], le cocu, la marche nuptiale, le parapluie, (Brassens). Je viens de commencer à explorer l’oeuvre de Ferré. Le chansonnier italien Fabrizio de André est au niveau de Brassens et Brel. Aucune tradition pareille dans l’univers musical anglophone, paraît-il (je suis anglais).
Amanda Webster
June 24, 2017 at 6:34 amJe suis obsede par Simple Plan et ils chantent des chansons francais.
Aussi, j’ecoute Frank Cotty sur YouTube et il chante des covertures francaises de chansons populaires. Comme “Que Dit Le Renard.” Mais, maintenant, mon jeune fils a appris le mot francais pour “seal” (le animal.) Tu peux deviner comment ca sonne :/
Benjamin Houy
June 26, 2017 at 2:33 pmHaha oui :D. Actually lots of French people pronounce the F word wrong and say “phoque” instead.
Amanda Webster
June 26, 2017 at 4:56 pmHaha. Ils prononcent aussi “hassle” et “focus” un faux en anglais. A chaque fois !
Noshin Nawar
April 4, 2017 at 5:43 pmWhy isn’t “Mozart l’opera rock” in this list? In fact, they even have both the French lyrics along with their English translation in Youtube.
Benjamin Houy
June 26, 2017 at 2:32 pmThat’s good to know, merci :).
Gary Newman
March 31, 2017 at 8:39 pmJ’aime Vanessa Paradis et Alizée. Plastic Bertrand aussi. Et Yello. Et Jean Michel Jarre. J’aime musique.
Benjamin Houy
April 3, 2017 at 10:49 amMerci pour le partage Gary 🙂
chris
September 12, 2016 at 2:42 pmMerci bien! J’adore les chansons de Yé-yé notamment les chansons de Françoise Hardy et France Gall
Sonia
June 13, 2016 at 6:20 amI love the “Marcher Dans Le Sable” album by Gerald de Palmas. Pretty songs and well enunciated so it’s great for learners. When I picked up the album, I was fresh out of high school and had little French under my belt. Managed to learn the entire thing.
Benjamin Houy
June 13, 2016 at 12:09 pmThanks for sharing Sonia :).
Harriet
April 3, 2016 at 9:43 pmMerci – j’adore écouter musique française! Je trouve que ce m’aide beaucoup.
Mes artistes préférées sont Stromae, Maître Gims, Aline et, surtout, Casseurs Flowters. Vous les connaissez?
Aussi, je pense que votre site est génial. Merci beaucoup
Benjamin Houy
April 5, 2016 at 9:00 amMerci Harriet 🙂
Felipe Gabela
March 31, 2016 at 4:30 amJ’aime bien Maitre Gims, Louane, Arnaud Fleurent-Didier, Julien Dore, Fredrika Stahl, et bien sûr Zaz. Mes chansons préférées sont La parisienne, Paris sera toujours paris, Ou veux-tu aller? et Je vais au cinema. Félicitations pour votre site web, il est génial et trop utile. I’m currently learning french and I have to say that https://frenchtogether.com is one of the best sites out there to learn french.
Benjamin Houy
April 5, 2016 at 8:59 amMerci Felipe 🙂
Benjamin Houy
February 13, 2016 at 10:18 amI can’t include lyrics here for legal reasons. But you can find most lyrics by just typing “name of the song + paroles’ on Google or Youtube.
Jon Freeman
February 10, 2016 at 7:08 pmJe l’aime à mourir – Francis Cabrel
Benjamin Houy
February 13, 2016 at 10:13 amPerfect song for la saint Valentin 🙂
William McGill
February 9, 2016 at 9:30 pmQuant à Nana Mouskouri ? Ell n’est pas Française et non de cette époque, mais toujours très belles chansons.
Benjamin Houy
February 13, 2016 at 10:15 amAh oui, en fait j’ai surtout inclus des chansons francophones. Il y a quelques chanteurs belges et canadiens aussi dans la liste.
JQ
February 9, 2016 at 11:05 amJ’aime beaucoup ‘J’me tire’ – Maitre Gims
Karmela Mirriam Ebreo
February 9, 2016 at 2:34 amLa vie en rose <3
Benjamin Houy
February 13, 2016 at 10:16 amClassique 🙂
Marcela Abrahão
February 8, 2016 at 11:33 pmLes feuilles mortes!
kfreasstudio
February 8, 2016 at 4:04 pmTout ce chantée par Charles Aznavour.
Mary K.
February 8, 2016 at 3:10 pmI like Je voudrais voir LA mer, by Michel Rivard, beautiful song to practice my French.
Benjamin Houy
February 13, 2016 at 10:19 amAh je ne connaissais pas, jolie chanson effectivement
Rudolfus Venema
February 8, 2016 at 12:48 pmBonjour. Est-t-il possible? Is it possible to get the lirics of the songs, so that I can combine the spoken text and the written text. As you know that ie not the same. Tests of the Disney clips I have already. Thanks.
Merci
Aníbal Sánchez Numa
February 7, 2016 at 6:43 pmSalut… Mes chansons favoris en francais sont “J’ai pas vingt ans” de Alizée , “Eblouie par la nuit” et “Je veux” de Zaz
Benjamin Houy
February 13, 2016 at 10:19 amJ’aime bien “je veux”, mais je me demande toujours si la chanson n’est pas un peu hypocrite.
Aníbal Sánchez Numa
February 13, 2016 at 5:04 pmPeut être, un peu hypocrite… peut être… mais c’est un bon message de tout façon… Il y a beaucoup de choses meilleurs que l’argent… pour quelques personnes. J’aime aussi “La Fée”
Jacques
August 7, 2017 at 7:00 pmSalut……. J’aime les chansons par Zaho, La Fouine, Sexion D’assaut, Stromae
Un Peu Beaucoup (Zaho)
J’reste Debout (Sexion D’assaut)
Sans ta voix (La Fouine)
Bienvenue chez moi (Stromae)
Il y a plusieurs autres