Top 100 French Songs You Must Hear

Have you wanted to listen to French music but never knew where to start? Well The Top 100 French Songs You Must Hear complies a vast array of music in one place for your listening convenience. This huge list spans several genres and the music is sung by a myriad of artists. Every song is worth a listen.

Please keep in mind:

• Everybody has different tastes of music. I tried to get a good mix of pop, hip hop/rap, rock, and acoustic/folk music. If you find a song you like then take note of the artist and search for more songs by them.
• Besides time of release, the songs are ordered in a random fashion, so the first song is not necessarily better than song number fifty-eight.
• This post is broken up into two articles with 50 songs on each page otherwise it would take forever to load. More contemporary songs are here while songs dating before the 1980's are on Page 2.
• Not all the singers are French, but the music is nonetheless in French and recognized by Francophones.

Here is the entire Spotify playlist.

Here is a playlist containing all of the youtube videos.

FROM 2000 - 2014
1. Comme Des Enfants - Cœur De Pirate (2008)

2. Papaoutai - Stromae (2013)


3. Ma Direction - Sexion D'assault (2012)


4. Je Me Lâche - Christophe Mae (2010)


5. Elle Me Dit - Mika (2011)
Mika's song is very popular among anglophones.


6. Alors On Danse - Stromae (2010)


7. Nuits Fauves - Fauve (2013)


8. Je Suis Un Homme - Zazie (2006)


9. Je cours - KYO (2002)

10. Le Jour qui se Rêve - M. Pokora (2013)


11. Les Bâtisseurs de France - Toma (2011)
Youtube Video Link

How to be Successful in a Language Course

Do you want to get the most out of your language course while a good grade? Well here are some universal tips to help you become successful.

Attending Class and Studying is only HALF of the battle

Studying and going to class are the basis of getting a good grade in a language course, but if you truly want to be successful and learn the language then it this not enough.

Take for example my 5th-year high school French class of 25 students. Did all of us want A's? Yes. But how many of us still use French to this day? Probably 3-4 of us, in fact, some of the people in my class barely remember anything 4 years later.

Don't let that be you. If you're going to spend valuable time learning something then don't let it go to waste.

Keep in mind, there's more to French than a grade. A whole culture and history stands behind the language, so until you can appreciate that or want to experience it with others then your language class is fruitless.

"Make your language course mean more to you than a grade or a course needed to complete for high school."

Tell yourself that there are people out there in the world who wish somebody could teach them another language and you're taking it for granted. Trust me, I've encountered plenty of people who wanted me to teach them French, my mother being the first of them. It's truly an opportunity.

So don't just physically go to class, that isn't enough. Instead, go mentally prepared, meaning be ready to pay attention and follow the discussions, or else you might as well have stayed home. 

How to do it for the knowledge?

So playing off the "don't do it for the grade" ideology, how can you make your language course mean something to you? Well those who are motivated with internal goals (like the desire to learn new things) do better and learn more than those who are externally motivated (I want a good grade).

If you're not in a language course because you're interested in learning it, then lie to yourself!