French songs from 1960 to 1965 :

 

French songs from 1960 to 1965:

I suggest you start with songs from the 1960s to 1965.

I’m going to start by giving you a few titles that I really appreciate and hope you’ll like them too:

 

  • “La plus belle pour aller danser”, Sylvie Vartan 

  • “Santiano”, Hugues Aufray

  • “Les copains d’abord", Georges Brassens

  • “Ne me quitte pas”, Jacques Brel

  • “La Bohème”, Charles Aznavour

  • “Biche, ma biche”, Franck Alamo

  • “Belles, belles, belles”, Claude François

  • “L’idole des jeunes",  Johnny Hallyday 

  • “La Javanaise”, Serge Gainsbourg

  • “Mon amie la rose, Françoise Hardy

  • “Les filles de mon pays", de Enrico Macias

  • “Non je ne regrette rien”, d’Édith Piaf

Find this playlist of French songs from 1960 to 1965 on Spotify.

 

Zoom on the song "Non, je ne regrette rien" by Édith Piaf :
 

Of course there are many other artists and music to discover that have marked these years.

They rocked our youth whether it was with our grandparents or parents.

At that time there were still fewer artists than today because with social networks and internet we have access, now to a wider choice of music, style.

Among the music I have proposed to you I will choose one to analyze it with you.

I chose to tell you about Édith Piaf’s song “Non je ne regrets rien”.
 

Non, je ne regrette rien d'Édith Piaf

* regretter : to regret

* tout ça m’est bien égal : I don’t care about anything

* balayer : to sweep away

* Je me fous : I don't care

* trémolos :  We can make 'tremolo' with a stringed instrument or with his voice (trembling), Edith Piaf invents the 'tremolo' of love, that is to say their very rapid changes.

 

Edith Piaf remembers her past, good and bad memories, wanting to forget her past, her memories, her loves, her sorrows, her pleasures.

Before she finishes with : "Car ma vie, car mes joies, aujourd'hui, ça commence avec toi." She wants to forget her past to start a new adventure.

 

 

French songs from 1965 to 1970 :

 

French songs from 1965 to 1970:

We move on to the songs from 1965 to 1970 (careful it swings a little more) :

  • “Chez Laurette”, Michel Delpech

  • “Capri, c'est fini”, Hervé Villard

  • “L’aigle noir”, Barbara

  • “Vesoul”, Jacques Brel

  • “L’Amérique”, Joe Dassin

  • “J’aime les filles”, Jacques Dutronc

  • “Comme d’habitude", Claude François

  • “Que je t’aime”, Johnny Hallyday

  • “À bicyclette”, Yves Montand

  • “Les jolies colonies de vacances”, Pierre Perret

  • “Love me please, love me”, Michel Polnareff

  • “Les p’tits papiers”, Régine

Find this playlist of French songs from 1965 to 1970 on Spotify.

 

Zoom on the song "Love me please, love me" by Michel Polnareff:
 

This song is a declaration of love. 

The interpreter talks about his feelings that are not shared by the woman he is speaking to.

He is madly in love with this girl and makes it clear that she is not interested and that she does not want him.
 

"Love me please, love me" de Michel Polnareff

 

*fou de vous : Crazy about you

*indifférence : Disregard

*froideur :  Coldness

 

 

French songs from the 1970s to 1975 :

 

French songs from the 1970s to 1975

Let's discover some songs from the 1970s to 1975 :

 

  • “Je suis malade”, Serge Lama

  • “La Maladie d’amour”, Michel Sardou

  • “Jours heureux”, Gérard Lenorman

  • “Oh les filles”, Au Bonheur des Dames 

  • “Qui saura”, Mike Brant

  • “Je veux t’aimer”, Michel Chevalier

  • “Les mots bleus”, Christophe

  • “Viens à la maison”, Claude François

  • “Fais comme l’oiseau”, Michel Fugain

  • “Lady Lay”, Pierre Groscolas

  • “J’ai encore rêvé d’elle”, Il était une fois

  • “San Francisco”, Maxime Le Forestier

  • “Mamy Blue”, Nicoletta

  • “La cage aux oiseaux”, Pierre Perret

 

Find this playlist of French songs from the 1970s to 1975 on Spotify.

 

Zoom on the song "San Francisco" by Maxime Le Forestier:
 

This song was inspired by a youth trip to a hippie house, it tells the memories he lived and the emotions he felt.
 

"San Francisco” de Maxime Le Forestier

 

*Adosser : To lean

*Embrumer : To mist

*Kena : It's a wind instrument of the wood family

*Effondrer : To collapse

 

 

French songs from 1975 to 1980 :

 

French songs from 1975 to 1980

Here are my favorite French songs from 1975 to 1980:

 

  • “Mon fils, ma bataille”, Daniel Balavoine

  • “La groupie du pianiste”, Michel Berger

  • “ Ça plane pour moi”, Plastic Bertrand

  • “Je l’aime à mourir”, Francis Cabrel

  • “Ma préférence”, Julien Clerc

  • “Et si tu n’existais pas”, Joe Dassin

  • “Cette année-là”, Claude François

  • “Sea, sex and sun”, Serge Gainsbourg

  • “Il jouait du piano debout”, France Gall

  • “Goodbye Marylou”, Danyel Gerard

  • “Ma gueule”, Johnny Hallyday

  • “Femme, femme, femme”, Serge Lama

  • “Je vais t’aimer”, Michel Sardou

  • “Allo maman bobo”, Alain Souchon

  • “Le cœur Grenadine”, Laurent Voulzy

 

Find this playlist of French songs from 1975 to 1980 on Spotify

 

Zoom in on Joe Dassin’s song "Et si tu n'existais pas" :
 

This song is about a love story. 

The interpreter expresses the feelings he may have towards a woman.

He tells her that he does not know how he would do if she was not there, if she had not entered his life.
 

"Et si tu n’existais pas” de Joe Dassin

 

*Si tu n’existais pas : If you didn't exist

*Des passantes :  Of passers-by

*Faire semblant : to pretend

 

And you, what is your favorite French song ?

Here, I hope you will enjoy these songs as I enjoy them! 

If you want more resources to improve your French during lockdown, I invite you to download my free ebook : Le français au quotidien.

Next week I will offer you the music from 1980 to 2000, I wish you a good listening and a good weekend!