French Pop Music Genre

The most comprehensive list of French Pop Music genres availableThe Music Genres List site covers many of the most popular styles of french pop music, we hope this becomes the definitive list of french pop music genres on the Internet, send an email to add @ musicgenreslist dot com if you feel any french popular music genres are missing and we’ll add to complete the music list.

French pop grew primarily out of the cabarets and music halls of turn-of-the-century Paris, and has of course shifted and evolved with new popular trends over the years. The best French pop usually has an elegant, refined sound, but without coming off as distant or unemotional; in fact, the dominant feeling of each song — romantic longing, nostalgia, sentimentality, eroticism, etc. — is usually played to the hilt, while retaining the music’s stylishness.

Some French Pop songs to get you humming
(with a French accent of course!)

C’est Beau la Bourgeoisie by Discobitch (2008)
Kennedy Boulevard by Axelle Red (1989)
Sensualité by Axelle Red (1993)
Ca fait mal by Christophe Maé (2007)
Belle Demoiselle by Christophe Maé (2007)
Radio Song by Superbus (2004)
Tchi Cum Bah by Superbus (2002)
Parce qu’on sait jamais by Christophe Maé (2007)
Pop’N’Gum by Superbus (2005)
Lola by Superbus (2007)
Butterfly by Superbus (2006)
Travel the World by Superbus (2007)
Ca Mousse by Superbus (2008)
Aïcha by Khaled (1996)
Désenchantée by Kate Ryan (2002)
Mon Coeur Resiste Encore by Kate Ryan (2002)
Libertine by Kate Ryan (2002)
Je t’adore by Kate Ryan (2006)
Voyage voyage by Kate Ryan (2007)
Ella elle l’a by Kate Ryan (2008)
Elu produit de l’année by Christophe Willem (2007)
Double je by Christophe Willem (2007)
Jacques à dit by Christophe Willem (2007)
Quelle Chance by Christophe Willem (2008)
Moi… Lolita by Julien Doré (2007)
Les limites by Julien Doré (2008)
Figures imposées by Julien Doré (2008)
On ne changera pas le monde by Zoë Avril (2007)
Paris tout va bien by Zoë Avril (2007)
Sucré salé by Zazie (1992)
Larsen by Zazie (1995)
Zen by Zazie (1995)
A Ma Place by Zazie (2001)
Rue de La Paix by Zazie (2001)
Adam et Yves by Zazie (2002)
Des rails by Zazie (2007)
Je suis un homme by Zazie (2007)
Toc, Toc, Toc by Zazie (2004)
J’étais là by Zazie (2007)
À cause des garçons by Yelle (2007)
Je veux te voir by Yelle (2006)
Ce jeu by Yelle (2008)
L’ami intime by Grégoire (2008)
Toi + Moi by Grégoire (2008)
Oser by Elsa Lunghini (2008)

Performers like Maurice Chevalier and the much-beloved Edith Piaf got their start in this format, becoming wildly popular in their home country and achieving recognition across national borders as well.

Actress and international sex symbol Brigitte Bardot launched her singing career in this fashion with the help of songwriter Serge Gainsbourg; as a performer, Gainsbourg quickly became a European superstar in his own right, thanks to the simmering eroticism of his arrangements and rhythm tracks, not to mention the outrageous provocations of his lyrics and album concepts.

In the mid-’50s, Belgian-born singer/songwriter Jacques Brel brought a new literacy, wit, and social consciousness to French pop, and became a national legend for his edgy takes on post-WWII society; translated versions of his songs occasionally found their way into the hands of English-speaking pop and rock artists (from Scott Walker to Frank Sinatra) as well.

Although French pop continued to be dominated by the cabaret tradition, the sound of American and British pop/rock began to creep in during the ’60s. Most of the rock & roll rhythms weren’t of the hard-driving variety — rather, they drew from more compatible styles like American girl-group pop (especially singer/songwriter Françoise Hardy), pre-British Invasion dance crazes like the Twist, and the orchestrated, groovy, swinging-London sound of British singers like Petula Clark.