# Recommend some stereotypical classic French (or Parisian) music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733 "2015-10-06T17:06:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/1 "2015-10-06T17:06:46Z")
My dinner club is having a French night and I’m putting together a Youtube playlist of classic French songs to play in the background. Do you have any suggestions? They must be available on Youtube. I’ve have Edith Piaf, Django Reinhardt, and some songs from the “Midnight in Paris” soundtrack (the Amelie soundtrack was a bit disappointing in this regard). A lot of playlists on Youtube have lots of accordion music so recommendations without accordion will be specially prized. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/2 "2015-10-06T17:32:45Z")
[La Mer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fztkUuunI7g), sung by Charles Trenet Also, give [Jacques Brel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYiHBBuHWbI) a try. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/3 "2015-10-06T17:49:00Z")
Charles Trenet Jacques Brel Claude Nougaro Michel Legrand Yves Montand Charles Aznavour Gilbert Becaud ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/4 "2015-10-06T20:09:37Z")
[“Sacre Charlemagne” by France Gall](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH-a22xge-c#t=0m45s). ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/5 "2015-10-06T20:47:54Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > [La Mer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fztkUuunI7g), sung by Charles Trenet This is why I come to you guys; how could I forget La Mer? Thanks all! ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/6 "2015-10-06T22:18:00Z")
Edith Piaf (The song “Tu Es” was used in Saving Private Ryan and “Non, je ne regrette rien” was used in Inception). Which on second glance I see you already listed. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/7 "2015-10-07T17:52:21Z")
Orpheus In the Underworld By Offenbach [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLBWx_2y4R4) ---
**Author:** ![yo\_han\_go](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yo_han_go/32/130_2.png) [@yo\_han\_go](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yo_han_go)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/8 "2015-10-10T20:03:13Z")
And there is 1h free soundtrack of Amelie … [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unCVi4hYRlY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unCVi4hYRlY) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/9 "2015-10-10T20:40:04Z")
[Black Trombone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJXkaM3ukoM)– Serge Gainsbourg ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/10 "2015-10-10T20:48:56Z")
Look up Lully, Charpentier, and De Lalande, both vocal and orchestral. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/11 "2015-10-10T20:55:22Z")
Georges Brassens is egregiously missing for y’alls lists. ---
**Author:** ![Periwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Periwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Periwinkle)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/12 "2015-10-10T21:01:41Z")
Maurice Chevalier. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/13 "2015-10-10T22:28:35Z")
No one’s mentioned Debussy’s “Clair de Lune”? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/14 "2015-10-11T01:37:12Z")
You need this album: [World Musette by Les Primitifs du Futur.](http://www.amazon.com/World-Musette-Primitifs-Du-Futur/dp/B000ICLTSC/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1444527179&sr=8-3-fkmr1&keywords=les+primifs+du+futur) Robert Crumb is a participant. Pink Martini does a few wonderful French songs, including [Sympathique](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLaY4aksfRo). ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/15 "2015-10-11T09:19:06Z")
Lots of excellent suggestions so far. Here are some more recent songs that keep the “classic” feel IMHO. **Olivia Ruiz** - \*J’traine des Pieds \* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YO4cRVVvAw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YO4cRVVvAw) Perhaps the most moving French song of the past 10 years. Already a classic in my book (in spite of her weird voice). **Natacha Tertone** - _Tous ces Moments_ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-Y3WhOLFKo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-Y3WhOLFKo) This one’s a real downer. But it’s a gem. **Keren Ann** - _Jardin d’Hiver_ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im9fspvvkf4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im9fspvvkf4) She was everywhere in the early 00s with this song in particular and a couple of others. **Daniel Guichard** - _Mon Vieux_ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Apr13sVFeo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Apr13sVFeo) An older song (mid-70s) but I love it so, so much. There’s some (tasteful) accordion, though. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/16 "2015-10-11T12:58:09Z")
Alan Rudolph’s _The Moderns_ was an atmospheric, moody story set in Paris in the 20’s. Excerpts from the soundtrack (by Mark Isham) are available on YouTube. [The main theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHIoTFcdQdA). [Dada Je suis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4kyWzEEnbA). [Paris La Nuit/Selavy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Naw2BU6S_Zg). (Plus some clips of the movie with Mickey Rourke inserted for some reason. And there’s a band called “The Moderns”–probably not what you want.) ---
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/17 "2015-10-11T18:49:47Z")
Guy Béart - L’eau vive Georges Guétary - Moulin Rouge Caterina Valente - Mes frères Henri Salvador - Le Loup, La Biche et Le Chavalier Suzy Solidor - Dans un port Tino Rossi - Y a d’l’amour [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qvdpH19tlcc/hqdefault.jpg "Tino Rossi - Y a d'l'amour - 1946") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvdpH19tlcc) ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/18 "2015-10-12T07:42:10Z")
[quote=“journeyman\_southpaw, post:17, topic:733733”] Henri Salvador - Le Loup, La Biche et Le Chavalier [/QUOTE] Oh wow, I haven’t heard it for decades! Takes me right back to kindergarten, sitting in a circle with the other kids in the main hall, listening to this song. It made me a little bit sad at the time. Even more now :(. It’s Ch **E** valier, though 😉 . ---
**Author:** ![eulalia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eulalia/32/457_2.png) [@eulalia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eulalia)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-stereotypical-classic-french-or-parisian-music/733733/19 "2015-10-12T10:15:17Z")
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned La Vie en Rose [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rzeLynj1GYM/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGIgYihiMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDAxlDF7qimLZNhEnJWNlZK1PMf9Q "Edith Piaf - La vie en rose (Officiel) [Live Version]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzeLynj1GYM)