French music for a date

This article comes in as an answer to one friend’s special request! And it comes in English only… but any French-speaking person is welcome to add comments and suggestions that could benefit my friend and others!

I very quickly figured out that I would not make it on my own. The matter is so personal and subjective, and consequently the material for an article so limited by my knowledge and taste…

So I sent out an email to many friends, who in turn asked other friends and colleagues…

Among the crowd, 26 (including me) answered, and all together we could quote 52 different reference songs! The population that answered is, I believe, ranging from 22 to 40 year old, 58% of women against 42% men. I offer you the full results of the survey in the article.

First of all I would like to thank everyone for their answers. And it was not such an easy job. How come that my foreign friend thinks about gathering pieces of romantic French music for his date? Well, then probably because romantic also means exotic in most cultures, and for many countries France is THE country of romance.

For the very same reason, French people will tend to select first… romantic Italian or anglo-saxon music for a date! So everyone had to give it a little thinking before answering, and yet many of you quoted several songs.

And now let me unveil the big trends that are really flashing out of the survey results.

Number one (and lots of you will be relieved by the news): “NOUS SOMMES TOUS DES RINGARDS”!! It means we’re all outdated, even the youngest are referring to at least one song dating from the 60’s-70’s! And actually the majority (43%) of the songs quoted are from the 80’s, while another 23% are from the 70’s or earlier. Then only 19% of songs are from post year 2000. The 90’s also score small (15%): was dating less successful at this time?

Number two (maybe also another explanation for number one): according to you, date songs = love songs. And love songs appear, just as LOVE itself, to be extemporal. Some may have been written in the 60’s or 70’s, and were huge hits not only at this time, but until today people are still listening and referring to these songs! Some of them have gone through several interpreters and remakes.

Number three: romantic duos and charming male singers dominate the landscape… but wasn’t that predictable? Don’t women tend to melt under the vibrations of suave males’ voices? And isn’t the concept of a “couple” singing definitely appealing to romance?

Last minute INCREDIBLE highlight: WE HAVE A WINNER! I was just about to close the report, when a friend’s email popped in, finally quoting for the fourth time the kitschissime song “J’ai encore rêvé d’elle” (I dreamed about her again), by the 70’s band “Il était une fois”. Wow. Who would have believed that?

And now my foreign friends surely would appreciate some little hints to help them make the best selection out of this list. So I tried to make a factual description of the style, and to give a link when I could. Since I didn’t know all of the songs quoted, I had to do some research myself. I had to dig deeply sometimes but, in the end, I could find satisfying info for all of them but 2. The web is amazing! Mostly I have to thank Youtube, and then the Flash80 french website for having put online at least a few seconds of songs I thought lost!

It’s time to add a few personal comments :D. I was never so found of ultra-sweet and slow romantic music. But to be honest, I never thought I was much representative of a majority. The survey tends to confirm this! And yet besides me, a few people also quoted songs with humour or a little provocation, or songs more sexy or on which you can dance! For me, except for 4-5 songs, all the songs quoted are just great, and I had a lot of pleasure listening to them for research purposes. Even for the ones I discovered!

Finally, to my friend I would like to recommend an artist: FRANCIS CABREL, a real poet, yes m’am! Both texts and melody are utterly romantic and yet brilliant. And… we used his song “je t’aimais, je t’aime, je t’aimerai” (I was loving you, I am and I will) for our wedding ceremony! *^.^* So go for the album: SAMEDI SOIR SUR LA TERRE – all the songs are great.

And now the big list!!

You will have to browse further below to look inside the list of songs in alphabetical order for the web links.

Songs in alphabetic order with links:

1. And Now Ladies And Gentlemen, (Patricia Kaas)
2. Belle, (Garou + Patrick Fiori + Daniel Lavoie)
3. Bleu comme toi, (Etienne Daho)
4. Ca c’est vraiment toi, (Téléphone)
5. Ce rêve bleu, (Karine Costa & Daniel Lévi)
6. Ce soir, (Max boublil)
7. Comme d’habitude, (Michel Sardou)
8. Comme un avion sans aile, (Charlélie Couture)
9. Deshabillez-moi - “pas trop vite, (Juliette Greco, Mylène Farmer)
10. Destiné , (Guy Marchand)
11. Duel au soleil, (Etienne Daho)
12. En cloque, (Renaud )
13. J’ai tout oublie, (Marc Lavoine & Marocco)
14. J’ai encore reve d’elle, (Il etait une fois)
15. J’aime les filles, (Jacques Dutronc)
16. J’aime regarder les filles, (Patrick Coutin, recently Aston Villa)
17. Je n’attendais que vous, (Garou)
18. Je Ne Veux Qu’elle, (Marc Lavoine & Claire Keim)
19. Je t’aimais, je t’aime, je t’aimerai, (Francis Cabrel)
20. Je t’aime moi non plus, (Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin)
21. J’envoie valser, (Zazie)
22. La Javanaise, (Gainsbourg, Juliette Greco, many others)
23. La maison du bonheur, (Francis Lalanne)
24. L’Aigle noir, (Barbara)
25. L’amour est un soleil, (Helene Segara)
26. Le canoe rose, (Viktor Lazlo)
27. Le p’tit bal perdu, (Bourvil)
28. Le vieil amant, (Emilie SIMON )
29. L’encre de tes yeux, (Francis Cabrel)
30. Les mots bleus, (Christophe)
31. L’été indien, (Joe Dassin)
32. L’hymne a l’amour, (Edith Piaf)
33. Lucie, (Pascal Obispo)
34. Ma Plus Belle Histoire d’Amour, (Barbara)
35. Marvin , (David Koven)
36. Message personnel, (Francoise Hardy)
37. Mistral Gagnant, (Renaud)
38. On va s’aimer, (Gilbert Montagnié)
39. Paroles, (Dalida & Alain Delon)
40. Pour que tu m’aimes encore, (Celine Dion)
41. Que je t’aime, (Johnny Halliday)
42. Quelqu’Un M’A Dit, (Carla Bruni)
43. Qui de nous deux, (M)
44. Raphael, (Carla Bruni)
45. Savoir aimer, (Florent Pagny)
46. Si j’étais un homme, (Diane TELL)
47. Sous les sunlights des tropiques, (Gilbert Montagnié)
48. Sur un prélude de Bach, (Maurane)
49. Tes yeux noirs, (Indochine)
50. Un Homme heureux, (William Sheller)
51. Une derniere danse, (Kyo)
52. Week-end a Rome, (Etienne Daho)

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