Fall in love with the dreamiest French love songs that will make you swoon. From power ballads to soulful tunes, here are the best love songs for your playlist. Show
(As an Amazon affiliate, we may earn commissions on certain purchases. Please note, information provided is for entertainment purposes. See our disclosure policy for details.) With French being the language of love, you can bet there are some beautiful French love songs declaring “Je t’aime“ in style. With its many legendary composers and musicians, here are the best romantic French songs with lyrics that are sure to make your heart go pitter-patter.
I first heard many of these sweet and slow love songs after moving to France, (and meeting and marrying my own Frenchie.) I fell in love then, and I hope you will too. So put on your headphones and imagine yourself in Paris, with some of the best French romantic ballads and love songs that have become classics. Note: if you have a Spotify account, log on to your account in a different tab on your internet browser, to hear the full song below. 1. Jacques Brel – Ne me quitte pasJacques Brel’s classic hit “Ne me quitte pas”, tops just about every best songs list in France. And that is pretty tough to do, considering how many top hits and romantic ballads Brel produced. Ne me quitte pas, meaning “don’ leave me”, Brel asks to forget the past and move on to the land he will create where “she will be Queen, and love will be the law”.
2. Carla Bruni – Quelqu’un m’a ditCarla Bruni may have been better known as a model, but she definitely brings the chops as a top female singer to be reckoned with. She released this single several years before she would become First Lady of France, as wife of French ex-President Nicholas Sarkozy. This soft ballad about lost love in this song that spent over 34 weeks in the top 10.
☞ READ MORE: 24 French Love Quotes to make your heart flutter (with English Translation) 3. Johnny Hallyday – Je te prometsFrench Rocker Johnny Hallyday may have put out more hard rock hits like the massive Allumer le feu, but he shows his romantic side in “Je te promets” meaning “I promise you”.
☞ READ MORE: 15 French Musicians you need on your playlist 4. Roméo et Juliette – AimerIt is only appropriate that a duo with a stage name Romeo and Juliette put out a hit called “Aimer”, meaning “to love” in French. I admit, I don’t love the song itself, but the poetry of its verses are beautiful.
5. Lara Fabian – Je t’aimeIf there ever was a French love power ballad, it is Lara Fabian’s Je t’aime, meaning “I love you”. Fabian holds nothing back making her declaration with:
6. Loane – AiméSoft and sensual, Loane leaves it all out there in this lovely little tune:
7. Céline Dion – Pour que tu m’aimes encoreFrench Canadian legend Celine Dion didn’t rerecord Titanic’s “My heart will go on” in French, but we still have “Pour que tu m’aimes encore“. Her delicate voice powers through this ballad in the style that we love her so much for. There is no holding back in this song, where she wholeheartedly declares her love and proclaims to go to the ends of the earth “so that you will still love me”. ☞ READ MORE: French Views on love & love-making: 7 Interesting Differences
8. Zaz – Je veuxFrench singer Zaz talks about true love in this next song, and is not willing to put a price on happiness:
☞ READ MORE: 21 French Pick-Up Lines that will make you giggle 9. Patrick Bruel – J’te l’dis quand mêmeActor, singer, and male heartthrob Patrick Bruel is one of those singers you can listen to all afternoon long, on a rainy day, with his album on repeat. In “J’te l’dis quand même“, meaning “I’m telling you anyway”, he makes a soft and heartfelt declaration of love.
10. Barbara – Ma Plus Belle Histoire d’AmourMonique Andrée Serf, better known by her stage name Barbara, sings about her most beautiful love story without restraint.
11. Camélia Jordana – Non Non NonCamélia Jordana doesn’t want to move on from a broken heart in the song “Non Non Non Non“, preferring to sit at home and listen to sad love songs from Barbara and hope he will return…
It is a very catchy tune however, despite the dispirited lyrics. 12. Vanessa Paradis – Le TourbillonLe Tourbillon, meaning the “Whirlwind”, is a song written made famous by the film Jules et Jim in 1962, where it is sung by actress Jeanne Moreau. The song was composed by writer Serge Rezvani, who had originally only intended it to be sung among their circle of friends at dinner parties. Since the film, the song has been sung by several artists including the multi-talented Vanessa Paradis (who perhaps is better known for being the ex of a certain Johnny Depp).
13. Gaëtan Roussel – Dis-moi encore que tu m’aimesSinger-songwriter (and sometimes lead singer of the band Louise Attaque) Gaëtan Roussel lets us imagine walking and giggling in the streets of Paris, madly in love. What could be better? ☞ READ MORE: 21 Romantic Things to do in Paris for couples
14. Vianney – Moi aimer toiAnother song that will easily put a smile on your face and make you fall in love is Vianney’s “Moi aimer toi“.
☞ READ MORE: French terms of endearment: 92+ Crazy & Romantic Nicknames 15. Renan Luce – Appelle quand tu te réveillesSinger Renan Luce begs for forgiveness and to be taken back in this upbeat yet sad French love song.
16. Patrick Bruel – Rue MouffetardThe famous Rue Mouffetard in the 5th arrondissement of Paris makes an appearance in this tune. This pedestrianized shopping street with its tiny boutiques and cobblestone streets is in the heart of one of the oldest parts of Paris. So you can just imagine flâner (meaning wandering aimlessly) down the street, arm in arm, enjoying your lover’s company. You can read and listen to more songs about Paris here.
17. Françoise Hardy – Tous les garçons et les fillesFrançoise Hardy was just 16 when she sang this song in the 1960s about the loneliness of looking for love. She went on to have a long and prolific career on the music charts and on screen.
18. Jean-Louis Aubert – Voilà ce sera toiJean-Louis Aubert exuberates about being in love in this sweet French love song.
19. Renaud – Mistral GagnantRenaud’s Mistral Gagnant is a song that gets better every time you hear it. Interpreted later by various artists including Coeur de Pirate, the song title refers to the strong winter winds in Marseille and the South of France, known as the Mistral.
20. Shakira (Francis Cabrel) – Je l’aime à mourirInternational star Shakira reinterprets Francis Cabrel’s classic French love song, in this live recording at a concert in Paris. She starts off in Spanish, while halfway through switching to French, with a joyful Parisian crowd singing along. The song written by Francis Cabrel was originally released in 1979. In “Je l’aime à mourir” meaning “I love her to death”, he describes a woman with with plenty of strength of character and personality, who loves to how to enjoy life and have fun. Cabrel is in enthral with her as is the listener, ready to proclaim our love.
21. Élodie Frégé – La ceintureThe hauntingly melodic is more complicated than a simple love song, speaking of carnal matters versus the heart.
22. Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot – Bonnie & ClydeAnd speaking of doomed love, it doesn’t get any more doomed than Bonnie and Clyde. A song by the legendary French singer Serge Gainsbourg with the equally legendary actress Brigitte Bardot, released for a film they did together of the same name. They had an affair outside the recording studio for about 3 months which didn’t last, during which they recorded Je t’aime… moi non plus. Alas, she was already married, so the song wasn’t released, and he re-recorded it a few years later with Jane Birkin (of handbag fame). Anyway, for a legendary love story quite short-lived, we will always have Bonnie & Clyde.
23. Toi et Moi – Guillaume GrandA more soothing and calming tune is Guillaume Grand’s Toi et moi, meaning you and me. Transport yourself and your loved one to that magical land of amour with these soft lyrics.
So which French love song is your favorite?If you enjoyed that article, you may like to read some romantic French poems about love. A bientôt! ¹ Featured Image: Samantha Hurley |