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Radio LBB: French Hit Parade

07/09/2017

Change

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Paris, France

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07/09/2017

FCB agency Change span 70 years of musique française in this mega trip of a playlist

While away your working day with this decade-spanning playlist from French agency Change, which is part of the FCB network. They've traversed 70 years of French hit parade, from the days of Edith Piaf right up to modern day, with snippets of rap, rock, electro, folk and more. Enjoy the trip.

The Change team have kindly offered up some handy information to help guide your time travelling trip. See below the playlist.

1950s

Edith Piaf: a French cabaret singer, songwriter, and actress. She is still the most famous French singer. She sings torch ballads about love, loss and sorrow.

Most famous songs:

- La vie en rose (about how you feel when you are with the one you love)

- Non je ne regrette rien (about a person that looks at herself and her life, and says that she regrets nothing that happened)

- Hymne à amour (a love hymn about how the world can collapse and fall apart, but as long as she is with her lover, she doesn’t care about anything else)

- Milord (about a prostitute who invites a lonely, rich client to join her)

Jacques Brel: a Belgian songwriter, actor, and director.

Most famous songs:

- Ne me quitte pas (= don’t leave me)

- La valse à mille temps ( = the waltz in thousand time)

- Madeleine (about a man waiting for a girl who’ll never want to be with him)

- Mathilde (about a man who loved a girl named Mathilde. She left for some reason, but she’s back in the city. The man sings about how his family and friends are trying to stop him seeing her, but it’s impossible)

1960s

Georges Brassens: a french singer-songwriter and poet. He wrote and sang, with his guitar, more than 100 of his own poems, as well as texts from many others (such as Victor Hugo, Verlaine, or Aragon).

Most famous songs:

- Les copains d’abord (= friends first)

- Chanson pour l’Auvergnat (about how a person (l’Auvergnat) takes care of a homeless man rejected by society. The song thanks these helpful and non-judgemental people)

- La mauvaise réputation (about a little town which doesn’t understand a man because of its anti conformism)

Serge Gainsbourg: a French singer, songwriter, pianist, film composer, poet, painter, screenwriter, writer, actor, and director. He is one of the most important singers in popular French music. He was renowned for his often provocative and scandalous releases.

Most famous songs:

- Bonnie & Clyde

- Le Poinçonneur des Lilas (about the monotonous life of a Paris Métro ticket man)

- La Javanaise (love song)

- Lemon Incest (scandalous song in which Gainsbourg and his daughter sing incestuous lyrics)

Claude Francois: french pop singer, songwriter and dancer.

Most famous songs:

- Comme d’habitude (=as usual. References a recent breakup and talks about a couple in a strained relationship)

- Belles, belles, belles (a father explains to his daughter how beautiful girls are and how hard it is to not become a fool around them)

1970s

Joe Dassin

Most famous songs:

- Aux champs Elysées (love ballad about one of the most famous streets in Paris)

Michel Delpech (a french singer, songwriter and actor)

Most famous songs:

- Que Marianne était jolie (=How beautiful Marianne was. Love song)

- Pour un flirt (smash hit all over France and Europe)

Nino Ferrer (was an Italian-French singer, songwriter and author)

Most famous songs:

- Le Sud (=song talking about the Mediterranean atmosphere)

Maxime e Forestier

Most famous songs:

- L’éducation sentimentale (love song, famous for its guitar tablature)

Dalida: an Egyptian-Italian then French singer and actress. She performed and recorded in more than ten languages.

Most famous songs:

- Paroles parole, parole (with Alain Delon, a french actor)

Johnny Halliday: a french singer and actor who became famous singing rock in french

Most famous songs:

- Que je t’aime

- Je te promets

- Noir c’est noir

1980s

Renaud: popular singer, songwriter and actor. Well known for his characteristically 'broken' voice which makes for a very distinctive vocal style

Most famous songs:

- Dès que le vent soufflera (sea tale)

- Laisse béton (irreverent song)

- Morgane de toi (ballad)

- Mistral gagnant (nostalgic song)

Francis Cabrel: a French singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has released a number of albums falling mostly within the realm of folk, with occasional forays into blues or country.

Most famous songs:

- L'encre de tes yeux,

- Petite Marie

- La corrida

- Encore et encore

Telephone: (french rock band)

Most famous songs:

- La bombe humaine ( = Human bomb)

- Argent trop cher ( = Money Too Expensive)

- Ça c'est vraiment toi (= That Is So You)

- Cendrillon (= Cinderella)

- New York avec toi (= New York With You)

- Un autre Monde (= Another World).

Daniel Balavione: A French singer, Balavoine earned his own place with his powerful voice, wide range and lyrics, which were full of sadness and revolt. He was emphatic, and his songs for the most part talked about despair, pain, and death, although hope was present as a theme as well.

Most famous songs:

- Tous les cris des S.O.S

- L’Aziza

- Le Chanteur

- Mon fils ma bataille

- Quand on arrive en ville

Rita Mitsouko: french pop rock duo

Most famous songs:

- Marcia Baila

- C’est comme ça

1990s

Noir Desir: rock band