Pardon My French
by 
Norman Bates 
Favourite français artists et their meilleurs works à my avis.
100; c'est a bit short; désolé Julien Baer, Syd Matters, Monsieur Saï, Mathématiques modernes, Sapho, St Germain, Noir désir, Yeti Lane, Angil, Klub des loosers, De Crécy, et beaucoup more.
- Chart updated: 03/22/2016 11:45
- (Created: 11/03/2012 03:32).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 17 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Pardon My French has an average rating of 92 out of 100 (from 19 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Bourvil is more famous today for his humorous parts in countless French comedys of the 50s and 60s, and for his part as a policemean in Melville's Le Cercle Rouge. He was, however, a good singer too, generally playing the part he had trained in cabaret, i.e. the village idiot. But he could also sing this ("C'était bien" - "It was good", a melanchory memory of when the narrator used to dance with his girl):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXV-1ZebdBs [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXV-1ZebdBs [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
Year of Release:
2005
Appears in:
Rank in 2005:
None
Rank in 2000s:
None
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Boris Vian was a poet, a novelist, a trumpet player, and a singer. He was an early influence on young Gainsbourg. He sang wrily humorous songs with incredible class, and no technique at all. Brilliant.
"Je bois" ("I drink"), where Boris enumerates the reasons why he drinks (including the wondrous "Pour oublier ma gueule / To forget my face")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhdgLe57F4Y [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
"Je bois" ("I drink"), where Boris enumerates the reasons why he drinks (including the wondrous "Pour oublier ma gueule / To forget my face")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhdgLe57F4Y [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
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Aznavour had an incredible span in the early sixties, with brilliantly orchestrated music hall chanson and wonderfully crafted simple cruel lyrics. Check also "Il Faut Savoir" (1961), or any good best-of compilation.
"Monsieur est mort" (Monsieur is dead), Monsieur being the rich gentleman who employed the narrator.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0esjuxFTLM [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
"Monsieur est mort" (Monsieur is dead), Monsieur being the rich gentleman who employed the narrator.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0esjuxFTLM [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
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A mathematician teacher, Lapointe was also a no-nonsense lyricist, spitting his hilarious plays on words and sounds at frightening speed and with his cruel, implacable absurdous logic.
"Saucisson de cheval" (Horse sausage) is utterly untranslatable, but it's great :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9HshYGmMCA [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
"Saucisson de cheval" (Horse sausage) is utterly untranslatable, but it's great :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9HshYGmMCA [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank in 1998:
None
Rank in 1990s:
None
Average Rating:
Comments:
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He wrote the music to Godard's Le Mépris and countless other beautiful scores.
"Camille" (from Le Mépris, 1963)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ3yN0m5Gk0 [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
"Camille" (from Le Mépris, 1963)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ3yN0m5Gk0 [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
Year of Release:
2000
Appears in:
Rank in 2000:
None
Rank in 2000s:
None
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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Jo Privat was a "musette" accordion musician, meaning he played dance songs for popular bars along the rivers of the Parisian countryside. He was also a close friend of the Reinhardt family (he covers "Minor Swing" and "Nuages" in this lovely LP), which is why you can see him and his band bringing a copy of the vinyl to Django's widow in her caravan on the cover of "Manouche Partie". There couldn't be a French music chart without "musette" and accordion.
"Java Manouche" ("java" was a very popular dance in "bals musette", "manouche" means "gipsy")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZp0TaO3YmU [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
"Java Manouche" ("java" was a very popular dance in "bals musette", "manouche" means "gipsy")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZp0TaO3YmU [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
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When he began singing, around 65-66, Dutronc sounded like the French version of a garage chanson singer. Check it out :
"Et moi et moi et moi" ("And me, me, me")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJm4Ul7hO68 [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
"Et moi et moi et moi" ("And me, me, me")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJm4Ul7hO68 [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
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"Psyché Rock" people ! Jerk by Colombier, weird electronic sounds by electro-acoustics pioneer Henry, choreography by Béjart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOqfWj0HqNE [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOqfWj0HqNE [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
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Countless bizarre avant-pop soundtracks. Here, a sample from La Scoumoune featuring Belmondo :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8RJ7xjigmo [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8RJ7xjigmo [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank in 1998:
None
Rank in 1990s:
None
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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This is from one of Brigitte's first LPs on Saravah, a collaboration with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Brigitte always remained impossible to categorize, all her 70s work, solo or with her companion Areski Belkacem, must be listened to. Adventurous and poetic.
"Comme à la radio" (Like on the radio)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVuCaVUda0s [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
"Comme à la radio" (Like on the radio)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVuCaVUda0s [First added to this chart: 11/03/2012]
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Pardon My French composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 1 | 1% | |
| 1960s | 5 | 5% | |
| 1970s | 20 | 20% | |
| 1980s | 15 | 15% | |
| 1990s | 32 | 32% | |
| 2000s | 27 | 27% | |
| 2010s | 0 | 0% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Boby Lapointe | 1 | 1% | |
| Gérard Manset | 1 | 1% | |
| Psykopat | 1 | 1% | |
| Camille | 1 | 1% | |
| Nino Ferrer | 1 | 1% | |
| Bratsch | 1 | 1% | |
| Françoiz Breut | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Pardon My French chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 11 from 58th to 47thTransports En Commun by Bratsch |
| Up 5 from 83rd to 78thOrganique by Zend Avesta |
| Up 2 from 20th to 18thEt Gary Cooper S'éloigna Dans Le Désert... by Alain Kan |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 10 from 66th to 76thThe Virgin Suicides by Air |
| Down 9 from 45th to 54thDanses Et Chants De Syldavie by Pascal Comelade |
| Down 8 from 31st to 39thA Bride Abattue by Les Calamités |
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| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s | Lalulilelo | 1990s decade chart | 2023 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | Lalulilelo | Overall chart | 2023 | |
| Rolling Stone: 100 French Rock Essential Albums (2010) | WayneMC | Custom chart | 2019 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | Lalulilelo | 2000s decade chart | 2023 | |
| ELECTRIcite de france |  greatson | Custom chart | 2020 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | Norman Bates | 2000s decade chart | 2017 | |
| Albums of the World: France |  briggs54 | Custom chart | 2015 | |
| Electropop | Norman Bates | Custom chart | 2014 | |
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Other custom charts by Norman Bates
Norman Bates has shared 7 more custom charts with the community. Browse them all here.| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favourite V/A compilation albums. | Norman Bates | Custom chart | 2020 | |
| Pardon My French | Norman Bates | Custom chart | 2016 | |
| Normtronics | Norman Bates | Custom chart | 2016 | |
Pardon My French ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 19 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 08/25/2025 13:18 | Johnnyo | 2,574 | 80/100 |
| ! | 07/14/2023 23:01 |  MadhattanJack | 278 | 85/100 |
| ! | 03/18/2018 17:47 |  jnfbn | 309 | 96/100 |
| ! | 12/03/2017 21:55 |  Onater | 458 | 90/100 |
| ! | 12/21/2015 00:16 | mostlymor | 45 | 89/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart is rated in the top 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 91.9/100, a mean average of 95.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 94.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 6.4.
Pardon My French favourites
Showing all 14 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Pardon My French comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 17 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First |
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(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
From 
pa 03/18/2015 14:58 | #137208
pa 03/18/2015 14:58 | #137208
thanks for writing down all the notes and for sharing these albums Norman.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From joathome 11/13/2014 16:10 | #126892
Je pensais connaitre un peu la chanson francaise, mais en fait j'ai encore plein de choses à découvrir. Merci pour ce classement très documenté !
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From bertrandu 10/29/2014 23:05 | #125751
bertrandu 10/29/2014 23:05 | #125751
Excellent. Impressionnant. Grosses recherches. De Roubaix dans le Top 10, j'en chialerais :-)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From newjlp 08/20/2014 23:58 | #119872
An excellent and educational chart! Thanks for introducing me to Françoiz Breut, Kas Product and many other artists.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
CellarDoor 06/08/2014 13:26 | #114020
CellarDoor 06/08/2014 13:26 | #114020
Hier j'ai enfin écouté "Remué" de Dominique A. Sublime !
C'est uniquement grâce à toi que je suis allé dans la section Variété Française et je t'en remercie ;)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Woozz 07/18/2013 13:04 | #81832
Woozz 07/18/2013 13:04 | #81832
Ah bah alors là pour le coup, jmen fous j'écris en français. Boby Lapointe et Bourvil dans le top 10 quoi ! \o/ Trop trop bien!
Je te met 90 parce qu'il manque à mon sens AU MOINS un des 3 suivants : Brassens, Brel ou Ferré. Mais bon sinon, au poil ce classement.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From brun027 07/02/2013 19:51 | #80296
You are awesome. Thank you, Sir.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Mother Nature's Son 06/14/2013 21:17 | #78872
Mother Nature's Son 06/14/2013 21:17 | #78872
I'll definitely check out her albums from that era. The intro of "Point" reminded me of the one to "Eight Days a Week", kinda the same stormy uplifting guitar. Don't know if it's just me.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Oselju 06/14/2013 10:19 | #78838
Oselju 06/14/2013 10:19 | #78838
Enorme. Air, Murat sont classés bien trop loin à mon goût, et Melody Nelson quand même alors !
Pour le reste, j'ai pris une grosse claque. Bravo.
Excellents commentaires.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Mother Nature's Son 06/13/2013 12:45 | #78753
Mother Nature's Son 06/13/2013 12:45 | #78753
Well, first of all, French is such a beautiful language so almost any album sung in french becomes great automatically. I read your notes about Françoise Hardy's "Soleil", sounded like the music would appeal to me and checked out the YouTube clip. C'est confirmé, la musique est fantastique! The most pleasant album I've heard in a long time. Will check out some more albums, from Françoise Hardy and this chart in genereal, at one point. Great job!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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