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.
View the complete list of 57,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.
Buy album 
- #Sponsored
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:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
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]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
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]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
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:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
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
- #Sponsored
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]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
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]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
"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]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
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
- #Sponsored
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
Don't agree with this chart? Create your own from the My Charts page!
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 | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Jacno | 1 | 1% | |
| Motorbass | 1 | 1% | |
| Daniel Darc | 1 | 1% | |
| Jacques Dutronc | 1 | 1% | |
| Les Calamités | 1 | 1% | |
| Jean-Louis Murat | 1 | 1% | |
| Alain Kan | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Pardon My French chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 11 from 58th to 47th Transports En Commun by Bratsch |
| Up 5 from 83rd to 78th Organique by Zend Avesta |
| Up 2 from 20th to 18th Et Gary Cooper S'éloigna Dans Le Désert... by Alain Kan |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 10 from 66th to 76th The Virgin Suicides by Air |
| Down 9 from 45th to 54th Danses Et Chants De Syldavie by Pascal Comelade |
| Down 8 from 31st to 39th A Bride Abattue by Les Calamités |
Pardon My French similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Les Inrocks 100 Greatest French Albums (2017) | WayneMC | Custom chart | 2019 |  |
| Just Kiss The Frog (French) |  bertrandu | Custom chart | 2018 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | Lalulilelo | Overall chart | 2023 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s | Lalulilelo | 1990s decade 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 | |
Pardon My French similarity to your chart(s)
Not a member? Registering is quick, easy and FREE!
Why register?
- Join a passionate community of over 50,000 music fans.
- Create & share your own charts.
- Have your say in the overall rankings.
- Post comments in the forums and vote on polls.
- Comment on or rate any album, artist, track or chart.
- Discover new music & improve your music collection.
- Customise the overall chart using a variety of different filters & metrics.
- Create a wishlist of albums.
- Help maintain the BEA database.
- Earn member points and gain access to increasing levels of functionality!
- ... And lots more!
Register now - it only takes a moment!
Other custom charts by Norman Bates
| 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 | |
| Normlore | Norman Bates | Custom chart | 2017 | |
| A la campagne | Norman Bates | Custom chart | 2013 | |
Norman Bates has created 5 other custom charts - click here to explore them all.
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 | 2,557 | 80/100 |
| ! | 07/14/2023 23:01 |  MadhattanJack | 260 | 85/100 |
| ! | 03/18/2018 17:47 |  jnfbn | 310 | 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 |
Longest Comments First
(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 
bonafini 11/08/2013 00:34 | #91150
bonafini 11/08/2013 00:34 | #91150
My time to use this to discover French stuff.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From greatson 08/26/2013 08:37 | #84526
greatson 08/26/2013 08:37 | #84526
spectacular list.
So many artists I don´t know (mayby nobody outside france?!)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 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)
Your feedback for Pardon My French
Let us know what you think of this chart by adding a comment or assigning a rating below!
If you enjoy our site, please consider supporting us by sparing a few seconds to disable your ad blocker.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.
| Best Ever Artists | |
|---|---|
| 1. The Beatles | |
| 2. Radiohead | |
| 3. Pink Floyd | |
| 4. David Bowie | |
| 5. Bob Dylan | |
| 6. Led Zeppelin | |
| 7. The Rolling Stones | |
| 8. Arcade Fire | |
| 9. Nirvana | |
| 10. Neil Young | |
| 11. The Velvet Underground | |
| 12. Kendrick Lamar | |
| 13. Miles Davis | |
| 14. The Smiths | |
| 15. The Beach Boys | |
| 16. R.E.M. | |
| 17. Kanye West | |
| 18. Pixies | |
| 19. Bruce Springsteen | |
| 20. Jimi Hendrix |
