+20 French Bands to Discover (Current & Old)

I made a new French music selection gathering some of the best French music bands. Listening to French music can help you to understand better French-speaking.

Most of the bands on this list are singing in French. Over the years it became popular to sing in English but in the last years seems that the French language is regaining some popularity amongst French singers. I selected +20 French bands for this list.

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List of Old French Bands

Here is a list of iconic French bands.

1. Dub Inc

Formed in 1997 in Saint-Étienne, Dub Inc is a leading French group on the reggae-dub scene. Comprising Bouchkour and Komlan, the two charismatic singers of Algerian and Togolese origin, as well as instrumental members, Dub Inc offers a unique blend of reggae, dancehall, dub, and oriental sounds. The band’s engaging lyrics and driving rhythms create a captivating musical fusion. Their greatest hits include “Rude Boy”, “Tout ce qu’il veulent” and “My Freestyle”. Dub Inc continue to embody the spirit of resistance and universality through their music, and still fill France’s biggest concert halls with ease. 

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2. Téléphone

Founded in Paris in 1976, Téléphone is an iconic group on the French rock scene. Made up of Jean-Louis Aubert, Louis Bertignac, Corine Marienneau, and Richard Kolinka, the band left their mark on the 80s with their energetic style and committed lyrics. Their music blends rock, punk, and new wave, offering unforgettable guitar riffs and catchy melodies. Their greatest hits include classics such as “Cendrillon”, “Un autre monde” and “New-York avec toi”. Téléphone’s career came to an end in 1986, but they remain an essential reference point in French music history.

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3. Indochine

Founded in Paris in 1981 by Nicola Sirkis and Dominique Nicolas, Indochine is one of the leading bands on the French music scene. With a prolific and enduring career, the members have evolved over the years, with Sirkis remaining as the main pillar. Their musical style is eclectic, combining elements of new wave, rock, and pop. Their most iconic hits include “L’Aventurier”, “3 nuits par semaine” and “J’ai demandé à la lune”. Indochine continues to captivate their audiences, who always turn out in force for their tours. 

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4. Louis Attaque

Formed in 1993 in Paris, Louis Attaque was an emblematic group of the French alternative scene. Made up of Gaëtan Roussel, Arnaud Samuel, Robin Feix, and Karim Tobbi, the band marked the 90s and 2000s with their unique blend of rock, folk, and French chanson. Their eclectic musical style and poetic lyrics appealed to a wide audience. Their most famous hits include “J’t’emmène au vent”, “Ton invitation” and “Les nuits parisiennes”, a French song about Paris. Louis Attaque ended his career in 2007 but remains a benchmark for the majority of French people, who are still familiar with the French band’s greatest hits.

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5. Tryo

Founded in Paris in 1995, Tryo is a committed French group that skillfully blends reggae, folk, and French music. Comprising Guizmo, Christophe Mali, Manu Eveno, and Daniel “Danielito” Bravo, the group is known for its socially and environmentally committed lyrics. Their rhythmic, festive music has won over a wide audience, making them one of the most popular groups on the French scene. Their greatest hits include “L’Hymne de nos campagnes”, “Désolé pour hier soir” and “Serre-moi”, a beautiful French love song. Tryo continues to inspire and electrify crowds with their positive energy and messages of love.

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List of Current French Bands

Here is a list of recent, and popular French bands.

6. L’Impératrice

I wrote about this French band in the article about French music artists. I would describe their style as electro-pop. The group is composed of six French artists with the singer leader, Flore Benguigui. Recently, the band had a big success in 2022 at the Coachella Festival in the USA with a well-done live performance.

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7. Terrenoire

New French band that might become big in the next years. This group is composed of two brothers from Saint-Étienne singing in French about love and societal problems.

The name of the band comes from the name of one of the districts in Saint-Étienne named Terrenoire. I’ve been to one of their concerts, and they remind me of the artist Stromae because they are acting during their performance.

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8. FAUVE

French band singing in French about life with deep sadness. This Parisian French group was created in 2010 and it is composed of five members.

Those artists are definitely atypical in the French music scene. They are kind of depressed even though in live concerts they are full of energy. After disappearing the last few years, they came back with a new name and a new music style! MAGENTA (the new name of the French band) is on my selection of the best French songs of 2022.

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9. The Blaze

This duo of two cousins (Guillaume and Jonathan Alric) managed to mix their electro music with well-done and visual video clips. The lyrics of the songs are in English. After releasing their first song “Virile” telling the love story they released their first EP “Territory” with the song eponym of the EP.

The clip of the song won in 2019 the Award for Film Craft at the Cannes Lions Festival. Besides, the song is being nominated at the Victoire de la musique for best video clip. This award and this nomination will put the spotlight on the French band from the general audience.

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10. The Pirouettes

The Pirouettes is a French band singing in French from Annecy founded in 2011. It is composed of Leo Bear Creek and Vickie Chérie. They meet in High School and decided to start a group.

In the beginning, the main reason for this project was to see each other since they fell in love. When they moved to Paris, the project moved to a faster pace, and they started to sing in French. They released their first single in 2012 and the second one in 2014 after releasing their first album “Carrément Carrément” in 2016 with the hit “L’escalier“.

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11. Rendez-Vous

New French bands that I can classify in the category of post-punk in alternative rock. They sing in English with a lot of dark energy. This group is composed of five French musicians. I enjoy their energetic songs “The Others” and “Distance”.

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12. Phoenix

French rock band singing in English composed of three musicians that meet in High School in Versailles. They managed to become “famous” abroad, especially in the USA. They were nominated twice at the Grammy Awards and won, in 2010, the Best Alternative Album.

They participated in many festivals around the world from Coachella (USA), Les Vieilles Charrues (FR) to Summer Sonic (JPN). They sold out the Madison Square Garden in New York.

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13. Feu! Chatterton

This is a French rock band founded in 2011, in Paris. They sing in French with beautiful lyrics. The name of the group is the juxtaposition of the expression Feu! (Fire meaning “Let’s go”) and Chatterton, in tribute to the poet Thomas Chatterton. I enjoy their songs “Souvenir” or “Monde Nouveau“.

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14. Cocoon 

This is a French pop band singing in English composed of two artists, the founder Mark Daumail (singer and guitarist) and Morgane Imbeaud (singer and pianist). Their style is a mix of folk-pop. After releasing the two hits “On my way” and “Chupee” they played a the concert room La Cigale and in the iconic concert Parisian room of l’Olympia in 2009.

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15. La Femme

I am a big fan of this French pop band. They released their debut album “Psycho Tropical Berlin” on 8 April 2013 and won the “Victoire de la Musique” for Best Album of a Newcomer Award of the year 2014. They released 2021 the album “Paradigmes”, an album with a frenetic and atypical character. I recommend the songs “Cool Colorado”, “Divine créature” or “Paradigme” from La Femme.

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16. Brigitte

Brigitte is a duo of French singers composed of Sylvie Hoarau and Aurélie Saada. They became famous thanks to their cover of NTM’s “Ma Benz” in 2010, an iconic French hip-hop song. I enjoy their song “A bouche que veux-tu“.

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17. Agar Agar

Agar Agar is a French electro-pop band singing in English, formed in 2015 by Clara Cappagli and Armand Bultheel from Paris. For the specialized press, they represent the future of French electro since the single “Prettiest Virgin” was a huge success in 2016.

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18. Pépite

Pépite is composed of Thomas Darmond (Singer) and Edouard Perrin (Electronic guitar). Everything started in the spring of 2015 with the song Les Bateaux.

They were already playing music together for a few years but “Pépite really came to life at that point.” said Thomas Darmond, the singer of the duo of the French pop band.

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19. Paradis

Another great electro-pop French band. This duo is composed of Pierre Rousseau and Simon Mény. They have two different personalities, but they managed to produce great French songs thanks to their bromance.

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20. Juniore

Juniore is a French indie pop band created in 2013 in Paris. The music group is led by the lead singer and composer Anna Jean. She leads a group of men and Samy Osta is the producer (already the producer of La Femme and Feu! Chatterton). They became famous in 2015 with the single “Panique”.

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21. Granville

Granville is a French indie rock band singing in French. The goal of the project for the band is to create a French pop influence group from the 60s. Their first album “Les Voiles” in 2013, allowed them to get famous to the general public with the songs “Le Slow” and “Jersey“.

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I hope that you liked my selection of iconic and current French bands. Let me know if you know other French bands worth knowing about. From now on, you can check out my article about my lists of French singers :

• 10 Current French Male Singers
• 10 Current French Female Singers