Edith Piaf songs are some of France’s best-known classic songs, telling stories that relate to all people around the world. Edith Piaf (1915-1963) was arguably one of France’s greatest female singers of all time. Today we’re going to discover some of Edith Piaf’s top-12 greatest hits and learn what the story is behind their lyrics.
List of Edith Piaf’s greatest hits:
- La vie en Rose
- Non, Je ne Regrette Rien (French version)
- No Regrets (English version)
- Hymne à l’amour
- Milord
- La Foule
- L’Accordéoniste
- Padam, padam…
- Sous Le Ciel De Paris
- Mon Dieu
- Mon Manège À Moi
- Tu Es Partout
In addition to this page we have several other pages which discuss and analyze the lyrics to Edith Piaf songs in great detail including La Vie En Rose and Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien.
Most popular songs of Edith Piaf
1) La Vie En Rose
La Vie En Rose is the signature song of Edith Piaf and was written back in 1945. The lyrics express the joy of finding love, and it was particularly popular following the ending of World War II.
2) Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
Written in French in 1960, Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien translates to “No, I do not regret anything.” The lyrics tell the same story, and Piaf dedicated this song to the Foreign Legion. When the song was recorded, France was taking part in the Algerian War, and this song is still sung by the Foreign Legion on parade to this day.
3) No Regrets
Edith Piaf also recorded an English version of the above song back in 1960. This is one of her most popular songs in English, telling the same tale as the French version.
4) Hymne à l’amour
Hymne à l’amour was written by Piaf in 1950 and was dedicated to the love of her life, French boxer Marcel Cerdan. He was killed in 1949 in the Air France Flight 009 crash, and this song is in memory of him.
5) Milord
Milord was recorded in 1959 and shares the story of a lower-class girl in the port who has feelings for a British traveler. The song was a huge hit in Germany, it sold over 400,000 copies in France, and it receives thousands of views on YouTube each day still.
6) La Foule
Edith Piaf recorded La Foule in 1957, creating her own version of a previous Spanish song. The lyrics make this one of the best songs from the artist, telling the story of a female singer and a man who meet in the middle of a crowd. While it’s love at first sight for the singer, they sadly part as quickly as they met.
7) L’Accordéoniste
L’Accordéoniste was written by Michel Emer in 1940, who offered it to Edith Piaf. It was her first song to sell a million copies, sharing the tale of a prostitute who is in love with an accordion player who gets sent to war.
8) Padam, padam…
While many of Edith Piaf’s hits are slower sad songs, Padam, padam… is a waltz that was released in 1951. The singer describes how a song’s melody can bring back memories of a previous lover and strives to tap into the listener’s memories too.
9) Sous Le Ciel De Paris
Edith Piaf recorded her versions of Sous Le Ciel De Paris in 1954. The song was originally written for the 1951 movie of the same name, and the melody has been used in other movies. It shares the story of a night under the Paris sky and the main character’s feelings about his life here.
10) Mon Dieu
Mon Dieu is a signature song for Edith Piaf, recorded in 1960. It’s one of the most famous sad songs, which started life as a sailor song but soon became the story of losing a lover and wishing to stay with them a little longer.
11) Mon Manège À Moi
Mon Manège À Moi was a 1958 hit for Edith Piaf and featured in the movie Mon oncle. The themes of the song include love, carousels, merry-go-rounds, and funfair organ music.
12) Tu Es Partout
Tu Es Partout was a featured song in Saving Private Ryan but also appeared in Edith Piaf’s Montmartre-sur-Seine film in 1943. The story is about lost love and the sorrow felt after losing them.
Edith piaf songs – conclusion
All of these songs are signature songs for Edith Piaf and are popular with men and women everywhere. They all have captivating stories and themes, which have captured the attention of listeners for decades.
More French song lyrics
FrenchLearner offers several more pages covering the most famous French songs of all time. These pages offer the French lyrics, English translation as well as in-depth lyrics analysis for the following songs: Port of Amsterdam (Jacques Brel), La Bohème (Charles Aznavour), Les Feuilles Mortes (Yves Montand), La Mer (Charles Trenet), Les Champs Élysées (Joe Dassin), C’est Si Bon (Yves Montand) and Ne Me Quitte Pas (Jacques Brel).
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About David Issokson
Bonjour! My name is David Issokson. I'm based in Victor, Idaho (near Jackson, Wyoming) and have helped hundreds of students to learn French online since 2013.
