Writer: Olivia Harrington
July 14th marks a special day in France, Bastille Day. It commemorates the storming of the Bastille, an iconic moment in the French Revolution. So here across the pond we’ve decided to list our top 10 French musicians who have managed to storm America’s musical landscape. Watch each artists’ video below or scroll to the bottom for a complete streaming playlist.

#10 AIR

Staying true to their name, AIR produces ambient electronica showcasing ballads with synth-soaked rifts. While sometimes met with criticism, AIR has managed to find their niche in the form of film scores.

#9 Noir Desir

Moody, dark and depressing, Noir Desir’s music reflects a past of drugs, depressions and even manslaughter. Their songs possess a painful, raw intensity often drifting from dreamy to destitute.

#8 Manu Cao

Activist, poet, intellectual, rebel. Manu Chao fuses music with a message together with punk rock, spoken word, reggae and folk. Singing in over 7 languages, Manu Chao is truly a global force.

#7 Revolver

The band Revolver is may seem like one long homage with their name is accredited to the Beatles and the title of their album “Music for a While” to Henry Purcell. Even their sound seems like a borrowed mix of Beatles/Beach Boy/Kinks tracks. Yet their appreciation for all things past shines through with whimsical, catchy tracks, allowing them to create an endearing pop-rock album.

#6 Justice

Justice burst onto the scene as crazy, drug-fueled, electro-pop in the late 2000s with their hit. D.A.N.C.E. It has yet to be seen if their second album will be able to produce the same raw frenzy.

#5 Francoise Hardy

A career spanning four decades and a legend in her own right, she has collaborated with Iggy Pop, Blur and was immortalized in the poetry of Bob Dylan. Her enigmatic persona led the way for other contemporary French female musicians including Keren Ann.

#4 Pony Pony Run Run

Pony Pony Run Run seemingly have all the ingredients to success. A three member band consisting, in part, of two brothers (sound familiar? Oasis, The Kinks, The Stooges, Radiohead, etc…), catchy electro-pop anthems and a dash of confidence, seen in the title of their first album, “You need Pony Pony Run Run.” So, while they haven’t quite yet exploded in US, perhaps we should prepare for another Justice-esque phenomenon.

#3 MC Solar

A pioneer of French hip-hop, MC Solar combines jazz, hip-hop and intellectual prowess to create rhymes of indisputable power.

#2 Daft Punk

The Daft Punk duo of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo is probably not classically the most talented of France’s exports. But they have accomplished something that few French musicians, let alone those in the house-music genre, have achieved. Despite shrouding their individual personas in mystery, they have created a cross-cultural identity, branching out across multiple mediums and a variety of collaborations, giving them international appeal.

#1 Phoenix

It may seem audaciously American to champion a band that is the most recent, most current and indeed youngest. However, when looking at Phoenix through the lens of American appeal they have come best prepared. Phoenix has been genius in their marketing, but is ultimately their music, not their business plan, catapulting them to the top. They produced four solid albums and with new tracks like ‘Lisztomania’ and its reference to the legendary Daltry, it’s no wonder that frenzy has followed. While these Parisians may not yet have solidified themselves amongst rock and roll greats, in terms of storming American shores they certainly seem to be on the attack.