Air Albums Ranked

Air is a French music duo from Versailles, consisting of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel. Their critically acclaimed debut album, Moon Safari, including the track “Sexy Boy,” was an international success in 1998. Its follow-up, The Virgin Suicides, was the score to Sofia Coppola’s first movie of the same name. The band has since released the albums 10 000 Hz Legend, Talkie Walkie, Pocket Symphony, Love 2, Le voyage Dans la lune, and Music for Museum. After making several remixes for other acts in the first half of the 1990s, Air recorded its first EP, Premiers Symptômes, in 1995. The band released its first album, Moon Safari, in 1998. Its first single, “Sexy Boy”, was heavily played on alternative radio stations. The album received universal acclaim and became an international success. In 2000, Air composed the score The Virgin Suicides to Sofia Coppola’s debut film of the same name; in 2012, Air wrote its second score to Georges Méliès’ Le Voyage Dans La Lune. In the 2000s, Dunckel and Godin released four studio albums, including 10 000 Hz Legend (2001), Talkie Walkie (2004), Pocket Symphony (2007), and Love 2 (2009). Here are all of Air’s albums ranked.

Listen and enjoy the music of Air. Click below as you relive the songs of the hottest French rock band.

10. LateNightTales (2006)

“When I heard it for the first time, I was a little disappointed and later on I found that this is just a remix album of various songs and interprets. In this view, I have listened to it a couple of times and found though that this is a very extraordinary album that is my favorite one to listen to before I go to the bed. EXCELLENT from the beginning to the end, definitely worth a try.”

9. Everybody Hertz (2002)

“A little out of the canons you expect from AIR. However, this remix album remains pleasant to listen to. The sounds range from techno to reggae making the CD interesting and auto rip is definitely an added value.”

8. Love 2 (2009)

“Fantastic! To me this is classic AIR but more killer mid-70’s cosmic vibes than ever before. In my opinion, this album ranks right there with the band’s best works and maybe even better.”

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7. Pocket Symphony (2007)

“This is definitely a darker more atmospheric record ,with little touches of folk and sounds of the far east in several of the beautifully textured instrumental pieces. There’s a fair bit less emphasis on electronics on this album which kind of marks it apart .”

6. Le Voyage Dans La Lune (2012)

“My first non-hip hop listen of the year so far. I was surprised to find that this was actually very good. The title and cover are taken from one of filmmaker Georges Melies’ short films and this is a tribute of sorts to it. The album is scarce of vocals but the instrumentation is space-bound and very bluesy. Very well put together and each track sounds incredibly cinematic. Very good album.”

5. Premiers Symptômes (1997)

“Struggling to hear how this is so revelatory, but then again I didn’t find Moon Safari awesome. This is some cool chilled back electronic music, whose slow beats provide this warm, enjoyable atmosphere. Its production is really smooth, but this is more an EP about feel than proper melodies. At its best moments, it feels like Daft Punk for when you want to watch the sunrise, but struggles to hit that for most of its length.”

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4. The Virgin Suicides (2000)

“Air provides a psychedelic caress between the disassociative culture that gave us ambient music and the idealistic and naive world of post-war America which gave us The Birth of Cool. Synthesizers pulsate in a vast but colorless world of texture like a throbbing Ansel Adams photo; then angelic voices and soaring guitars drip from the sky like watercolor. All done with the subtlety and garishness of a flirtatious look that lasts a second too long.”

3. 10,000 Hz Legend (2001)

“A little unfocused but still highly underrated. The minimal electronic stuff does a good job of creating a serious atmosphere and the manipulated vocals added a faux-spooky retro-futuristic edge that I like.”

2. Talkie Walkie (2004)

“Another great “Air” album… again it offers a stunning atmosphere, great “typical” Air (such as Cherry Blossom Girl or Surfing on a Rocket) songs but also song that will surprise you (“Mike Mills” or “Alpha Beta Gaga”) and a great instrumental track (“Alone in Kyoto”)… it’s a album to enjoy while relaxing with the headphones on.”

1. Moon Safari (1998)

“Air’s “Moon Safari” was my entry into the world of electronica, ambient/French pop… and I was not disappointed. Like Track 7 (“You Make It Easy”) says, this ALBUM makes it easy by gently synergizing the frosty elements of electronic, pop, and jazz music to create an effortlessly blissful experience.”