The French Final was held on March 20th, hosted by Jean-Pierre Foucault & Marie Myriam who won ESC 1977. A sample of TV viewers were telephoned after the final to vote on the songs.
| 1 | Les manèges de l’amour | The carrousels of love | Philippe Houbert |
12th |
| 2 | Je t’aime | I love you | Joël Prévost |
9th |
| 3 | Je reviendrai | I’ll be back | Claude Merlebois |
8th |
| 4 | L’homme est un mobile | Man is a mobile | Jean-Marc Courtois |
7th |
| 5 | Passionnément | Passionately | Joséphine Coppola |
14th |
| 6 | Je vous oublie | I forget you | Kali |
13th |
| 7 | Vivre | Live | Guy Bonnet |
1st |
| 8 | Mais où est l’amour | But where is love | Rebecca |
11th |
| 9 | France France | France France | Isabelle Aubret |
3rd |
| 10 | Quand je vois le soleil | When I see the sun | Nicolas Layani |
6th |
| 11 | A chantefrance | A chantefrance | Jean-Paul Cara |
5th |
| 12 | Avec | With | Christine Fontane |
10th |
| 13 | Vive le Douanier Rousseau | Long live Douanier Rousseau | La Compagnie Créole |
2nd |
| 14 | J’en appelle à la vie | I call unto life | Anne-Marie Gancel |
4th |
Guy Bonnet previously represented France in ESC 1970. At the ESC he came 8th. Joël Prévost represented France in 1978 and Isabelle Aubret did the same in 1962 & 1968. Rebecca also sang in the 1983 Israeli Final under her real name – Ilana Avital