You don't need to speak French to understand the spirited pluck that animates this chanson singer's signature sound. France's premier midcentury pop vocalist brings a full-throated joie de vivre to her performances, even when singing sad songs about lost love. Edith Piaf's primary gift was a voice that could feel at once intimate and defiantly proud—a talent that made her the right singer at the right time for postwar Paris. And her exuberant way of winning over a crowd, as heard on concert recordings, is essential to Piaf's legacy.