...Was at a party once where I found myself in the kitchen surrounded by people who were all not native English speakers. So I asked them what I could never know, "What does English sound like to you?" I explained how other languages sounded to English speakers as an example. The reply was not what I expected. They did say it sounded much like Dutch or a combination of French and German (all of which made sense) but that English could go from sounding smooth to stilted with each word. What they all agreed upon, however, was that English sounded lovely when it was sung. I mentioned Italian, noting that Italian works wonderfully in song, yet each thought English had a quality that made English special.
That's very interesting. And as you say, it makes sense. Modern English is classified as a Germanic language, but has a strong Latin/Romantic/Renaissance influence. Unlike Romantic languages, in English consonants are more clearly pronounced and the words are more distinct rather than flowing into each other, yet it flows a lot more smoothly than German, Dutch, Swedish, etc. I didn't expect to learn that they liked sung English so much.
I don't suppose they made any differentiation between different types of English (e.g., American, British, etc.)? I have a friend who is British and he's admitted that having an accent in the U.S. makes him very popular. I've oft complained that having an American accent does not carry the same advantage.
To answer Earl's question, I like the sound of French, although generally not actual French people. (I also like French film.) I knew a guy in college who had a very sexy Turkish accent. From what I've heard, I like the sound of Romanian and some Slavic languages.