A French composer and pianist from the 20th century, Satie is best known for his Gymnopédies—three delicate, minimal piano pieces that basically invented the template for modern ambient music. Fans and musicians often cite his work as a major influence on everything that came after: minimalism, surrealism, repetitive music, and even the Theatre of the Absurd all owe something to what he was doing. His Gymnopédies have shown up in anime soundtracks more than once, which speaks to how timeless those pieces still feel.

What's striking about Satie is how far ahead of his time he was. He wasn't trying to fit into established movements—he was creating the groundwork for them.