516. Jean Michel Jarre

The first Frenchman on the list may have been equally influential creating music for the eyes as well as the ears. Jean Michel Jarre has been referred to as the man who took the synthesizer to new levels of popularity in Europe during the late 70’s. He was one of the early stars of New Age, Synth Pop, Ambient and virtually every genre that had Electronic elements in them. Jarre became internationally known for the dazzling outdoor spectacles where laser lights and fireworks set the visual backdrops to his audio masterpieces. Jarre is an accomplished musician and certainly had a Hall of Fame career…though it will likely not be a “Rock and Roll” Hall of Fame career.