When Kraftwerk began, it was an outgrowth of a project called Organisation, a highly experimental German group that released only one album, the avant-garde Tone-Float. After the demise of that short-lived effort, Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider-Esleben left to form Kraftwerk. The new group’s first two releases (1970’s Kraftwerk and Kraftwerk 2 from 1972) were nearly as experimental, though they continued to make use of traditional instrumentation (guitars, flutes, drums) alongside “found” – often not conventionally musical – devices. Today, the group all but disowns those albums, keeping them out of print and thus largely unheard.
Shifting to what would become Kraftwerk’s trademark approach, by 1974 the group employed synthesizers to create nearly all of their sounds. That set them on a path to become one of the most influential acts in music history. Though they haven’t sold as many records as many of the artists they inspired, Kraftwerk remains an important force in the history and direction of popular music.
Today, only founding member Ralf Hütter remains from the band’s early days, but Kraftwerk flourishes as a popular concert draw, employing state-of-the-art visuals in their stage presentation. Good thing, as the band’s onstage demeanor consists of four men standing rock-still at a series of tiny electronic consoles.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the release of the group’s fifth album Radio-Aktivität, here are five key tracks from the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees – and everybody’s favorite German robots – all in their original versions.
“Autobahn” from Autobahn (1974)
While the first three Kraftwerk LPs were superb – with 1973’s Ralf & Florian now considered a pioneering ambient work – it was Kraftwerk’s fourth album and its side-long title track that broke through to the masses. Edited and released as a single, “Autobahn” marked the first time that the group made use of lyrics in a song. In the U.S., “Autobahn” reached No. 25 on the Billboard 200, the band’s first chart success in North America.
“Radioaktivität” (“Radioactivity”) from Radio-Aktivität aka Radio Activity (1975)
A single from Kraftwerk’s fifth album, the synthetic “Radioaktivität” was released in both German and English-language versions. It didn’t chart in the U.S. but is regarded as one of Kraftwerk’s greatest tunes. Like many of the electronic band’s songs, its title employs a pun, being about both radioactive substances and the activity of being on the radio.
“Trans Europa Express (“Trans-Europe Express”) from Trans Europa Express aka Trans-Europe Express (1977)
With a melody that recalls “Ruckzuck” from Kraftwerk’s self-titled 1970 debut, this tune evokes the feeling of sleek, futuristic movement. The distinctive sounds in the track have been widely sampled by artists including Dr. Dre, Afrika Bambataa, Lil Wayne, Will Smith and nearly 100 others.
“Das Model” (“The Model”) from Die Mensch-Maschine aka The Man-Machine (1978)
Peppier and more dance-oriented than many of Kraftwerk’s earlier efforts, “The Model” was a dance club hit, charting as a single in eight countries combined in its 1978 release and 1982 reissue. “The Model” reached No. 39 on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart, and earned a Gold record in the UK.
“Computerliebe” (“Computer Love”) from Computerwelt aka Computer World (1981)
With its sleek synthesized sounds and robotic vocals, “Computer Love” was another dance club hit in the U.S. reaching No. 13 on that singles chart. As they would do with many of their most popular songs, Kraftwerk eventually re-recorded the song in a new version, in this case for a 1991 album, The Mix.