Musicians used synthesizers before Kraftwerk. Karlheinz Stockhausen experimented with them in the 1950s, while Switched-On Bach reached the top ten in 1968. Synths popped up on 1960s rock records by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, while Stevie Wonder also layered synths on his 1970s masterpieces. But Kraftwerk are the band most associated with the synth, four German musicians standing expressionless behind their electronic instruments.
Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter joined forces in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 1970. Their first three records together are more experimental. It wasn’t until 1974 that they found their signature, synth-driven sound with the lengthy ‘Autobahn’.
Over the next decade, Kraftwerk helped to usher in new genres of music. Synth-pop, techno, post-punk, and house music can all trace Kraftwerk’s influence. They were also a popular source of samples for early hip-hop. Given the current musical landscape, there’s a case that Kraftwerk are more influential than The Beatles.
Last week I saw Kraftwerk live. They were amazingly entertaining, given that it’s four people standing behind keyboards. Their songs are tuneful and pulsing with rhythm. Leader Ralf Hütter is 77 years old but remained standing and singing for a two-hour show.
Here are my ten favourite Kraftwerk songs. The most notable omission is ‘The Model’, a popular single from 1978’s The Man-Machine.
10 Best Kraftwerk Songs
#10 Boing Boom Tschak
from Electric Café, 1986
1986’s Electric Café is a step down from Kraftwerk’s prime releases, less effortless than before. But it’s notable as the band’s toughest-sounding album. In particular, the suite of songs that open the record is strong. Opener ‘Boing Boom Tschak segues into ‘Techno Pop’, and then ‘Musique Non-Stop’.
Unlike most Kraftwerk songs, the lyrics didn’t need to be translated from German – they’re all onomatopoeic.
#9 Pocket Calculator
from Computer World, 1981
“I am the operator/Of my pocket calculator” is unmistakably a Kraftwerk lyric. The band infused this catchy single with bleeps and bloops.
As a promotional gimmick, the band issued special calculators that could make music like mini-synths. They included instructions on how to play some of their most popular songs.
#8 Tour de France
non-album single, 1983
After a gruelling tour for Computer World, Hütter looked for a sport that fitted the image of Kraftwerk. He decided on cycling, while the group also became vegetarians. The recording of ‘Tour de France’ was temporarily halted when Hutter was involved in a serious cycle accident – he spent several days in a coma.
Confusingly, the ‘Tour de France single’ was released in 1983. Kraftwerk would eventually release a Tour de France album, two decades later.
#7 Europe Endless
from Trans-Europe Express, 1977
Trans-Europe Express is perhaps Kraftwerk’s best-known album. It opens with the hypnotic, dreamy groove of ‘Europe Endless’. The contrast between the deadpan vocals and pretty instrumental sections is effective.
When I saw Kraftwerk live in 2023, this was the only song from this list that they didn’t play.
#6 Neon Lights
from The Man-Machine, 1978
Kraftwerk struggled with making their slower material pretty on their earlier synth albums. With their minimalist sound and often deadpan vocals, they sounded cold and austere. But by the time of 1978’s The Man-Machine, their records were lusher.
Hütter’s delivery is gentle and beautiful. Percussionist Karl Bartos became a creative force during this period, with writing credits during their peak albums.
#5 The Robots
from The Man-Machine, 1978
Rarely has there been such a perfect marriage of band and material as Kraftwerk’s ‘The Robots’. “We are the robots” feels like a rallying cry for the band.
Wolfgang Flür, percussionist for Kraftwerk during the 1970s and 1980s named his autobiography Kraftwerk: I Was a Robot. It was a single twice – a 1991 remix made the top 20 in Germany.
#4 Radioactivity
from Radio-Activity, 1975
Joy Division were fans of Kraftwerk, and liked to play Trans-Europe Express through the PA to “get a momentum”. The Kraftwerk song that sounds most like Joy Division is the darker ‘Radioactivity’, with reverb-laden percussion and doomy synths.
Kraftwerk have never been shy to update their work. In 2012, Yellow Magic Orchestra‘s Ryuichi Sakamoto provided lyrics for a new Japanese version, released after the Fukushima accident.
Chernobyl, Harrisburg, Sellafield, Fukushima
#3 Computer Love
from Computer World, 1981
Again, Kraftwerk became much more adept at pretty tunes later in their career. Hütter is surprisingly tender, even delivering lines like “I want a rendezvous”. He’s accompanied by delicate synth lines.
’Computer Love’ was a number one hit in the UK, topping the charts as a double a-side with ‘Model’. It was later borrowed by Coldplay as a basis for their song ‘Talk’.
#2 Autobahn
from Autobahn, 1974
The second side of Autobahn is a series of unremarkable instrumentals. The first side is a 22-minute tour de force. It combines catchy synth hooks with a singalong chorus. Many listeners thought that the band were singing “fun fun fun on the Autobahn”, like a reference to The Beach Boys. But the lyrics were German, where “fahren” means drive.
Percussionist Wolfgang Flür noted to AllMusic: “We used to drive a lot, we used to listen to the sound of driving, the wind, passing cars and lorries, the rain, every moment the sounds around you are changing, and the idea was to rebuild those sounds on the synth.”
#1 Trans-Europe Express/Metal on Metal
from Trans-Europe Express, 1977
Transport and technology are both common themes for Kraftwerk. It makes sense that their best song combines both of these strands. Ralf Hütter chants the title phrase, accompanied by some of the band’s best hooks. The ascending chord sequence that opens the song is a thing of beauty. The song was never a big hit but became a favourite in underground dance clubs in New York. It became the basis for Afrika Bambaataa’s ‘Planet Rock’.
It’s effectively a two-part suite when combined with the following tracks ‘Metal on Metal’ and ‘Abzug’. It keeps up its train-like momentum for nearly 15 minutes.
From station to station
Back to Düsseldorf City
Meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie
Did I miss your favourite Kraftwerk song?
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Good overall list, Graham. My two quibbles would be with your #10. I don’t care much for Electric Cafe/Techno Pop (a view shared amongst a lot of fans), the only song on there I would include is the lone Bartos lead vocal one, “The Telephone Call”. The Side One three-song suite that you refer to bores me. It sounds beneath Kraftwerk, like something any other 80’s synth outfit could do. (Hello, Yello!) It reminds me of something that would be soundtracking a montage scene in a John Hughes flick.
As for #2, I don’t think that the second side is that unremarkable. “Kometenmelodie 2” is a beautiful piece.
When I saw them live last week they closed with those Techno Pop first side songs. I guess Musique Non-Stop makes sense as a closer.
Yeah. I have the Minimum Maximum DVD and they close with Music Non-Stop. As they exit the stage one by one.
Y’know, now that I think of it: I like the “Musique” version on The Mix, which I feel is different than the original. It’s like the Electric Cafe/Techno Pop was the “sketches” for the completed version, which is interesting as that’s something Kraftwerk didn’t do post-Autobahn. Still, I prefer “The Telephone Call”. But that didn’t get on The Mix (a combo greatest hits/redo) since it was sung by Bartos, and he was gone by then. Hutter does not want to acknowledge the contributions of past members.
I think Bartos was involved in The Mix a bit? But quit before it was released.
Apparently, he was (despite thinking the album was a bad idea), but his contribution was uncredited, which proves my point. Also frustrating: Hutter pretends the first three (pre-Autobahn) albums don’t exist. I’d wager that he’d also like to pretend Autobahn didn’t exist (especially Side 2) but since it’s a hit everyone knows, he can’t.
We Are the Robots is fantastic.! I used it for my newscast bumper music when I was at WCVT now WTM Towson University back in the day. I thought it was much better than the station’s chosen news sounder/theme. I got in trouble but used We Are the Robots anyways.
It would have been good to include that one.
I’m surprised “The Model” didn’t make the top 10 list. It was #1 in the UK when it was re-released in 1981.
Would have been a good one to include for sure – feels like most songs from The Man-Machine and Computer World would have fitted well.
I love this topic!!! Just give me a minute to think about it.
1. The Model
2. Europe Endless
3. Autobahn
4. Home Computer
5. Trans Europe Express/Metal on Metal
6. Neon Lights
7. Computer World
8. Musique Non-Stop
9. Tour de France
10. Electric Cafe
Cool – we don’t have that much in common in some ways – the Kraftwerk core catalogue is kind of small.
I should have wrote Abzug also as part of Trans Europe Express, but you know what? It was never even called that until they made The Mix album in the 90s. On the original vinyl album and even on the first CD copies I had it only listed Trans Europe Express and Metal on Metal. Same thing with Pocket Calculator. On later albums it was called Pocket Calculator/Dentaku. But it sounded like they just added some Japanese lyrics or something onto the end of the song. And that’s how they’re listed on their live albums too.
Yup, I forgot to mention Abzug, because on my CD version it’s part of Metal on Metal.
While you can’t deny Kraftwerk’s influence, their music isn’t much my cup of tea. It’s cool you saw them – frankly, I didn’t know they are still around. I take it Ralf Hütter is an original member.
I just watched a bit of a live YouTube clip from a Kraftwerk concert earlier this year. The presentation with four guys standing behind their keyboards like lecterns is interesting.
I well remember hearing “Tour de France” on the radio back in Germany in the ’80s, as well as “Das Model” (the model) back in the ’70s. The latter I liked at the time. Now, I’m more indifferent about it.
Ralf Hütter is the only original member – although to be fair, there were only two original members. Florian Schneider died a few years ago, while the classic lineup also had two percussionists.
It was an amazingly good live show, considering it was just four people standing still behind keyboards. Somehow lucked into great seats – I had a clear line of sight to Ralf Hutter.
You are so lucky you got to see them live.
You know what I love about kraftwerk? They made songs about their interests and hobbies rather than about themselves or their life or love or their opinions or things that you could care less about. I wish more people would do that because it would make music so much more interesting. Ain’t it? Let’s say you’re a sports fan. Then you should make albums about football or baseball or something. Or let’s say you like movies, then you should make albums about movies. Or if you like to cook then you should make albums about cooking. The way that Kraftwerk made albums about different kinds of technology or trains and cars and biking. Think how much more variety there would be!!! It would be awesome.
Love and sex are important hobbies for many people, to be fair.
You could tell more about a person by the things that they like than you can by the things that they say. The things that they like tells you what the person is really all about and it’s the most interesting thing about a person. That’s how I feel anyway.
“Das Model”, “Computerliebe”, “Sex Objekt”..
It’s an amazing catalogue, with all the albums from the ‘classic’ period being essential I reckon. (Except Electric Cafe, which was a disappointment even after they re-jigged it).
Nice to see a cut from Tour get a guernsey!
Is Electric Cafe classic period? I’d maybe end it after the Tour de France single? But subjective obviously.
Have you dug into the pre-Autobahn stuff. Feels like a different beast, but I figure if anyone reading this has, it’s probably you.
It’s ALL classic period as far as I’m concerned. Well, at least starting with Autobahn. About half of Tour de France Soundtracks is classic, the first half anyway which is great. And so is Expo 2000, if you get the longer version. And both of the live albums are great and so is The Mix actually.Their first couple albums are totally different, but Ralf and Florian has some really nice tracks on it.
The Mix is really good.
Yes, G. Quite familiar with the early electro-acoustic experimentalism. In fact I rather like Ralf und Florian; shame it’s never had an official re-issue. Even the pre-Kraftwerk Tone Float album is quite interesting. Great stuff.
I was just talking about them the other day with Ron (Hanspostcard). I took a long listen to Autobahn…song not the album…really cool tune.
I’ve seen them listed as an influence from a lot of people including Pete Townshend. I don’t know much about them though.
They have some good tunes I reckon. They’re pretty accessible a lot of the time. Townshend started playing with synths before Kraftwerk did, I think?
I think so yes…but he thought a lot of them. I can’t think of the song but he said that “Kraftwerk” couldn’t have done much better than he did on it.
My list here, along with a visit to the site of Kling Klang . . . https://jericsmith.com/2021/02/20/favorite-songs-by-favorite-artists-series-two-15-kraftwerk/
So much goodness in their catalog, hard to pick faves!
It’s cool you visited Kling Klang. They opened with Numbers when I saw them last week.
Great list. Thanks A. I really love this piece of music off Autobahn: Kometenmelodie 2. Incredible. Played it live (or part of it) when I saw them recently.
KRAFTWERK did write songs about love and sex: “Das Model”, “Computerliebe”, “Sex Objekt”.
Thanks for writing in! To be fair, their love and sex songs are pretty deadpan.