Kraftwerk's muzak is mind-numbingly boring. Seriously, you can get the same effect by turning on a car engine and just letting it idle for an hour. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Sound familiar?

Posted by Bob Borzoi on Friday, 06/21/2013 @ 16:50pm

Kraftwerk influenced not only other artists, but entire genres. Enough said.

Posted by James on Saturday, 08/17/2013 @ 22:18pm

Since Kraftwerk's first album was out in 1970, Kraftwerk is eligible since 1995 (the 1996 ceremony).

Posted by Florian on Monday, 10/28/2013 @ 08:31am

Florian -- thanks for the correction, it has been updated.

Posted by FRL on Monday, 10/28/2013 @ 10:31am

Sure, Link Wray invented the power cord, but Kraftwerk invented the first steam powered amplifier and the treble clef.

Posted by Classic Rock on Sunday, 11/3/2013 @ 16:57pm

Gosh "GFW", do you just post on this website for the purpose of defending rappers? Even sometimes against posters who weren't insulting any? Do you just look through EVERY random music page for someone who's saying something negative about rap??
Rap fans seriously are, and always will be some of the most annoying people on EARTH.

And "Dean" is also a flea-bitten imbecile.

Posted by jfon on Friday, 02/7/2014 @ 09:33am

Oh, and the rap-defeder "Sam" is also a huge idiot. And in fairness to GFW, he did have no rap-related posts in this thread. But I know I've seen him defending random "rap-bashing" posts in other threads.

Posted by jfon on Friday, 02/7/2014 @ 09:54am

"Gosh "GFW", do you just post on this website for the purpose of defending rappers? Even sometimes against posters who weren't insulting any? Do you just look through EVERY random music page for someone who's saying something negative about rap??"

it is my cross to bear. it is a heavy one, but like atlas keeping the world up, i shall uphold this burden.

Posted by GFW on Friday, 02/7/2014 @ 12:14pm

Before Kraftwerk came along, keyboards were never plugged in so you couldn't hear them. As a result, they invented the extension cord, which would eventually have uses outside of music.

They are also credited with inventing buttons. Before Kraftwerk, keyboards were turned on by a complex system of levers and switches.

This ingenuity translated into massive success. They sold 14 copies of their debut album "Kraftwerk (1970) in the United States.

They reached their peak (popularity and creatively) with their 1974 album "Autobahn" which sold 142 copies in the U.S. and an estimated 437 world-wide.

Posted by Classic Rock on Friday, 10/10/2014 @ 21:50pm

Classic Rock, my brother by another mother, I detect much sarcasm in your comments re Kraftwerk. Pretty funny actually cuz pretty much true. Don't worry, I don't think the Autobahn goes anywhere near the city on Lake Erie.

Posted by Telarock on Friday, 10/10/2014 @ 22:33pm

Will Kraftwerk's possible induction lead to a nomination for Tangerine Dream?

Posted by Enigmaticus on Saturday, 10/11/2014 @ 12:24pm

Roy, I'll ask you what Charles asks you every year when you do this. Can you provide quotes or tweets that back up these artists voting intentions.

Posted by DarinRG on Tuesday, 10/28/2014 @ 16:36pm

DarinRG, Roy will not give any of us this information because it doesn't exist (basically, he makes them up). There is no proof that those artists will vote for Kraftwerk or any of the other nominees. I, for one, am tired of Roy's posts where he says "so-and-so" will vote for "so-and-so." There is no merit to Roy's claims.

Posted by Nick on Tuesday, 10/28/2014 @ 18:47pm

Sometimes the voters will post their completed ballots or comments on Twitter. For instance, I know that Flea is a Kraftwerk supporter, but I've seen no evidence on how Anthony Kiedis or John Frusciante or Chad Smith feel about Kraftwerk. It's far more interesting to dig around for these little confirmations and post them than ghettoize the whole voting committee based on stereotypes and assumptions, especially considering that bands are made up of individual people who get to vote and may have different feelings and opinions than their bandmates.

Posted by DarinRG on Tuesday, 10/28/2014 @ 18:58pm

^

Great post, Darin.

Posted by PopeCharming on Tuesday, 10/28/2014 @ 20:49pm

Another annual exercise of Roy's blind stereotyping. He does this every year. So and so are black artists, so they will naturally support other black artists. This group has a good guitarist, so they will support SRV. And on and on. No room for individual thought or tastes, just stereotypes.

Posted by dezmond on Tuesday, 10/28/2014 @ 21:00pm

Thanks, Pope.

Posted by DarinRG on Tuesday, 10/28/2014 @ 22:52pm

I actually would love to see more current HOF inductees come out and say who they vote for. Which from what I see is very rare, although it's becoming a bit more common in recent years. Like I know Anthony Keidis came out and said he was voting for Cat Stevens last year.

You can certainly make guesses and assumptions based on past relationships and musical collaborations as to which nominees the HOFers would induct. Or read or watch past interviews of artists praising other artists to get ideas.

For example, I remember watching the old VH1 100 Greatest Artists of Rock N' Roll special and artists like B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, and Eric Clapton were discussing Stevie Ray Vaughan. So it's likely that they'll vote for SRV.

I don't know if stuff like that is what Roy bases his lists of who will vote for who on, but stuff like that can be a good indicator for predicting which nominees the present HOF inductees will vote for.

Either way, I wish more would come out and say who they're gonna vote for. The critics and journalists, I don't care about so much, but the actual artists that are actually HOF inductees, those would be very interesting. Although I understand why some don't say, because they probably don't want to offend the artists nominated that they're not gonna vote for.

Posted by Donnie on Wednesday, 10/29/2014 @ 08:13am

It's 2015. There are so many comments on here from people who clearly have no knowledge or appreciation of the impact Kraftwerk has had on modern music. The thing that baffles me is the internet has made available everything you would every want to hear or know about the band. And yet I read these comments and see words like 'are they accessible' and 'what's Krautrock?' and 'nobody started with Kraftwerk and worked their way out'

Let's be clear - there are very few bands NOT in the Rock-n-Roll hall of fame who have had the impact on modern music that Kraftwerk has. There are very few bands who have continued to make and play music as successfully as Kraftwerk have. They continue to sell out shows around the world. They continue to draw new fans and inspire well known bands.

Posted by tom on Friday, 06/12/2015 @ 01:14am

after years away theAMAZINGcool lurks here again !!

Posted by theAMAZINGcool on Wednesday, 11/2/2016 @ 14:37pm

Just won an original 1977 copy of Trans-Europe Express on vinyl on eBay!!

Posted by Donnie on Thursday, 11/3/2016 @ 16:54pm

The Cars want The Mothers Of Invention, The Turtles, Flo & Eddie, Todd Rundgren, Devo and Kraftwerk inducted.

Posted by Roy on Sunday, 04/15/2018 @ 15:30pm

The problem with Kraftwerk’s induction may have a great deal to do with a lack of familiarity among the general populace. Back in the mid 1980’s, I had become familiar with the music of Tangerine Dream and Can, in fact I have owned a copy of “Dream Sequence,” by Tangerine Dream and had owned a copy of “Landed” by Can, but I had never heard of Kraftwerk. If you really want to get Kraftwerk into the Hall Of Fame, you will need a voting bloc that is familiar with them. By the way, I had actually voted for Kraftwerk in 2014. However, if for some reason, Tangerine Dream shows up on the Nominating Ballot, I would be much more inclined to vote for them.

Posted by Enigmaticus on Saturday, 05/12/2018 @ 12:53pm

Mind numbing dog shit.

Particularly if four notes for 45 minutes is your thing.

Posted by D. Stroy on Thursday, 09/6/2018 @ 11:55am

You should see them live. Then those four notes become the greatest thing that you have ever heard in your entire life.

Posted by The_Claw on Thursday, 09/6/2018 @ 15:42pm

The second most influential band ever has a hard time getting in mostly because of the rockists. I bet it'll be a long time before they ever get in.

If one or more of the members had a strong personality, they'd be in by now. The third most influential band ever had a strong personality in Lou Reed, and all four Beatles (except maybe George) had strong personalities.

Posted by Follower on Sunday, 10/14/2018 @ 00:26am

Kraftwerk and Devo on the same ballot, how do you feel about that?

Posted by Roy on Sunday, 10/14/2018 @ 01:59am

5th nomination!

Posted by Roy on Sunday, 10/14/2018 @ 02:01am

Kraftwerk marks the paradigm shift in popular music. They opened the doors for popular music to enter the digital age. If you think that after, say, 1979 music dropped in quality, if you think that there is no merit in creating music electronically, if you loathe synthesizers, then you will probably not understand the importance of Kraftwerk, or consider them a negative influence. I’d expect that this attitude is common among the artists that were making music before the paradigm shift, exceptions like Bowie, Reed, Gabriel or Eno aside. To get Kraftwerk in, you’ll need more artists in that were influenced by them. The induction of The Cars was a step in that direction, but I suspect not sufficient. You will need bands like Devo, Eurythmics, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran in to give Kraftwerk sufficient support.

Posted by The_Claw on Sunday, 10/14/2018 @ 04:27am

Congratulations to DeMorge Brown, Kristen and Joe on a very interesting episode about Kraftwerk on their “Who Cares About The Rock Hall” Podcast. It is good to see that a fellow Rush aficionado is representing our favorite genre. Thank you DeMorge for voting for Kraftwerk and Roxy Music.

Posted by Enigmaticus on Saturday, 11/17/2018 @ 19:12pm

What do they have to do with ROCK AND ROLL?


Nothing,

Posted by Zuzu on Saturday, 11/17/2018 @ 19:15pm

Think they are going to have to induct Kraftwerk in the influences. Too few people have even heard of them to actually vote them in and god do they deserve induction. It's like The Stooges, be honest, had you ever even HEARD of them before they were inducted? Or before Iggy dropped Candy?

Posted by j klapper on Monday, 11/19/2018 @ 10:38am

Early Influence inductions used to mean you had to exist in the pre-rock days, which is why artists like Billie Holiday and Sister Rosetta Tharpe are inducted. But Wanda Jackson, the "queen of rockabilly", was an artist that became successful when rock and roll went mainstream and she got in as an "Early Influence" in 2009.

I can't see them inducting a band that started in the '70s to be inducted into that column.

Posted by Timothy Pernell on Monday, 11/19/2018 @ 10:55am

Honestly, I'm not sure what accessibility or aesthetics have to do with HOF worthiness, given that the RRHOF describes performer candidate criteria as:

"This category honors bands or solo artists which demonstrate musical excellence. Such a descriptor includes (but isn't limited to) influence on other performers or genres; length and depth of career and catalog; stylistic innovations; or superior technique and skills."

Shooting down the most qualified musicians because of aesthetic distaste is akin to not voting for half of the International Boxing Hall of Famer inductees because they were/are terrible examples of humanity - you're not voting for your favorite bands, you're voting for the most influential and impactful musicians of all time, which may include groups that you personally wouldn't play their music for $1,000,000.

Posted by Handsome Bob on Wednesday, 12/12/2018 @ 09:25am

To me, the main problem Kraftwerk or another EDM band has is that the genre they created or worked in allows one to create music & replay music without the use of musicians.

98% of the members of the Hall are 'musicians'. Using a quote out of Southpark, they "don't take kindly" to people who create a genre that excludes musicians from making a paycheck.

They may get in this year of in the next few years, but (to me) it's a hurdle they have to overcome. The Monkees have their hurdle with all the studio/songwriting support they received & Gram Parsons has his hurdle with him being a dilettante/chronic no-shower. This is Kraftwerk's.

Posted by Paul in KY on Wednesday, 12/12/2018 @ 12:26pm

5 times nominated. They created and influenced multiple genres, and those people are just as much musicians as the other people. Writing music makes you a musician, whether you use a keyboard, a computer, or whatever. Creativity is the key. Kraftwerk deserves much more than shit hacks like Def Leppard.

Posted by Gary on Friday, 01/4/2019 @ 17:35pm

Paul in KY,

That doesn't really make sense as an argument since guys like Hütter, Schneider and later electronic musicians (such as Daft Punk) are multi-instrumentalists that often integrate playing instruments with computers, synthesizers, etc. to create effects. Effectively, their work is an evolution of the wah-wah pedal, talk box and other older music technology. I'm not really seeing how they're depriving instrumentalists/vocalists out of money, since you still need to have skill in order to create electronic music - it's not pushing a few buttons on computer and letting it do all the work.

Additionally, by the 'logic' that people don't take kindly to someone that excludes other musicians, wouldn't Nine Inch Nails be persona non grata since Trent Reznor deprives musicians of a chance of being his sidepeople in the studio since he mostly records his own instrumentation?

Finally, it's more of a comment in general, but I think it's pretty embarrassing when Hall of Fame voters play games with their ballots, such as no one being a 100% inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame because there was always some schmucks who want to 'make a statement' or harbor a (perceived) grudge or what have you against a sure fire first ballot Hall of Famer. Although it may arguably be vote tainting, there probably should be voting privilege revocation of anyone engaged in such behavior. Unfortunately, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame doesn't disclose anything about the voting patterns, etc. so I seriously doubt there will be any real 'clean up' of the voters.

Posted by Handsome Bob on Saturday, 01/5/2019 @ 15:35pm

Handsome Bob, my main point is that Kraftwerk's genre is apparently detested by many current members of the Hall.

The 'not using musicians' part (and I'm talking about the performing of music/songs in a live venue, for money), is ancillary to my main point.

Posted by Paul in KY on Monday, 01/7/2019 @ 06:56am

Roxy Music and The Cure will add to the votes for Kraftwerk. Kraftwerk will be inducted in 2020. It will be gotten over with and we can move on finally. I'm not a fan.

Posted by Roy on Monday, 01/7/2019 @ 09:04am

Kraftwerk was not that well liked to get in the Hall this year. Maybe next year. Maybe. If they're actually nominated next year, that is. If they don't get picked, what will the Hall say? "This is injustice"? Kraftwerk's not KISS lol

Posted by Timothy on Monday, 01/7/2019 @ 11:24am

Well they are more worthy to be inducted than DEVO. They were the fathers of electronic music

Posted by Sam on Wednesday, 07/24/2019 @ 12:38pm

RIP Florian Schneider

Posted by Roy on Wednesday, 05/6/2020 @ 15:33pm

It's a shame that we lost him before they could be inducted into the Hall. (Sorry, I just found out about it.)

Rest in Peace Florian Schneider, 1947-2020.

Posted by Joe on Wednesday, 12/30/2020 @ 20:26pm

Snubbed yet again. Whether or not you like synth, electronica, hip-hop, ambient etc. Kraftwerk is still one of, if not the most, influential act of the last 50 years. But the Hall is clearly biased towards US chart success so they're still not in unfortunately.

Posted by Iccwi on Tuesday, 02/16/2021 @ 12:33pm

Snubbed yet again. Whether or not you like synth, electronica, hip-hop, ambient etc. Kraftwerk is still one of, if not the most, influential act of the last 50 years. But the Hall is clearly biased towards US chart success so they're still not in unfortunately.

Posted by Iccwi on Tuesday, 02/16/2021 @ 12:38pm

Kraftwerk > Devo > Daft Punk

Posted by Roy on Thursday, 04/1/2021 @ 12:44pm

Depeche Mode , Gary Numan, The Human League, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, New Order, RUN DMC shown in the Kraftwerk video package at the 2021 ceremony.

Posted by Roy on Monday, 11/1/2021 @ 14:28pm

Kraftwerk. The 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZCQn8TiMRQ

Posted by Roy on Friday, 12/24/2021 @ 06:26am