{
  "slug": "kraftwerk",
  "name": "Kraftwerk",
  "description": "Kraftwerk appears 6 times in our Electro, Krautrock, The Waxonia Desk — Krautrock, and The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred lists, placing as high as No. 2. Hand-curated, with a reason for every pick.",
  "updated": "2026-08-29",
  "url": "https://waxonia.com/artist/kraftwerk/",
  "appearanceCount": 6,
  "distinctRecordings": 3,
  "years": {
    "first": 1974,
    "last": 1981
  },
  "highestPlacing": {
    "rank": 2,
    "list": "Electro"
  },
  "appearsOn": [
    {
      "kind": "genre",
      "slug": "electro",
      "name": "Electro",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/electro/",
      "entries": 1
    },
    {
      "kind": "genre",
      "slug": "krautrock",
      "name": "Krautrock",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/krautrock/",
      "entries": 2
    },
    {
      "kind": "curator",
      "slug": "the-desk-krautrock",
      "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Krautrock",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-krautrock/",
      "entries": 1
    },
    {
      "kind": "curator",
      "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
      "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/",
      "entries": 2
    }
  ],
  "tracks": [
    {
      "trackKey": "kraftwerk--numbers",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/kraftwerk--numbers/",
      "title": "Numbers",
      "year": 1981,
      "label": "Kling Klang",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "Düsseldorf makes a rhythm track with no melody and no warmth, and American teenagers hear the funkiest thing on the radio. Nobody involved predicted this and everybody benefited.",
      "alsoOn": [],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Kraftwerk%20Numbers",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=jSsj3fTHtps",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": 2,
      "on": {
        "kind": "genre",
        "slug": "electro",
        "name": "Electro",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/electro/"
      },
      "artist": "Kraftwerk"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "kraftwerk--autobahn",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/kraftwerk--autobahn/",
      "title": "Autobahn",
      "year": 1974,
      "label": "Philips",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "Twenty-two minutes of a car journey, and the record where Kraftwerk stop being a rock group. Detroit heard the machine precision; Britain heard the pop tune hiding inside it. Both were right.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-krautrock",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Krautrock",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-krautrock/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Kraftwerk%20Autobahn",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=vkOZNJYAZ7c",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": 2,
      "on": {
        "kind": "genre",
        "slug": "krautrock",
        "name": "Krautrock",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/krautrock/"
      },
      "artist": "Kraftwerk"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "kraftwerk--trans-europe-express",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/kraftwerk--trans-europe-express/",
      "title": "Trans-Europe Express",
      "year": 1977,
      "label": "Kling Klang",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "Afrika Bambaataa built Planet Rock on it, Detroit built a genre on it, and it remains a wistful song about trains. No other record on this site has been quite so productive for people who misheard it.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Kraftwerk%20Trans-Europe%20Express",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=i_85fUIRlmU",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": 4,
      "on": {
        "kind": "genre",
        "slug": "krautrock",
        "name": "Krautrock",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/krautrock/"
      },
      "artist": "Kraftwerk"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "kraftwerk--autobahn",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/kraftwerk--autobahn/",
      "title": "Autobahn",
      "year": 1974,
      "label": "Philips",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "The one Detroit heard. Derrick May's line about Kraftwerk and Parliament stuck in an elevator is the most quoted sentence in techno, and this is the record that put Kraftwerk in the lift.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "genre",
          "slug": "krautrock",
          "name": "Krautrock",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/krautrock/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Kraftwerk%20Autobahn",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=vkOZNJYAZ7c",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": null,
      "on": {
        "kind": "curator",
        "slug": "the-desk-krautrock",
        "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Krautrock",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-krautrock/"
      },
      "artist": "Kraftwerk"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "kraftwerk--autobahn",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/kraftwerk--autobahn/",
      "title": "Autobahn",
      "year": 1974,
      "label": "Philips",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "Twenty-two minutes about a car journey that Detroit heard as the future and Britain heard as a pop tune. Both readings were correct and both built genres.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "genre",
          "slug": "krautrock",
          "name": "Krautrock",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/krautrock/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-krautrock",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Krautrock",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-krautrock/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Kraftwerk%20Autobahn",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=vkOZNJYAZ7c",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": null,
      "on": {
        "kind": "curator",
        "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
        "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
      },
      "artist": "Kraftwerk"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "kraftwerk--trans-europe-express",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/kraftwerk--trans-europe-express/",
      "title": "Trans-Europe Express",
      "year": 1977,
      "label": "Kling Klang",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "A wistful song about trains that Bambaataa turned into hip-hop and Detroit turned into techno. No other record here has been quite so productive for people who misheard it.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "genre",
          "slug": "krautrock",
          "name": "Krautrock",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/krautrock/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Kraftwerk%20Trans-Europe%20Express",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=i_85fUIRlmU",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": null,
      "on": {
        "kind": "curator",
        "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
        "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
      },
      "artist": "Kraftwerk"
    }
  ],
  "curates": null
}