Kraftwerk inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

According to their profile on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website, the innovative German electronic act Kraftwerk has been recognised as “establishing the blueprint for modern electronic music”, according to their profile on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website.

Their profile goes on to say how Kraftwerk are:

“the foundation upon which all synthesizer-based rock and electronic dance music are built”.

The group’s work has been sampled, remixed, and studied by artists across various genres, with their emphasis and influence primarily on electronic music. 

Without Kraftwerk, there is a strong argument we may not have experienced some of the other amazing music there is today, having been sampled by New Order, Jay-Z, Coldplay. 

In addition, we can hear their heavy influences in major artists works such as Depeche Mode, U2, the production approach of Kanye West, and of course, the wide array of samples in underground dance music, with too many to mention.

Kraftwerk are in good company for this year’s class, alongside Tina Turner, Carole King, Jay-Z, The Go Go’s, Foo Fighters, Todd Rundgren, Charley Patton, Gil Scott-Heron, LL Cool J, Billy Preston,  Clarence Avant, and Randy Rhoads.

You may be asking yourself why are an electronic music act being inducted into a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!?

The Hall of Fame is not solely down to purely Rock & Roll music but much more about the spirit of Rock & Roll, and not just direct influences but also indirectly influenced and inspired by the spirit and soul of Rock & Roll. It cannot be denied Kraftwerk embodied this spirit and soul throughout their life’s work.

The 2021 inductees will be honoured on Saturday 30th October at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in the museums’ hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, in the USA.

You can read the museums full statement on Kraftwerk and their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame here.