The discography of German electronic band Kraftwerk consists of 10 studio albums, two live albums, one remix album and 26 singles. Formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in Düsseldorf in 1970, Kraftwerk were part of the krautrock scene. However, the group mostly found fame as pioneers of electronic music, showcasing their styles on a series of concept albums.
| Kraftwerk discography | |
|---|---|
 Kraftwerk performing at the Royal Albert Hall 2017. From left to right: Ralf Hütter, Henning Schmitz, Fritz Hilpert and Falk Grieffenhagen | |
| Studio albums | 10 |
| Live albums | 1 |
| Compilation albums | 3 |
| Singles | 24 |
| Video albums | 3 |
| Music videos | 18 |
| Box sets | 2 |
While their initial albums featured mostly German lyrics, in 1975 Kraftwerk began writing lyrics that combined both German and English verses. Beginning with "Trans-Europe Express" (1977), most songs by the group were created as duplicate versions sung in English or German; some French, Japanese, Italian or Spanish versions were made.
Since the mid-1970s Kraftwerk have always picked at least two album tracks for release as singles. These accompanying singles were, for many years, created by simply editing down the album recordings, rather than being remixed or otherwise expanded. Since 1991 Kraftwerk have tended to follow the trend for releasing singles in multiple remixed arrangements. A small number of recordings have only been issued as albumless singles, notably those between 1999 and 2000 for the Expo 2000 project.
Prior to forming Kraftwerk, Hütter and Schneider were part of a project called Organisation that released the album Tone Float in 1969.
Studio albums
edit| Title | Album details | Chart positions[1][2] | Certifications (sales thresholds) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER [3] |
AUS [4] |
AUT [5] |
CAN [6] |
FRA [7][8] |
ITA [9][10] |
NL [11] |
NZ [12] |
SWE [13] |
UK [14] |
US [15] | |||
| Kraftwerk | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Kraftwerk 2 |
|
36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Ralf und Florian |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 160 | |
| Autobahn |
|
7 | 9 | — | 5 | — | — | 11 | 7 | 27 | 4 | 5 | |
| Radio-Aktivität Radio Activity[18] |
|
22 | 94 | 4 | 59 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 140 |
|
| Trans Europa Express Trans-Europe Express |
|
32 | — | — | — | 2 | 8 | — | — | 32 | 49 | 119 |
|
| Die Mensch-Maschine The Man-Machine |
|
12 | 56 | 15 | — | 14 | 15 | 29 | — | 24 | 9 | 130 |
|
| Computerwelt Computer World |
|
7 | 51 | 14 | — | — | — | — | 28 | 27 | 15 | 72 |
|
| Electric Café Techno Pop |
|
23 | — | — | — | — | — | 56 | — | 9 | 58 | 158 | |
| The Mix |
|
7 | 132 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 15 | — |
|
| Tour de France Soundtracks |
|
1 | 110 | 29 | — | 84 | — | 76 | — | 7 | 21 | — |
|
Live albums
edit| Title | Album Details | Chart positions[1][2] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER [3] |
AUT [5] |
FRA [8] |
ITA [9] |
NL [11] |
SWE [13] |
UK [14] | ||
| Minimum-Maximum |
|
26 | 33 | 123 | 44 | 93 | 29 | 29 |
| 3-D The Catalogue |
|
77 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Compilation albums
edit| Title | Album details | Chart positions[1][2] | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER [3] |
AUS |
AUT [5] |
NL [11] |
SWE [13] |
UK [14] | |||
| Doppelalbum |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Exceller 8 |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Elektro Kinetik |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Remixes |
|
4 | — | 37 | — | — | — | |
Box sets
edit| Title | Album details | Chart positions[1][2] |
|---|---|---|
| GER [3] | ||
| Klang Box |
|
— |
| The Catalogue |
|
34 |
Singles
edit| Title | Year | Chart positions[2] | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER [3] |
AUS [4] |
AUT [5] |
CAN [20] |
IRL [21] |
NL [11] |
NZ [12] |
UK [14] |
US [22] |
BEL [23] | ||||
| "Autobahn" | 1975 | 9 | 30 | — | 12 | 20 | 16 | 4 | 11 | 25 | — | Autobahn | |
| "Kometenmelodie 2" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Radioactivity" | 1976 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | • SNEP: Gold | Radio-Activity |
| "Trans-Europa Express" | 1977 | — | — | — | 96 | — | — | — | — | 67 | 26 | Trans-Europe Express | |
| "Showroom Dummies" | — | — | — | — | 28 | — | — | 25 | — | — | |||
| "The Robots" | 1978 | 25 | — | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Man-Machine | |
| "The Model" | — | — | — | — | — | 43 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Neon Lights" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 53 | — | — | |||
| "Pocket Calculator" | 1981 | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 39 | — | — | Computer World | |
| "Numbers" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Computerwelt" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "The Model"/Computer Love | 7 | 33 | — | — | 4 | 41 | — | 1 | — | — |
|
The Man-Machine Computer World | |
| "Tour de France" | 1983 | 47 | 60 | — | — | 20 | — | 24 | 22 | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Musique Non-Stop" | 1986 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | 45 | 82 | — | — | Electric Café | |
| "The Telephone Call" | 1987 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 89 | — | — | ||
| "The Robots" | 1991 | 18 | 161 | — | — | 26 | — | — | 20 | — | — | The Mix | |
| "Radioactivity" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 43 | — | — | |||
| "Expo 2000" | 1999 | 35 | 142 | — | — | — | 95 | — | 27 | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Tour de France 2003" | 2003 | 50 | 103 | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | — | Tour de France Soundtracks | |
| "Elektro Kardiogramm" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Aerodynamik" | 2004 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | — | — | ||
| "AeroDynamik / La Forme" | 2007 | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 78 | — | — | ||
| "Heimcomputer / Home Computer" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Computer World | |
Video albums
edit- 2005: Minimum-Maximum
- 2017: 3-D The Catalogue
- 2017: 3-D Der Katalog
Music videos
edit| Year | Title | Director[25] |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | "Autobahn" | |
| 1975 | "Radioactivity" | |
| "Antenna" | ||
| 1978 | "The Robots" | Günter Fröhling |
| 1979 | "Autobahn" | Roger Mainwood |
| 1981 | "Pocket Calculator" | |
| 1982 | "Neon Lights" | Günter Fröhling |
| "Trans-Europe Express" | Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter | |
| "Showroom Dummies" | ||
| 1983 | "Tour de France" | |
| "Tour de France" | ||
| 1986 | "Music Non-Stop" | Rebecca Allen[ref] |
| 1987 | "The Telephone Call" | Günter Fröhling |
| 1991 | "The Robots" | Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter |
| "The Robots" | ||
| 2000 | "Expo 2000" | |
| 2003 | "Tour De France Étape 2" | D.E. Macken |
| "Tour De France Étape 2" |
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Album artist 365 - Kraftwerk". tsort.info. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "Kraftwerk - Music Charts". acharts.us. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "Discographie von Kraftwerk". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ a b Australian chart peaks:
- Kent Music Report peaks to 12 June 1988: Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 170. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. ARIA licensed the top 50 portion of this chart between mid-1983 and 12 June 1988.
- The Mix (ARIA) peak: "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing 5 August 1991". Bubbling Down Under. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ARIA peaks from 13 June 1988 onwards: "Kraftwerk chart history, received from ARIA on 8 October 2021". Imgur.com. Retrieved 20 June 2024. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
- ^ a b c d "Discographie Kraftwerk". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved 9 July 2009.
- ^ "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
- ^ "Tous les Albums classés par Artiste". www.infodisc.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ^ a b "Discographie Kraftwerk". lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved 14 October 2009.
- ^ a b "Top Annuali Album". www.hitparadeitalia.it (in Italian). Retrieved 14 October 2009.
- ^ Salvatori, Dario (1997). 40 anni di Hit Parade in Italia. p. 280.
- ^ a b c d "Discografie Kraftwerk". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 July 2009.
- ^ a b "Discography Kraftwerk". charts.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
- ^ a b c "Discography Kraftwerk". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Kraftwerk". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "Kraftwerk Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Certified Awards Search". www.bpi.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- ^ a b "Les Certifications (Albums) du SNEP (Bilan par Artiste)". www.infodisc.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 21 June 2010. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
- ^ The only differences between the Radio-Activity and Radio-Aktivität albums are the packaging and the title. The music on both albums is identical, and so are the lyrics. Both releases feature a mix of German-English lyrics, whereas the subsequent albums have been released in both German and English sung versions. The only exception is Tour de France Soundtracks, which was only released in one language version, mainly sung in French.
- ^ "Certified Awards Search". www.bpi.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- ^ "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". www.irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
- ^ "Kraftwerk Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "Kraftwerk".
- ^ "Certified Awards". Archived from the original on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
- ^ "Kraftwerk". www.mvdbase.com. Alex S. Garcia. Archived from the original on 2 October 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
External links
edit- Kraftwerk Official Homepage
- AllKraftwerk
- Kraftwerk discography at Discogs