Kraftwerk discography

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Kraftwerk discography
Kraftwerk live in Stockholm.jpg
Kraftwerk live in Stockholm, 2004
Studio albums 10
Live albums 2
Compilation albums 3
Video albums 1
Music videos 15
Singles 24
Box sets 2

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.

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

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
  • Released: January 1972
  • Label: Philips, Vertigo
  • Format: LP, CS
36
Ralf und Florian
  • Released: October 1973
  • Label: Philips, Vertigo
  • Format: LP, CS, 8-trk
160
Autobahn
  • Released: November 1974
  • Label: Philips, Vertigo
  • Format: LP, CS, 8-trk
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
  • Released: May 1977
  • Label: Kling Klang, EMI Electrola, Capitol
  • Format: LP, CS, 8-trk
32 2 8 32 49 119
Die Mensch-Maschine
The Man-Machine
  • Released: May 1978
  • Label: Kling Klang, EMI Electrola, Capitol
  • Format: LP, CS, 8-trk
12 56 15 14 15 29 24 9 130
Computerwelt
Computer World
7 51 14 28 27 15 72
Electric Café
Techno Pop
  • Released: December 1986
  • Label: Kling Klang, EMI, Warner Bros.
  • Format: CD, LP, CS
23 56 9 58 158
Tour de France Soundtracks
  • Released: 4 August 2003
  • Label: Kling Klang, EMI, Astralwerks
  • Format: CD, LP
1 29 84 76 7 21

Live albums

Title Album Details Chart positions[1][2]
GER
[3]
AUT
[5]
FRA
[8]
ITA
[9]
NL
[11]
SWE
[13]
UK
[14]
Minimum-Maximum
  • Released: June 2005
  • Label: Kling Klang/Astralwerks/Caroline/Virgin/EMI
  • Notes: 2 CDs/4 LPs, 2 DVDs, also available as a special edition Notebook with an 88-page book
26 33 123 44 93 29 29
3-D The Catalogue
  • Released: 26 May 2017
  • Label: Kling Klang/Parlophone/WEA
  • Notes: CD, vinyl, Blu-ray, streaming, includes a book
4 26 75
[19]
44 24

Compilation albums

Title Album details Chart positions[1][2] Certifications
(sales thresholds)
GER
[3]
AUT
[5]
NL
[11]
SWE
[13]
UK
[14]
Exceller 8
  • Released: 1975
  • Label: Vertigo
  • Notes: UK release
Elektro Kinetik
  • Released: 1981
  • Label: Vertigo
  • Notes: UK release
The Mix
  • German version: The Mix
  • Released: June 1991
  • Label: Kling Klang/EMI
    Elektra (US)
  • Notes: Album of remixed back-catalogue
7 12 83 20 15
Remixes
  • Released: 2020
  • Label: Kling Klang/Parlophone Records
  • Notes: Compilation of remixes from 1990-2007

Box sets

Title Album details Chart positions[1][2]
GER
[3]
Klang Box
  • Recorded: 1976–1986
  • Released: May 1997
  • Label: Kling Klang/EMI
  • Notes: Black XL-size T-shirt with a robot motif and the name Kraftwerk (identical to the design on the front lid of the box)
The Catalogue
  • German version: Der Katalog
  • Released: 2 October 2009
  • Label: Kling Klang/EMI (Germany)
    Mute/EMI (Europe)
    Astralwerks/Caroline/Virgin/EMI (US)
  • Notes: Promotionally issued in 2004, remastered boxed set of albums from 1974 to 2003
34

Singles

Title Year Chart positions[2] Certifications Album
GER
[3]
AUS
[4]
AUT
[5]
CAN
[20]
FRA
[21]
IRL
[22]
ITA
[23]
NL
[11]
NZ
[12]
SWE
[13]
UK
[14]
US
[24]
"Kohoutek-Kometenmelodie" 1973 Autobahn
"Autobahn" 1974 9 30 12 20 16 4 11 25
"Kometenmelodie 2"
"Radioactivity" 1976 7 31 Radio-Activity
"Trans-Europa Express" 1977 96 26 34 15 67 Trans-Europe Express
"Showroom Dummies" 28 25
"The Robots" 1978 25 23 47 The Man-Machine
"The Model"
"Neon Lights" 53
"Pocket Calculator" 1981 63 2 39 102 Computer World
"Computer Love" 36
"Numbers" 103
"Computerwelt"
"The Model/Computer Love" 7 33 4 41 1 The Man-Machine
"Tour de France" 1983 47 60 20 24 6 22 Non-album single
"Musique Non-Stop" 1986 13 45 82 Electric Café
"The Telephone Call" 1987 89
"The Robots" 1991 18 26 20 The Mix
"Radioactivity" 43
"Expo 2000" 1999 35 95 36 27 Non-album single
"Tour de France 2003" 2003 50 45 21 20 Tour de France Soundtracks
"Elektro Kardiogramm"
"Aerodynamik" 2004 80 95 44 56 33
"AeroDynamik / La Forme" 2007 79 78
"Heimcomputer / Home Computer" 2021 Computer World

Video albums

Music videos

Note that the list might be incomplete.
Year Title Director[26]
1974 "Autobahn" Roger Mainwood
1975 "Radioactivity"
"Antenna"
1977 "Trans-Europe Express" Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter
"Showroom Dummies"
1978 "The Robots" Günter Fröhling
"Neon Lights" Günter Fröhling
1981 "Pocket Calculator"
1983 "Tour de France"
1986 "Musique Non-Stop" Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter
1987 "The Telephone Call" Günter Fröhling
1991 "The Robots" Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter
2000 "Expo 2000"
2003 "Tour de France 2003" D.E. Macken
2013 "The Robots"

References

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  18. 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.
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External links