Kraftwerk has been welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, thereby elevating the pioneering German electronic band to the ranks of history’s most iconic and significant bands.
Pharell had the honor of giving a video speech welcoming the band to the hallowed halls of the institution, which is situated in Cleveland, Ohio, citing the European legends’ emergence as a “seismic moment for music as we know it,” before discussing the effect this had not only on dance music but initial hip hop thanks to DJs like Afrika Bambaataa.
Following the introduction, a video was shown, which only served to strengthen the notion that Kraftwerk had a significant impact on the development of synthesized sounds in the decades that followed. Martin Gore of Depeche Mode, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, Human League’s Philip Oakey, and Run-DMC’s Darryl McDaniels were among the celebrities who paid tribute.
Barack Obama paid tribute to Jay-Z as he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Last year, Kraftwerk revealed that a number of albums that had previously only been available in certain German-speaking areas would now be available to listeners all around the world via streaming services Amazon HD and Tidal. The announcement came soon after the death of Florain Schneider, the company’s co-founder.
