A Kraftwerk museum is exactly the sort of place I’d make a bee-line to as a tourist.
I always wonder how Germans view Kraftwerk, as a Brit they feel as important as the Beatles.
They are hardly present in the public eye. Most people don't know them, except perhaps by name. Their music is probably too niche for the mainstream; they don't even feature in oldies shows on TV. But Kraftwerk is highly regarded by those who are interested in music, perhaps in the same way as Jean-Michel Jarre.
However, it is difficult to compare Kraftwerk with the Beatles. Let's face it: rock music (in the broadest sense) has a much higher profile in the public eye than electronic music.
The OP talked about their importance, not their current popularity. They directly inspired many who went on to create what is now the electronic music scene. A good example is their influence of the Belleville Three [0] who invented Detroit techno, which inspired Belgian techno, that inspired the UK rave scene that brought the future of electronic music (jungle, drum n bass, grime, etc).
Of the four big electronic music genres of the 80s: electro, house, techno, and hip-hop - Kraftwerk were influences on two of them and arguably three with the more 808 led west-coast hop-hop, like Egyptian Lover.
They are the seed that modern electronic music grew from. Many who produce electronic music, including myself, consider them pioneers.
> However, it is difficult to compare Kraftwerk with the Beatles. Let's face it: rock music (in the broadest sense) has a much higher profile in the public eye than electronic music.
There are no bands in the charts any more [1]. Electronic music (and pop music, which is mostly electronic) has won (at least for now)!
Again though, let’s not confuse popularity with importance — even though Kraftwerk did have massive chart success and still tour to sell out stadiums today — their influence far outstretches the Beatles imho. I think, aside from some interesting recording techniques pioneered at Abbey Road by George Martin, they’re not that influential. Sure, their songs are catchy pop songs, but there wasn’t much innovation there. They’re less important than say Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath (in terms of the evolution of rock music, that is).
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Belleville_Three
[1] https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9hOyt2oSz1/?igsh=aHIwcG5lZnY...
There’s AI slop of that out there no doubt.
It seems it actually happened:
James Last orchestra: "James Last à lo Kraftwerk", studio ´84.
It belongs in a museum. OTOH, I wish they were used to make some more music.
z3ratul163071•5h ago
but, whoever the collectors might be, they will surely value and preserve his epic equipment a lot more than whoever is selling.