German electro pioneers Kraftwerk have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame – you can watch the moment below.
They were inducted by Pharrell who delivered a video speech presenting them with the award. This was later followed by a video tribute from artists including Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, the Human League’s Philip Oakey and Run-DMC’s Darryl McDaniels.
You can see some footage from the event here:
Pharrell Williams inducts Kraftwerk pic.twitter.com/zFfXDLHQsb
— Dr. Bryan McGeary (@BMcgeary) October 31, 2021
Inducting the group into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Pharrell said (via Rolling Stone): “The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a very special place. But Iâm going to suggest that we create a new hall within the hall, reserved for artists who actually invented their genre, because Kraftwerk belongs there. Today, electronic music is everywhere. But what Kraftwerk did was groundbreaking and revolutionary.
“And for many of us, we were influenced by Kraftwerk without even realising. Florian Schneider and Ralf HĂŒtter created Kraftwerk in DĂŒsseldorf, Germany, and in the early Seventies, starting making experimental music that was unlike anything the world had never heard. It was truly a seismic moment for music, as we know it.
“But when Afrika Bambaataa reached into a crate of records and found Kraftwerk and funnelled that sound into âPlanet Rock,â thatâs when millions of hip-hop fans around the world, including myself, heard Kraftwerkâs infectious beats and alien vocals for the very first time.
“Iâm so lucky I got to meet the late Florian Schneider and let him know how much his music meant to all of us. We should all be thankful for Kraftwerk. Itâs why this recognition is so important. Welcome Kraftwerk to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”
Elsewhere, Barack Obama and Dave Chapelle helped induct Jay-Z into the Hall while Taylor Swift paid tribute to Carole King with a live performance of the iconic singer-songwriterâs track âWill You Love Me Tomorrow?â
Paul McCartney also inducted the Foo Fighters and performed The Beatlesâ âGet Backâ with the band.
While LL Cool J marked his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last night with a medley of his songs, including a surprise appearance by Eminem for âRock The Bellsâ.
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