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| "Autobahn" | ||||
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| Single byKraftwerk | ||||
| from the albumAutobahn | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | February 1975[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1974 | |||
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"Autobahn" is a 1974 song by German electronic bandKraftwerk, released as the lead single from theirstudio album of the same name. The song was composed byRalf Hütter andFlorian Schneider of the band, withEmil Schult collaborating on the lyrics. It was co-produced byConny Plank, and is the band's first track to use sung lyrics. Recorded in 1974, the song is designed to capture the feel of driving on amotorway. "Autobahn" is Kraftwerk's biggest hit in the US, reaching number 25 on theBillboard Hot 100.
Unlike Kraftwerk's later work, "Autobahn" was only released with German lyrics, without a simultaneous English-language release. The main refrain "Fahren Fahren Fahren" was often mistaken for the English phrase "Fun Fun Fun" and thought to be a reference to the 1964Beach Boys' song "Fun, Fun, Fun" to which band memberWolfgang Flür later commented:[3]
No! Someone else told me that they [the misinterpreters] thought the way we speak in German "Fahren", which means driving, sounds like the English word "fun". "Fahren fahren fahren", "fun fun fun". That is wrong. But it works. Driving is fun. We had no speed limit on the autobahn, we could race through the highways, through theAlps, so yes, fahren fahren fahren, fun fun fun. But it wasn't anything to do with the Beach Boys! We used to drive a lot, we used to listen to the sound of driving, the wind, passing cars and lorries, the rain, every moment the sounds around you are changing, and the idea was to rebuild those sounds on the synth.
Ralf Hütter has said that The Beach Boys were an influence on the band, but described the song as a "sound painting", reflecting the band's experiences on tour.[4] The song also included acoustic elements such as a flute played byFlorian Schneider and atmospheric guitars.[5] For this song aMinimoog was used to play the bass line,[6] and an octave riff with added analogue echo. It also included use of avocoder to process some of the vocals and use of themotorik drum rhythm over the song's final section.[7][8]
The original album version of the song lasts 22 minutes, but the song was edited down to 3 minutes for its single version. The song was Kraftwerk's first hit, reaching No. 11 on the British charts where it later was included in the UK compilation LPExceller 8. The single was also successful in other countries; it reached No. 25 in USBillboard Hot 100 and No. 43 inAdult Contemporary. It also reached No. 9 in Germany and No. 12 in Canada. A 12-minute animated video of "Autobahn" directed byRoger Mainwood was released in 1979.[9] "Autobahn" is widely considered to be one of Kraftwerk's greatest songs. In 2020,Billboard andThe Guardian ranked the song number six and number five, respectively, on its lists of the greatest Kraftwerk songs.[10][11]
| Chart (1974–1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] | 30 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[13] | 15 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[14] | 27 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[15] | 12 |
| Germany (GfK)[16] | 9 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17] | 12 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18] | 16 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[19] | 4 |
| IrelandIRMA[20] | 20 |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio)[21] | 15 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[22] | 11 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[23] | 25 |
| USAdult Contemporary (Billboard)[24] | 43 |
| Chart (1975) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[25] | 117 |
...but despite its proggy length it had the bones of a pop song, new territory for Kraftwerk.
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