Though not strictly a rock and roll act - not that that has stopped the Hall of Fame nominating and inducting various hip hop artists over the years - the fathers of electronic music influenced a staggering number of musicians in the decades since the mid-70s. Calling their sound "robot-pop," the German group performed using only electronic instruments and synthetic sounds. Kraftwerk drew the sonic blueprint for myriad genres, including house, new wave, hip-hop and techno, all of which would go on to spawn dozens of sub-genres. Allmusic's Jason Ankeny writes that the band's sound "resonates in virtually every new development to impact the contemporary pop scene of the late-20th century, and as pioneers of the electronic music form, their enduring influence cannot be overstated."
The Hall of Fame's induction criteria cites the importance of "the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll." On that basis alone, Kraftwerk deserves induction. But the group, although eligible since 1996, has not even been nominated. That staggering oversight is most likely due to its limited American commercial appeal. Arguably, it's only a matter of time before it gets in. After all, almost every artist who's incorporated electronic elements in their sound owes Kraftwerk a debt of gratitude.
