Trans Europe Express

There have been 2 Kraftwerk albums on the list for me so far. Im expecting more than I'm getting from them. One of my favorite musicians of all time, Steven Wilson, consistently cites Kraftwerk as a huge influence, but it's not sticking for me. I'm looking for more energy, more drive, along with fewer vocals, and it's not there. Overall, I'm 2/2 in being kinda disappointed with my Kraftwerk experiences.

I was fully expecting to hate this and I surprised myself by not hating it as much as I thought. I mean, I don't like it, but it has a certain rhythmic catchiness to it that's quite fun. 'The Hall of Mirrors' has a weird, inexplicable Simpsons quality to it which means I can only hear it tongue in cheek. Not sure where that came from.

This works best as a PSA that the US needs better infrastructure when it comes to our railway system.

Very listenable electronica.

I get it ... Just can't listen to the whole album without being bored by it

So mechanical, and yet - it's hopeful somehow. Not every track, of course. But still - this must be a cliche at this point, but Kraftwerk make machines sound so human. I don't love the repetition, but I do appreciate the blank spaces those seemingly empty stretches of music afford. That being said, "Trans-Europe Express," "Metal on Metal," and "Abzug" all being just one long song that doesn't change for 12 minutes is...... annoying. I mean. Why bother making them separate tracks, even? Anyways. It was cool. THREE STARS

Awful, repetitive, dreary

not for me

Album #229: Kraftwerk – Trans-Europe Express ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I don’t know. I love this album. It’s such a display of the power of repetition in the way that good dance music and electronic music can be. A beat just repeats over and over and over again, no matter how rigidly, how strictly, how programmed, cheaply or unbelievably ungroovy it might seem. But while that beat keeps tapping away, all these other sounds come in and colour everything around it, changing the mood and the whole feel of the music from one passage to the next. I think there’s a science behind that. Something happens to your brain when you’re listening to the same thing over and over again. You get sucked into it. And by the end of every song here, I was moving. My head was bopping. I was in it, caught in the hypnotic trance that Kraftwerk can create. I can understand someone hearing this for the first time and being put off by it, considering it potentially boring. It’s very rigid. It seems simple. There doesn’t appear to be a huge amount going on at times. But the context is so important. This stuff is so expertly played on synthesisers, and the sounds they’re able to create are marvellous. They’re sounds we’d take completely for granted nowadays. You could probably recreate some of them with presets, but these guys were coming up with this stuff from scratch. That alone is extraordinary. But beyond the sounds themselves, I think these guys were some of the greatest, most forward-thinking songwriters of their time. They were not afraid to just let a song go on an on. Being patient with it. Let it unfold. Let the rhythm set into one’s soul. Take Metal on Metal, where the music builds into this crashing, heavy section, almost like the breakdown of some much later jungle or electronic dance track. The way dance music can move through different forms while maintaining a beat you can move to. You can witness the primordial ooze of that right here. So influential. You can build something up to a climax and then have that release. Through seemingly emotionally cold synthesisers, you can create something human, something that puts a person in a trance. That’s Kraftwerk to me. They were thinking about the structure and possibilities of electronic music in ways that wouldn’t become commonplace for years. However, I’m not just giving this five for its obvious influence on what came after. The songs themselves are all excellent. It opens with Europe Endless, one of the most beautiful electronic songs ever recorded. The Hall of Mirrors probably overstays its welcome a little, but it’s also an interesting precursor to the darker post-punk music that would follow. Then there’s Showroom Dummies, which I now desperately want to do some sort of indie-punk cover of. I love the playful nature of Kraftwerk on that song. They can be portrayed as this super-serious band, but here’s this silly song sung in a camp German accent. It’s great. But once you hit the title track, the album transcends into something else entirely. Trans-Europe Express has to be one of the best songs ever recorded. It’s spectacular. Great lyrics, great vocals, huge synthesiser sounds. And the way it leads into Metal on Metal is incredible, before reprising itself in Abzug. It’s one of my favourite run of songs from a particularly heady time for music. It ends on Endless, Endless. A fitting name for one of the most influential and important albums ever made. And an album that 100% stands on its own merits.

I do not understand the love for this at all

A great album but I found Autobahn the one. The title track is brilliant of course!!

Seminal. Even though I don’t like its result Kraftwerk started a musical revolution. A very influential album. The title Trans Europe Express is significant. It celebrates I guess you could call it high speed rail. It also celebrates Europe and an emerging European identity heading away from the traditional nation state. Instead of being German, French or Italian you were becoming European. They look like a bunch of robots. I guess that is the point.

If I was a producer, I would sample so many things off of this album, but as a listener its too repetitive. I’d like it more if there were no lyrics at all and it fully leaned into being background music which can be ignored.

Not nearly as good as some of their other work. It was weird how many vocals there were.

There’s some kind of beauty to beeps and boops that I can’t place. Something about those noises does something unique to me. But this album doesn’t do anything special with that. Not bad by any means, but not amazing either.

Rate: 7/10.

This wasn't bad, but was a little more background noise and samey than the other Kraftwerk album I've gotten on this list. High 2, low 3 for me.

Relaxing, atmospheric, and beautiful. Seems like really good music for a long train/bus trip, listening to these minimalist beats while nature and time pass you by. I especially love the more darker tracks like The Hall of Mirrors.

I like Kraftwerk and respect their body of work and their legacy, but let's be honest, you heard one album you've heard them all. Countless bands that came after them owe a debt of gratification. The songs are all good, a bit long for sure, but they don't tend to take you anywhere after the first 4 minutes. Monotonous is the first word that comes to mind. No hits, no radio songs, no covered songs (outside of Afrika Bambaataa stealing the "Trans-Europe Express" synth hook), and so on makes this a fun album to try but it's not a must hear. 2.5 stars is generous.

surprisingly solid

Faintly Arabian and discotek. Significantly better than I've come to expect from kraftwerk but still wouldn't revisit it probably.

It was pretty boring. Not overly bad but the tracks were too long.

This sounds like the evolution of sound cards for games consoles. Which is cool, I guess. Think I heard at least three levels of Streets of Rage in here, definitely some early-90s PC games, but I need to play them, not just hear them. I can appreciate that this is way ahead of its time but, eh, it's boring.

Still relevant, still Kraftwerk!

The master band of electronica ambient sound. Always great for traveling or driving home late at night. Somewhat repetitive but mostly pleasing music on this album.

Probably the best kraftwerk album I have heard. Still didn’t sound amazing to my ears but I get how it progressed electronic music

Zo'n beetje alles wat Kraftwerk heeft gemaakt is ergens goed voor geweest, maar puur vanuit het oogpunt van de verwende moderne luisteraar is dit een wat schamel electronisch plinky plonky album. Nogmaals een disclaimer: Ik begrijp dat dit in 1977 best sick is geweest. Dit album hoort daarom ook echt thuis in een museum, gecombineerd met een berg Russische Avant Garde schilderijen. Of van die audiovisuele hokken waardoor je het in de marketing een 'experience' kan noemen. Ik maak er toch 3 sterren van. Ik neigde naar 2, maar ik zie er toch wel een beetje de schoonheid van in. Een soort 'hoopvolle toekomst' sfeer heeft het.

Better than Coldplay

This shouldn't work, but it does, gloriously. I lapped up every single golden moment. Helps if you like trains obviously. OK, so I didn't like Jean-Michel Jarre. I'm a mass of contradictions.

I’ve heard of them a lot but not actually listened. Cool stuff, I like it. I hear the influence it had on later stuff. Maybe some of it goes on too long, but generally I was ok with it.

Don’t hate it. Don’t like it enough.

Couldn’t get it out of my head that they sound exactly like the nihilist Germans in The Big Lebowski.

This one was boring…

This album was not engaging and found it boring.

this on acid in 1977 would hit

Excellent

Higher rating because the eponymous track is deeply nostalgic for me. Did anyone else line dance to it?

01) Europe Endless - 8,0 02) The Hall of Mirrors - 7,5 03) Showroom Dummies - 8,0 04) Trans-Europe Express - 8,0 05) Metal on Metal - 7,5 06) Abzug - 7,0 07) Franz Schubert - 7,0 08) Endless Endless - / TOTAL: 7,57 (76/100) Current ranking: 407/1052

Enfin du Kraftwerk ! Ce sont des pionniers de la musique électronique et ils ont grandement participé à la populariser, ils avaient largement leur place dans ce classement ! Alors bon, j'aurais plutôt pris Autobahn ou Radioactivität, parce qu'ils ont sûrement été plus fondateurs, mais qu'importe, on a du Kraftwerk ! Et donc on a exactement ce à quoi on pourrait s'attendre du groupe : des mélodies globalement calmes, électronique et expérimentales, un peu de chant en allemand (osef des versions anglaises) plus ou moins modifié, etc. Si on a envie de mélodies entêtantes et qu'on veut explorer l'histoire de la musique, Kraftwerk est un groupe essentiel et je suis bien content d'en avoir écouté !

9/29/26. Couldn’t get into this one much. Don’t mind minimalism, but thought this was way too repetitive. I’m also not the biggest electronic fan so my opinion doesn’t carry much weight.

The second Kraftwerk album within two weeks. The first "Autobahn" had at least the song "Autobahn", which is nice. But this one ... no ... too little creativity. I am fully aware that the "digitalization" of the music at the time of Kraftwerk made their music special and maybe that is a very good reason for them being here on this list (contrary to so many others mediocre albums to be found here). But it isn't my music. And therefore it is only a two for me.

Trans Europe Express isn't as fun, fun, fun as the Autobahn

Amazing. Nobody sounds better than Kraftwerk. German version is even better! Especially Schaufensterpuppen. 10/10

Super

The German electronic masters. I always enjoy Kraftwerk and the sounds and sequences they produce. Such an innovative sound for such an early era in music. The synths, the choreography of the drum elements, all with a spacey, ethereal vibe throughout. Solid record.

Enjoyed this, cool vibes and you can see how it's the basis for a lot that comes after it

I once saw a symphonic orchestra play Trans europa express. That could have been one of my absolutely strongest live music experience. This is my favourite Kraftwerk album, they got the perfect blend of repetetive hooks and beautiful melodies. But listen to the german version, not the english.

not my cup of tea but i really loved the seamless transitions

Great soundscapes, like being in a Siberian wilderness at times. Beautiful.

I am not a big fan of electronic music, but there is something about Kraftwerk that I really like. This one has a darker mood and the repetitiveness lulls you into relaxation - just like riding on a train.

Good, but there’s some German performance art songs in there: finding your face in a hall of mirrors?!?

Pretty cool sounds. I'd love to have been around when Kratfwerk first came on the scene, it must have been pretty mind-blowing. For a fairly short 42 minute album, it does seem to drag on a bit but I enjoyed a fair bit of this.

I had a nice little nap listening to this bad boy. Thanks Florian.

I know they're influential but I do not enjoy

As krautrock goes, I think I liked Faust better.

Weird old school techno like.

Best Kraftwerk I’ve heard so far

Awful electronic

So thankful for these guys. Without them, we probably don't get Depeche Mode or Nine Inch Nails. So influential on the entire synth pop ecosystem.

Very repetitive but that's kind of the point. Love the little changes in the electronic sounds.

I like trains...

Pretty sure this was the same song times 10, only with different words spoken over it.

Yup. Thats Kraftwerk alright.

I guess I just dont get it. Beeps and bops and a looped rhythm. Who is the target audience for this?

A primeiro momento gostei bastante, mas a medida que foi passando, se tornou muito enjoativo. Toda a musicalidade sintetizada é muito bacana, me trouxe uma nostalgia gostosa parecida com músicas em formato “bits” do super Nintendo, e por ser um disco antigo, acredito que tenha sido um dos pioneiros da música eletrônicos propriamente dito. Mas entra em um looping de repetições tonal, que acabou me cansando um pouco. Mas vale a escuta, super histórico e atraente, se certa forma.

If, like me, you primarily associate Kraftwerk with Krautrock (a logical connection given their name), this album might catch you off guard, as the sound here is best described as "proto-synth-pop." The Germans were already churning out the very elements that Depeche Mode would adopt a few years later: cold synth lines, minimal lyrics (the second half of the album is essentially one long instrumental), and deep — albeit processed — vocals. The album’s title, however, fits it perfectly: it delivers a minimalist electronic sound that evokes the experience of a train journey. Yes, the songs are musically quite simple and drawn-out, but then again, rail travel is a slow and rather repetitive affair. It all sounds very dated now, of course, but it is definitely worth a listen if you want to understand the roots of both 80s synth-pop and 90s techno.

Ok

Had to turn it off, so dull and tedious 1/5

For as early as this album came out in the history of electronic music, it still sounds pristine today. The synths are crisp, the keys are twinkly, and the drums have a satisfying clatter. For as cold as the album is, both sonically and thematically, it's very inviting and a joy to listen to. It's also perfectly sequenced. "Europe Endless" has a sublime melody and is worth its ten-minute runtime. The next two songs are pretty standard, but still have a lot of interesting stuff going on. The title track is where things really kick off, with its genius chord progression and the way it evolves into the tracks after it. And to end things, we get a quick reprise of the opening melody. Despite all the advances in electronic music, this still stands as one of its best releases.

Obviously Kraftwerk were in a league of their own, I personally like Man Machine better if I could only pick one Kraftwerk album. I know repetition is kind of part of their whole deal but some of these got to be too much. Also some unforgettable classics on here. Undoubtable influence on music that came after.

I liked this more than my previous Kraftwerk album. This does not get as repetitive to me as Autobahn, even though I know that repetition is at least a part of what the band is going for.

Es innegable la importancia que tiene Kraftwerk en el desarrollo de la música electrónica como género y en su producción, siendo que en este álbum se enfocan en un sonido minimalista pero con grandes secuencias de notas y bases rítmicas oscuras, que fue sin dudas lo que más me gustó del álbum.

Entretenido, electrónica que se siente muy adelantada a su época Usan algo de sonido industrial, pero es más como un electro pop dedicado a los viajes, siento que estuvo bien, y definitivamente es de llevarlo al próximo viaje a Europa Se puede volver a escuchar La primer canción fue la más memorable a mi parecer Recomendable también

Nifty future-y music

Я люблю трансов

You mean to tell me this European Express is Trans? Alright, word. Good for them! Second of three Krafterk albums in this experience for me (the generator is working backwards) and I am slowly becoming a fan of this group. Not enough to want to explore their entire catalog, but I've gained a new found appreciation for this band and if someone was to put it on I wouldn't be mad. This album sounds like the soundtrack to a retro video game (complimentary). Fun, engaging, hypnotic, and almost meditative at times. Lots to like about this record. 4/5

4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/kraftwerk/trans-europa-express-1/ Monotonous, repetitive, but never boring, because the melodies are just too beautiful. Lyrically it’s quite empty (unless I’m missing something?), but that also doesn’t matter. Perfect blueprint for pop music to come after.

Foundational electronic pop music, so influential. It still finds a way to hook you.

Fun and different, not my usual jam. Kind of hypnotic electronic music. In the right mood I'm into it.

Celkom fajn, dostal som chuť na elektronických nasledovníkov. Ale majú aj lepší album...

Elroy Jetson learns the Synthanorma Sequenzer and joins a cool German band. An annoyed Astro hates the high pitched bleep frequencies however.

A little simple, but that's the intent. Early electronica.

maybe I'm just burnt out from electronica, but this was just a long series of disconnected beep boops I couldve gone without. Like early 90's midi music that shouldve stayed undiscovered. I cant point to anything I like, unfortunately, but its not the worst thing I've heard. I feel like its something that was meant to be shared with friends or close fans only.

I normally fuck with Kraftwerk but this did not do it for me. Sounded like kindergarten plink plonks. Barely made it through

Because this site has plenty of flaws, my ground-breaking review of Manassas was replaced by my less than stellar review of Harvest. Coincidentally, Trans Europe Express is known to be a groundbreaking album. I haven't heard it though, but I stand by the fact that groundbreaking doesn't equate to good. And in my experience, groundbreaking more often than not equates to dated. This sounds dated yes, but it also still sounds somewhat futuristic. I can imagine how it must have sounded upon release. The core melodies and hypnotic nature of the music has lost none of its power over the years. Still, imagine how much better it would be if it had a decent singer. I get that the near spoken vocals adds to the while robotic nature, but it comes off as bland, and bland quickly becomes boring. If every song's run time was cut back by 10% nobody would notice, and it would be better still.

kraftwerk invented music

Kraftwerk’s Trans-Europe Express is one of those albums I feel I’m supposed to admire more than I actually enjoy. Yes, it’s historically important. Yes, it influenced half the electronic music made after it. Yes, the title track is iconic. And yes, Kraftwerk were miles ahead of their time. But listening to this album in 2026, I mostly found myself wondering whether being ahead of your time is still impressive when your time finally catches up and leaves you standing at the station. The music is so rigid, repetitive and emotionally vacant that it occasionally feels less like an album and more like an elaborate demonstration of what happens when you remove every trace of human excitement from music. The rhythms plod along with the enthusiasm of a train conductor who has just been told there are 47 more stops. Trans-Europe Express is particularly difficult for me. I understand the hypnotic intent. I understand the minimalist aesthetic. I understand the concept. I simply don’t understand why I’m still listening. There are moments when the repetition becomes genuinely hypnotic — mostly because I’m hypnotised into staring at the track timer, wondering how much longer I have to endure it. And then there’s Metall auf Metall, which sounds like someone discovered a piece of sheet metal, plugged in a synthesiser, and decided that absolutely no further development was necessary. The irony is that Kraftwerk’s influence is enormous. You can hear their DNA everywhere: techno, synth-pop, electro, hip-hop and countless electronic artists owe them a debt. But sometimes hearing where something came from makes you appreciate how far everyone else managed to take it. I can respect Trans-Europe Express enormously as a piece of musical history while finding it almost completely unbearable as an album. It’s cold. It’s repetitive. It’s sterile. It occasionally feels like music designed by people who had read about rhythm and emotion in a technical manual but had never actually encountered either. Perhaps that’s the point.

love these funny little german dudes

Too techno and too repetitive for my liking. I’m sure they were influential to others. , but I don’t like this kind of music.

I liked this, I wanted to like it more though.

Like an 8 bit video game. Also computah love is from a song.. which one.. TALK by Coldplay! That’s a fun pull. But I didn’t like it still.

I feel like Kraftwork would have been better if they left the 80a influence out of the tunes. I get it, it was a bridge… but cool nonetheless 3.4

There were a couple of cool moments. But every song became boring and repetitive by the end. If they found some more interesting space to grow in each song, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. 5/10 Decent

I can understand how this was influential. I might have even enjoyed some of it. But the tracks are endless, but not like a danceable disco beat. Like the train, it keeps plodding along. I was ready for it to reach the end of the line.

Not quite as memorable as their others. I might have to try this one again.

Awesome early electronica, possibly a little bit boring towards the end of the album, as Kraftwerk have a particularly limited palette, which is a good thing and a bad thing.

Kudos for metal on metal at de faktisk gjorde det. Krautrock, hva hadde vi gjort uten. Selv om det ikke er lyttbart så er det bra noen pusher grensene. Tror jeg hørte den tyske versjonen av dette albumet sist. Autobahn albumet dems var også veldig spaca. Sykt tysk denne stilen, de liker mye rart de der

Kraftwerk ja... lite nisje album på tirsdagsmorgenen Trans🤖Europe🤖Express🤖 Føle dette e et kjærlighetsbrev te postmoderne teknologi📠📻📹 Gir alltid litt terrariavibes, og e backe Beste sang: Abzug

I bet this sounded so futuristic when it came out, like how dippin dots were (are still?) the ice cream of the future.

Beep boop