Song · Kraftwerk
“Trans Europe Express” by Kraftwerk
From the album Trans Europa Express (1977)
“Trans Europe Express” by Kraftwerk appears on 2 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 1999 and 2022. It was first released in 1977 on the album Trans Europa Express. Its best result is #427 on the 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #6,330 alternative song of all time.
Kraftwerk put out "Trans-Europe Express" in April 1977 on Kling Klang and EMI, the first single from the album of the same name, and it's a hymn to the Trans Europ Express trains, technology and transport being the two subjects these Germans never tire of. Ralf Hütter wrote the music and the words with Emil Schult. On the LP it stretches to 13:44, carved into two parts in America and three in West Germany, and it rolls along like the trains it's named for.
It caught on in New York's dance clubs, then kept travelling: Afrika Bambaataa, by way of Arthur Baker, lifted it for "Planet Rock", and the electroclash bands of the early 2000s were still drawing on it a generation later. Rolling Stone ranked it 304th on its 2021 list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 761 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge | CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) | 1002 |
| 2022 | 427 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s | 908 |
Also listed as: Trans-Europe Express.
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