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==Music==
[[File:Garching Bundesautobahn 9.jpg|thumb|The Autobahn in Germany in 2007. [[Ralf Hütter]] stated the album was influenced by the excitement of driving on the autobahn.]]
In the book ''Kraftwerk: Music Non-Stop'', Carsten Brocker said that with ''Autobahn'', Kraftwerk completed the transition from their earlier style of experimental [[krautrock]] to [[electronic pop]] music.{{sfn|Brocker|2011|p=104}} The album was recorded primarily on synthesizer and drum machine, with occasional flute and guitar. Brocker commented on the group's simple melodies and harmonies suggest pop music.{{sfn|Brocker|2011|p=104}} According to Bartos, the group's change in style occurred because Hütter and Schneider came from a classical music background, and they moved to pop music by adding lyrics because "There is no pop music without lyrics apparently".{{sfn|Brocker|2011|p=104}} The change in musical direction was influenced by Schult, who was not trained as a musician but has an ear for melody and chose effective parts of improvised sessions, and led Hütter and Schneider to explore by simplifying their own musical sessions.{{sfn|Brocker|2011|p=103}} There are very few vocals on ''Autobahn''; critic Van Matre described the album as "simply an impression of the sounds and sensory perceptions of the road".{{sfn|Van Matre|1975}}
Hütter repeatedly described Kraftwerk's music as ''{{lang|de|Industrielle Volksmusik''}} ({{literal translation|industrial folk music}}), specifically referencing a modern version of German regional musical traditions rather than the [[industrial music]] sound of groups like [[Throbbing Gristle]].{{sfn|Schütte|2017|p=86}} In Britain, electronic music was popularly known as "''[[Doctor Who]]'' music", referencing the pioneering electronic soundtrack to the television series.{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=19}} Hütter stated in 1975 Kraftwerk got the idea for the album by driving on the [[autobahn]], stating it was an "exciting experience that makes you run through a huge variety of feelings. We tried to convey through music what it felt like."{{sfn|Dalton|2004}} Flür later described "Autobahn" as a journey from Düsseldorf to [[Hamburg]], and said that the route included musical pieces such as the industrial sounds of the [[Ruhr|Ruhr]] valley]], the conveyor belts of the mining towns such as [[Bottrop]] and [[Castrop-Rauxel]], and the rural [[Münster (region)|Münster]] region, which is symbolized by the flute in the song.{{sfn|Schütte|2020|p=55}} Other sounds of road travel are heard throughout the song; according to Hütter, the group included "car sounds, horns, basic melodies and tuning motors. Adjusting the suspension and tyre pressure, rolling on the asphalt, that gliding sound—phhhwwtphhhwwt—when the wheels go onto those painted stripes. It's sound poetry, and also very dynamic."{{sfn|Dalton|2004}}
"Autobahn" was co-written by Schult, whom Hütter asked to write some lyrics.{{sfn|Bussy|2004|p=55-5655–56}} The song's lyrics are in German; Schneider reflected on this, stating;: "Part of our music is derived from the feeling of our language ... our method of speaking is interrupted, hard-edged if you want; a lot of consonants and noises".{{sfn|Barton|1975}} According to Hütter, their language was used like a musical instrument; he said;: "we are not singers in the sense of [[Rod Stewart]], we use our voices as another instrument. Language is just another pattern of rhythm, it is one part of our unified sound."{{sfn|Barton|1975}} In a 1991 interview, Hütter stated that there was no expectations for the release of ''Autobahn'', and that "We played it to our friends, and a few of them said '{{lang|de|Fahren auf der Autobahn!?}} You've gone crazy!'. We just put records out and see what happens, otherwise we'd end up over-calculating this or that."{{sfn|Witter|1991}} The album's four other tracks are shorter [[Electroacoustic music|electro-acoustic]] pieces. "{{lang|de|Kometenmelodie}}" ("Comet Melody") was inspired by [[Comet Kohoutek]], which passed by Earth in 1973.{{sfn|Dalton|2016a|p=4}}{{sfn|Dalton|2016b}} Hütter said "{{lang|de|Morgenspaziergang}}" ("Morning Walk") was influenced by the group's early morning walk when leaving their studio after late-night sessions, when they observed the silence of their surroundings.{{sfn|Dalton|2016a|p=4}} The two -part "{{lang|de|Kometenmelodie}}" werewas described as "post-psychedelic [[kosmische musik|kosmische]]" by Chris Power in ''[[Drowned in Sound]]''.{{sfn|Power|2009}}
==Release==
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