Radioactivity

Kraftwerk

About Radioactivity

"Radioactivity" (German: "Radioaktivität") is a song by the German electronic music band Kraftwerk, featuring Emil Schult. It was released in May 1976 as the lead and only single from their fifth studio album, Radio-Activity (1975). The song was a commercial success in France, but was not as successful in other countries as Kraftwerk's previous hit single "Autobahn".


Year:
1975
6:42
267 

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stop Radioactivity
Is in the air for you and me
stop Radioactivity
Discovered by Madame Curie
stop Radioactivity

chain reaction and mutation
contaminated population

Tune in to the melody 

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Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk (German pronunciation: [ˈkʀaftvɛɐk], meaning power station) from Düsseldorf, Germany, is an influential electronic music project that was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008. The signature Kraftwerk sound combines driving, repetitive rhythms with catchy melodies, mainly following a Western Classical style of harmony, with a minimalistic and strictly electronic instrumentation. The group's simplified lyrics are at times sung through a vocoder or generated by computer-speech software. Kraftwerk were one of the first groups to popularize electronic music and are considered pioneers in the field. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Kraftwerk's distinctive sound was revolutionary, and… more »

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Written by: Ralf Huetter, Florian Schneider-Esleben, Emil Schult

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Conceptual Background
"Radioactivity" is a song by the pioneering German electronic music band Kraftwerk. The band notably incorporated a purely electronic sound into their music, which has had a tremendous influence on an array of musical genres.
Release and Reception
The song, which is part of their 1975 album "Radio-Activity," is about nuclear energy's ambiguous nature, envisioning both its beneficial and destructive capacities.
Theme and Lyrics
Kraftwerk experimented with the subject matter in this song. While most of the tracks on the album "Radio-Activity" are instrumental, "Radioactivity" includes lyrics that address the theme of radioactive decay.
Hibakusha Tribute
Kraftwerk updated the lyrics in the late 1990s to include the names of nuclear disasters: Chernobyl, Harrisburg, Sellafield, and Hiroshima - a clear tribute to the victims, collectively known as Hibakusha.
Live performances
During their live shows, Kraftwerk often performed "Radioactivity" with a Geiger counter on stage, an instrument used to detect radiation.
Remixes
Several artists have remixed "Radioactivity," including the DJ François Kevorkian. He used Geiger counter clicking as a rhythm track, reinforcing the song's theme.
Chart Performance
"Radioactivity" performed well on charts when it was released as a single in 1976. In France, it reached number 1, and in other countries, it reached within the top 10.
Album's Concept
"Radio-Activity," the album carrying the song "Radioactivity," is a concept album built around the theme of radio communication, presenting a complex and nuanced exploration of the modern relationship with technology.
Song's Structure
The structure of the song "Radioactivity" mirrors that of decay sequences in nuclear physics, starting slowly, then rapidly accumulating before finally fading away.
Protest Song Version
Following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Kraftwerk transformed the song into a protest song against nuclear power and has performed it as such during concerts since.
Recognition
In 1999, a remixed version of "Radioactivity" won a Grammy award for Best Dance Recording nominations.

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    "Radioactivity Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/26539851/Kraftwerk/Radioactivity>.

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