Tim Sommer in LA Weekly sums up the debate: 

“It is not just that Kraftwerk invented the future of music; it is that a startling amount of the music you hear today, from the most obscure indie rock to the most mainstream pop to literally everything in between, bears the impression of their invention.

Until the moment “Autobahn” hit the airwaves in the autumn of 1974, nothing like it had ever existed. Kraftwerk placed cheerfully familiar pop modes within an entirely synthetic and rhythmic framework. Today, the idea of synthetic pop is so common that it seems odd to consider that one single artist indisputably did it first; but that’s the case. 

None of this is meant to diminish The Beatles' leviathan achievements; it’s just to say that although the pop century has been dominated by the goliath shadow of Mount Beatle, they are no longer the most influential pop band in the Western world. Kraftwerk are.”

Is he right? And what exactly were The Beatles' "leviathan achievements"? Join me to discuss who really is the most influential group in musical history.