Das Modell (single)

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"The Model"

Single by Kraftwerk
from the album The Man-Machine
Released	September 1978 (Germany) December 1981 (UK)
Format	7"/12" single
Recorded	1977–78
Genre	Electronic music, Krautrock
Length	3:38
Label	EMI (Capitol)
Producer(s)	Ralf Hütter Florian Schneider
Chart positions
#1 (UK)
Kraftwerk singles chronology
"Die Roboter" ("The Robots") (1978) ---- "Computer Love" (1981, UK)	"Das Modell" (1978) ---- "The Model" (1981 reissue, UK)	"Taschenrechner" ("Pocket Calculator") (1981) ---- "Showroom Dummies" (1982, UK)
UK sleeve

For people known as "The Model", see The Model (disambiguation).

"Das Modell" ("The Model") is a song by musicians Ralf Hütter and Karl Bartos, with artist Emil Schult collaborating on the lyrics. It was recorded by their electro-pop band Kraftwerk in 1978, and included on the album Die Mensch-Maschine (The Man-Machine). It is one of the band's most accessible and melodic songs.

First released as a single in Germany, under its English translation the song was eventually included on the B-side of the "Computer Love" single released in July 1981, which reached #36 in the UK charts. When radio DJs started playing the B-side, EMI re-issued the single in December 1981 – apparently against the band's wishes – with "The Model" as the A-side. It reached #1 in February 1982 and spent a total of 21 weeks in the top 75 of the UK singles charts.

The song was first covered by Snakefinger on his debut LP Chewing Hides the Sound in 1979. Noise rock pioneers Big Black covered the song on their 1987 album Songs About Fucking. Another version was released by Rammstein in 1997; see Das Modell (Rammstein single). It has also been covered by Cardigans, Carter USM, Electric Six, Yat-Kha, Aviador Dro, Eläkeläiset and Zoot Woman.