The eclectic genre of synthpop is one with a long and storied history. A lot of people can be attributed to its origins, so it can be tough to pinpoint exactly who can be credited for its inception. However, there was a scene involving multiple artists in the '70s who were essential in developing the genre as we know it today. So let’s start there, and work our way up through the decades, going through the many events and notable artists who shaped synthesizer pop as we know it today.

The '70s

It was the invention of the Moog synthesizer in 1964 by Robert Moog that changed it all. Replacing the Mellotron keyboard by way of electronic-produced sounds, there was suddenly a wave of progressive rock bands like Yes and Pink Floyd using it in their music. Over in Germany, there was a new scene of progressive rock known as “krautrock” that was bubbling. Bands like Kraftwerk, Can, Neu!, and Faust were using the Moog to their advantage. Kraftwerk would be the group to most utilize the Moog, and while experimenting with electronics on their 1973 album Rolf and Florian, it was the release of Autobahn in 1974 that changed it all.