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The Velvet Underground
Band · Lou Reed’s seminal rock band

The Velvet Underground

4.2 / 5 from 69 ratings across 4 albums
Albums
192
Members
10
Active
1964–1996
Origin
United States
Biography

The Velvet Underground were an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited by many critics as one of the most important and influential groups of the 1960s. An often-repeated statement, usually attributed to Brian Eno or Peter Buck, is that "The first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band.

" Andy Warhol managed the Velvet Underground and it was the house band at his studio, the Factory, and his Exploding Plastic Inevitable events. The provocative lyrics of some of the band's songs gave a nihilistic outlook to some of their music. Their 1967 debut album, titled The Velvet Underground & Nico (which featured German singer Nico, with whom the band collaborated) was named the 13th Greatest Album of All Time, and the "most prophetic rock album ever made" by Rolling Stone in 2003. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the band #19 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".

The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, by Patti Smith.

The Groove
Groove by decade

The Groove is music.nw’s own measure of renown — not an opinion, a fact computed from the record. It weighs reach (how many people engaged) against acclaim (how highly they rated it), balanced so a handful of votes can’t outshout a lasting favourite.

Computed the NeuraWeb way, across the whole record. The same yardstick for everyone — which is why the little-known can out-Groove the famous in their own corner.

The trajectory

How The Velvet Underground moved

Genre belongs to the record, not to the artist. Every album’s Groove is shared out across the genres it actually is — by how the raters tagged it — so nobody is 100% one thing. Stack that by decade and a career draws itself.

Discography

Credits

Ranked #1,928 of 14,615 producers — 676.71 career Groove across 6 records.

1969
Producer · 2017
Foggy Notion / I Can't Stand It
Producer · 2011
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Singles 1966–69
Producer · 2009
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Gold
Producer · 2005
20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of The Velvet Underground
Producer · 2000
Flat 29
Performer · 1998
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Mezzanine
Performer · 1998
romantico
Writer · 1998
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Risingson
Performer · 1997
A Groovy Place
Writer · 1996
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Peel Slowly and See
Producer · 1995
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The Best of Lou Reed & The Velvet Underground
Conductor · 1995
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Ultimate Alternative Wavers
Lyricist · 1993
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The Doors: Music From The Original Motion Picture
Performer · 1991
Heaven & Hell: A Tribute to the Velvet Underground, Volume One
Writer · 1990
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The Best of Velvet Underground
Producer · 1989
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Another View
Producer · 1986
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VU
Producer · 1984
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Squeeze
Producer · 1972
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Andy Warhol’s Velvet Underground featuring Nico
Writer · 1971
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Loaded
Liner Notes · 1970
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The Velvet Underground
Producer · 1969
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White Light/White Heat
Producer · 1968
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The Velvet Underground & Nico
Performer · 1967
Booker T
Producer · —
Dandelion Milk Summer
Writer · —
Down For You Is Up
Performer · —
Everything You've Ever Heard About.......
Performer · —
Head Held High / Train Round The Bond
Writer · —
Heaven & Hell - A Tribute To The Velvet Underground - Volume Two
Writer · —
I'm Waiting For The Man
Producer · —
Kitsch
Writer · —
Live At The Boston Tea Party
Writer · —
Loaded (Alternate Version)
Producer · —
Lou Reed & The Velvet Underground
Arranger · —
Message From The Dead
Writer · —
Muck!
Writer · —
Ostrich/Hilltop
Producer · —
Rock And Roll Diary 1967-1980
Performer · —
Sweet Jane / Rock And Roll
Producer · —
That's The Story Of My Life
Arranger · —
The Velvet Underground
Writer · —
The Velvet Underground
Producer · —
The Velvet Underground
Writer · —
The Velvet Underground & Nico
Writer · —
The Verve/MGM Albums
Producer · —
Velvet 1993
Writer · —
Velvet Serenade
Composer · —
Velvet Underground
Writer · —
What Goes On
Writer · —
Who Loves The Sun / Oh! Sweet Nuthin'
Producer · —
Your Opinion
Writer · —