The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground was a rock group formed in New York City. First active from 1965 - 1973, their better known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who have both gone on to have solo success.

Historians often hail the group for their incalculable influence on the punk and new wave of subsequent years. The group was uncompromising in their lyrics and music, to be sure, sometimes espousing a bleakness and primitivism that would inspire alienated singer and songwriters.

The Velvets got an unexpected benefactor when artist and all-round pop art icon Andy Warhol caught the band at a club around the end of 1965. Warhol quickly assumed management of the group incorporating them into his mixed-media art ensemble. Warhol was also responsible for embellishing the quartet with Nico, a mysterious European model with a deep voice whom the band accepted rather reluctantly.

Thier 1967 debut album, 'The Velvet Underground and Nico' was named the 13th greatest albm of all time in 2003. And in 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked them 19th on their "100 greatest artists of all time".

The band went their separate ways in 1973 leaving a legacy influencing new and upcoming artists. The Velvet Underground influenced many artists and bands including David Bowie, Brian Eno, Patti Smith and more recently The Strokes.

Utenburger, Richie. The Velvet Underground. Allmusic, accessed 20th May 2010.

Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums, 2004.