The Velvet Underground

     One of the most influential American rock bands of all time, the Velvet Underground managed to make inventive, emotional, and highly cool music that was never popular or mainstream.  Their use of distortion mixed with a raw guitar style and Lou Reed's crazy lyrics have garnered them praise among musicians as well as a cult following of fans.

Albums:

The VU released four studio albums: The Velvet Underground and Nico, White Light White Heat, Velvet Underground, and Loaded.  These albums plus rare tracks can be found on the excellent box set Peel Slowly And See, which is a must-have for any fan of the band.  Also, for those who fall for Lou Reed's brand of songwriting, his solo album Transformer is also an excellent buy.  Some of the songs, including the opening track Vicious, are eerily similar to the VU style.  This album also contains his well-known hit Walk on the Wild Side as well as the amazing Satellite of Love.