The Velvet Underground albums ranked
I will not be including the so-called fifth Velvet Underground album Squeeze in this ranking. It being written and performed by Doug Yule, as countless critics have said, it’s The Velvet Underground in name only.
4. The Velvet Underground
The third, self-titled effort by the group is also their softest record, consisting largely of acoustic folk rock numbers and ballads. Also the first album with Doug Yule, who replaced Jonathan Cale. The album's style marked a dramatic shift from the distorted madness that was White Light/White Heat. This was purposefully done to directly contrast that album, which Lou Reed was dissatisfied with. This record gives us a more tender and upbeat side to the band that was first hinted at on their debut, while also sounding more commercial than they had before. It tones down the darker themes of sеx, drugs and violence, replacing them with songs about love, religion and other emotional topics. There is one experimental song "The Murder Mystery" that ought to keep fans of their early stuff happy, but it's known best for having some of the best ballads and folk tunes by the band. Including "Pale Blue Eyes", one of Reed's best love songs and one of the most popular songs by the band. The Velvet Underground is a great album and is only at the bottom for being the least greatest in this fan's opinion,
Highlights: "Pale Blue Eyes", "What Goes On", ""Beginning to See the Light", "Candy Says", "After Hours"
3. Loaded
This is the most accessible record by The Velvet Underground, named so for it being "loaded" with radio-friendly rock hits. All done for what would end up being a last ditch-effort to make the band more commercially successful. It's also the first without Maureen Tucker, who was credited, but doesn't appear due to being on maternity leave at the time, making it the only album featuring The Velvet Underground as a three-piece. Even though Lou Reed was left disillusioned after this album was made and quit before it was even released (with the rest of the group dissolving shortly after), Loaded has become a lot of people's favorite album by the band! Usually when a band goes more accessible with their sound, the quality of their music suffers. This one isn't The Velvet Underground's best, but it is still an excellent album that I would recommend as the best to start with for new fans. It sure has some of my favorites like "Rock & Roll" and "Sweet Jane". Loaded's style is a far cry from the band's edgy, experimental roots, but that they were still able to make another solid classic by going more pop just shows that The Velvet Underground could do anything!
Highlights: "Rock & Roll", "Sweet Jane", "I Found A Reason", "Oh Sweet Nuthin'", "Head Held High", "New Age"
2. The Velvet Underground & Nico
The debut album by The Velvet Underground immediately cemented them as a band decades ahead of their time. With its innovative musical experimentation and blatant references to drugs and sеxual topics, The Velvet Underground & Nico was something people back in the '60s just weren't ready for. It was a critical and commercial flop at the time of its release and doomed the band to obscurity during their time. But reappraisal over the years has come to recognize it as the one of the greatest and most important albums of all time. How influential this record was is absolutely astonishing! The roots to new wave, punk, post-punk, goth, indie and more can all be traced back to this album. Some songs on it still sound modern! In a way, it's also kind of a mix of everything the group would ever do before they did. From noisy and eggy experimental tracks like "Heroin", to softer heartfelt ballads like "I'll Be Your Mirror", to commercial pop sensibilities like "Sunday Morning". While it is undoubtedly their magnum opus, I can't help but like the last remaining album more, even if slightly.
Highlights: "Sunday Morning", "I'll Be Your Mirror", "I'm Waiting for the Man", "Femme Fatale", ""All Tomorrow's Parties", "There She Goes Again", "Heroin"
1. White Light/White Heat
The Velvet Underground's second album is the pinnacle of the band's noisy and experimental tendencies. It's them at their most chaotic! Lou Reed might have been so unhappy with it, he dropped that aspect of the group's sound almost completely by their third album, but I absolutely love it! White Light/White Heat takes the experimental distortion from their debut and makes it the centerpiece of this follow-up. It's rebellious in its defiance of all conventional songwriting standards at the time. Unhinged guitar solos that sound like Reed's playing while having a seizure on "I Heard Her Call My Name", an 8-minute song consisting of John Cale's spoken word over Reed's noisy guitar improvisation on "The Gift" and lyrics about sеx and drugs so unapologetically raunchy not even The Rolling Stones dared take it that far with "Sister Ray"... The only time it lets up is with the two softer songs sandwiched in the middle of the four other wild tracks. Any one of The Velvet Underground's four albums could justifiably be one's top pick. But with White Light/White Heat, this fan says the band were at their best when they were at their craziest. It's a shame Lou Reed was displeased with this one and just as indifferent about the influence it had on countless bands. The Velvet Underground & Nico was indeed the group's masterpiece, but this one is just as much one its own right.
Highlights: "Sister Ray", "The Gift", "I Heard Her Call My Name", "White Light/White Heat"
The third, self-titled effort by the group is also their softest record, consisting largely of acoustic folk rock numbers and ballads. Also the first album with Doug Yule, who replaced Jonathan Cale. The album's style marked a dramatic shift from the distorted madness that was White Light/White Heat. This was purposefully done to directly contrast that album, which Lou Reed was dissatisfied with. This record gives us a more tender and upbeat side to the band that was first hinted at on their debut, while also sounding more commercial than they had before. It tones down the darker themes of sеx, drugs and violence, replacing them with songs about love, religion and other emotional topics. There is one experimental song "The Murder Mystery" that ought to keep fans of their early stuff happy, but it's known best for having some of the best ballads and folk tunes by the band. Including "Pale Blue Eyes", one of Reed's best love songs and one of the most popular songs by the band. The Velvet Underground is a great album and is only at the bottom for being the least greatest in this fan's opinion,
Highlights: "Pale Blue Eyes", "What Goes On", ""Beginning to See the Light", "Candy Says", "After Hours"
This is the most accessible record by The Velvet Underground, named so for it being "loaded" with radio-friendly rock hits. All done for what would end up being a last ditch-effort to make the band more commercially successful. It's also the first without Maureen Tucker, who was credited, but doesn't appear due to being on maternity leave at the time, making it the only album featuring The Velvet Underground as a three-piece. Even though Lou Reed was left disillusioned after this album was made and quit before it was even released (with the rest of the group dissolving shortly after), Loaded has become a lot of people's favorite album by the band! Usually when a band goes more accessible with their sound, the quality of their music suffers. This one isn't The Velvet Underground's best, but it is still an excellent album that I would recommend as the best to start with for new fans. It sure has some of my favorites like "Rock & Roll" and "Sweet Jane". Loaded's style is a far cry from the band's edgy, experimental roots, but that they were still able to make another solid classic by going more pop just shows that The Velvet Underground could do anything!
Highlights: "Rock & Roll", "Sweet Jane", "I Found A Reason", "Oh Sweet Nuthin'", "Head Held High", "New Age"
The debut album by The Velvet Underground immediately cemented them as a band decades ahead of their time. With its innovative musical experimentation and blatant references to drugs and sеxual topics, The Velvet Underground & Nico was something people back in the '60s just weren't ready for. It was a critical and commercial flop at the time of its release and doomed the band to obscurity during their time. But reappraisal over the years has come to recognize it as the one of the greatest and most important albums of all time. How influential this record was is absolutely astonishing! The roots to new wave, punk, post-punk, goth, indie and more can all be traced back to this album. Some songs on it still sound modern! In a way, it's also kind of a mix of everything the group would ever do before they did. From noisy and eggy experimental tracks like "Heroin", to softer heartfelt ballads like "I'll Be Your Mirror", to commercial pop sensibilities like "Sunday Morning". While it is undoubtedly their magnum opus, I can't help but like the last remaining album more, even if slightly.
Highlights: "Sunday Morning", "I'll Be Your Mirror", "I'm Waiting for the Man", "Femme Fatale", ""All Tomorrow's Parties", "There She Goes Again", "Heroin"
The Velvet Underground's second album is the pinnacle of the band's noisy and experimental tendencies. It's them at their most chaotic! Lou Reed might have been so unhappy with it, he dropped that aspect of the group's sound almost completely by their third album, but I absolutely love it! White Light/White Heat takes the experimental distortion from their debut and makes it the centerpiece of this follow-up. It's rebellious in its defiance of all conventional songwriting standards at the time. Unhinged guitar solos that sound like Reed's playing while having a seizure on "I Heard Her Call My Name", an 8-minute song consisting of John Cale's spoken word over Reed's noisy guitar improvisation on "The Gift" and lyrics about sеx and drugs so unapologetically raunchy not even The Rolling Stones dared take it that far with "Sister Ray"... The only time it lets up is with the two softer songs sandwiched in the middle of the four other wild tracks. Any one of The Velvet Underground's four albums could justifiably be one's top pick. But with White Light/White Heat, this fan says the band were at their best when they were at their craziest. It's a shame Lou Reed was displeased with this one and just as indifferent about the influence it had on countless bands. The Velvet Underground & Nico was indeed the group's masterpiece, but this one is just as much one its own right.
Highlights: "Sister Ray", "The Gift", "I Heard Her Call My Name", "White Light/White Heat"
