The Velvet Underground discography | |
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Studio albums | 5 |
Live albums | 6 |
Compilation albums | 14 |
Singles | 11 |
Box sets | 6 |
The discography of the American rock band The Velvet Underground consists of five studio albums, six live albums, 14 compilation albums, six box sets and eleven singles.
The first line-up was formed in New York City consisting of Lou Reed on vocals and guitar, John Cale on several instruments (viola, keyboards and bass), Sterling Morrison on guitar and bass and Angus MacLise on percussion (replaced by Maureen Tucker in November 1965). On March 12, 1967 they released their debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico featuring German singer Nico. The album charted in the United States and originally peaked at number 171 on the Billboard album charts and produced two singles, "All Tomorrow's Parties" and "Sunday Morning", which did not chart anywhere. The album, produced by artist Andy Warhol, [1] recharted in 2013 peaking at number 129.
VU released their second studio album White Light/White Heat , which peaked at number 199 of the Billboard charts. The album was more experimental than their first album, featuring a loud and aggressive musical style. The album was produced without Warhol and Nico for the first time. [2] In March 1969 they released the third studio album The Velvet Underground , their first project with Cale's replacement Doug Yule. It did not chart upon its original release. However, when reissued in 1985 it peaked at number 197 in the Billboard chart. [3] One year later, Loaded was released by Atlantic Records, the first time by a major label. Compared with VU first releases, Loaded was produced for the mainstream, without thematizing sex and drugs. Although the songs were successful and popular in several music radios, neither singles, nor the album itself peaked in any music chart. [4] It was the last album featuring Lou Reed, the last remaining founder of VU. After his departure, Yule became the new frontman of The Velvet Underground and toured together with Willie Alexander (keyboard), Walter Powers (bass guitar), Maureen Tucker (drums) and other musicians. In 1973, he recorded their fifth and last regular studio album, Squeeze , [5] which for some time dropped out of the official discography.[ clarification needed ] After their break-off, several compilation albums were released, some of which feature outtakes from their previous studio sessions, most notably VU , which peaked at number 85 on Billboard and 47 on the UK Albums Chart.
Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [6] | FRA [7] | GER [8] | NLD [9] | NOR [10] | UK [11] | |||||||||||
1967 | The Velvet Underground & Nico | 129 [A] | 164 | 89 | 58 | 40 | 43 [A] | |||||||||
1968 | White Light/White Heat
| 199 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||||||||
1969 | The Velvet Underground
| 197 [B] | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||||||||
1970 | Loaded
| — [C] | 188 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
1973 | Squeeze
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Notes
Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [6] | NZ [13] | UK [11] | ||||||||||||||
1972 | Live at Max's Kansas City
| — | — | — | ||||||||||||
1974 | 1969: The Velvet Underground Live
| — | 31 | — | ||||||||||||
1993 | Live MCMXCIII
| 180 | — | 70 | ||||||||||||
2001 | Final V.U. 1971–1973
| — | — | — | ||||||||||||
The Quine Tapes
| — | — | — | |||||||||||||
2015 | The Complete Matrix Tapes
| — | — | — | ||||||||||||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [6] | NZ [13] | NOR [10] | UK [11] | |||||||||||||
1970 | Velvet Underground | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
1971 | Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground featuring Nico
| — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
1985 | VU
| 85 | 16 | — | 47 | |||||||||||
1986 | Another View
| — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
1989 | The Best of The Velvet Underground: Words and Music of Lou Reed
| — | — | — | — |
| ||||||||||
1991 | Chronicles
| — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
1995 | The Best of Lou Reed & The Velvet Underground
| — | — | — | 56 |
| ||||||||||
1997 | Loaded (Fully Loaded Edition)
| — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
2000 | 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of The Velvet Underground
| — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
2001 | Rock and Roll: An Introduction to The Velvet Underground
| — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
2002 | The Velvet Underground & Nico (Deluxe Edition)
| — | — | 40 [D] | 59 [D] | |||||||||||
2003 | The Very Best of the Velvet Underground
| — | — | — | — |
| ||||||||||
2005 | Gold
| — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
2008 | Playlist Plus
| — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Notes
Year | Album details |
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1993 | What Goes On
|
1995 | Peel Slowly and See
|
2001 | Final V.U.
|
2012 | The Velvet Underground & Nico 45th Anniversary
|
2013 | White Light/White Heat 45th Anniversary
|
2014 | The Velvet Underground 45th Anniversary
|
2015 | Loaded 45th Anniversary
|
Year | Song (A-side and B-side) | Album | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|
1966 | "All Tomorrow's Parties" (edit) b/w "I'll Be Your Mirror" | The Velvet Underground & Nico | [15] |
"Sunday Morning" b/w "Femme Fatale" (FRA #174) | [15] | ||
1968 | "White Light/White Heat" b/w "Here She Comes Now" | White Light/White Heat | [15] |
"I Heard Her Call My Name" b/w "Here She Comes Now" | [15] | ||
1969 | "What Goes On" (edit) b/w "Jesus" (radio-only single - mono versions) [16] | The Velvet Underground | [15] |
"The Velvet Underground" (radio ad distributed to radio stations with excerpts from The Velvet Underground) | [15] | ||
1971 | "Who Loves the Sun" b/w "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" | Loaded | [15] |
"Who Loves the Sun (mono)" b/w "Who Loves the Sun (stereo)" | [15] | ||
"Who Loves the Sun" b/w "Sweet Jane" (UK-only release) | [15] | ||
1973 | "Sweet Jane" b/w "Rock and Roll" (FRA #96) | [15] | |
"I'm Waiting for the Man" b/w "Run Run Run" b/w "Candy Says" (UK-only release) | [15] | ||
"I'm Waiting for the Man" b/w "Candy Says" b/w "White Light/White Heat" (NLD-only release) | [15] | ||
1985 | "Foggy Notion" (edit) b/w "I Can't Stand It" (promo) | VU | [15] |
1988 | "I'm Waiting for the Man" b/w "Heroin" (UK-only release) | Non-album singles | [15] |
"Venus in Furs" b/w "All Tomorrow Parties" (UK-only release) | [15] | ||
1993 | "I'm Waiting for the Man" b/w "Pale Blue Eyes" b/w "White Light/White Heat" b/w "Sweet Jane" (UK-only release, promo) | [15] | |
"Venus in Furs" b/w "I'm Waiting for the Man" (FRA-only release) | Live MCMXCIII | [15] | |
1994 | "Venus in Furs" (live edit) b/w "Sweet Jane" (Live), "Heroin" (Live), "I'm Waiting for the Man" (Live) (UK #71) | Non-album singles | [15] |
2009 | "We're Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together" b/w "If You Close the Door (After Hours)" | [15] | |
Lewis Allan Reed was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band The Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Although not commercially successful during its existence, the Velvet Underground came to be regarded as one of the most influential bands in the history of underground and alternative rock music. Reed's distinctive deadpan voice, poetic and transgressive lyrics, and experimental guitar playing were trademarks throughout his long career.
The Velvet Underground & Nico is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Velvet Underground and the German singer Nico. Released by Verve Records in March 1967, the album underperformed in sales and polarized critics upon release due to its abrasive, unconventional sound and controversial lyrical content. It later became regarded as one of the most influential albums in rock and pop music and one of the greatest albums of all time.
The Velvet Underground is the third studio album by the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Released in March 1969 by MGM Records, it was their first record with multi-instrumentalist Doug Yule, who replaced previous member John Cale. Recorded in 1968 at TTG Studios in Los Angeles, California, the album's sound—consisting largely of ballads and straightforward rock songs—marked a notable shift in style from the band's previous recordings. Lead vocalist Lou Reed intentionally did this as a result of their abrasive previous studio album White Light/White Heat (1968). Reed wanted other band members to sing on the album; Yule contributed lead vocals to the opening track "Candy Says" and the closing track "After Hours" is sung by drummer Maureen Tucker.
White Light/White Heat is the second studio album by the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Released on January 30, 1968, by Verve Records, it was the band's last studio album with multi-instrumentalist and founding member John Cale. Recorded after band leader Lou Reed fired Andy Warhol, who had produced their debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico, they hired Steve Sesnick as a manager and hired producer Tom Wilson, who had worked on the band's debut. White Light/White Heat was engineered by Gary Kellgren.
Loaded is the fourth studio album by the American rock band the Velvet Underground, released in November 1970 by Atlantic Records subsidiary Cotillion. It was the final album recorded featuring the band’s remaining original members, including the lead singer and primary songwriter Lou Reed, who left the band shortly before the album's release, and the guitarist Sterling Morrison, who left the band in 1971 along with the drummer Maureen Tucker. For this reason, it is often considered by fans to be the last "true" Velvet Underground album. The multi-instrumentalist Doug Yule remained and released the album Squeeze in 1973 before the band's dissolution the same year.
Douglas Alan Yule is an American musician and singer, most notable for being a member of the Velvet Underground from 1968 to 1973, serving as the bassist, guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist.
The Very Best of The Velvet Underground is a compilation album by The Velvet Underground. It was released in Europe on March 31, 2003, by Polydor, the record label that oversees the band's Universal Music Group back catalog.
Gold is a two-CD compilation album by the Velvet Underground. It was released for the North American market on June 14, 2005, by Polydor, the record label that oversees the band's Universal Music Group back catalogue.
VU is an album by the American musical group the Velvet Underground, recorded in 1968 and 1969 and released sixteen years later in February 1985 by Verve Records. Some sources refer to VU as a compilation album, while music critic Robert Christgau called it an unofficial Velvets' studio album. Most avoid both of these labels, as well as other terms occasionally used when discussing the album such as archival album or collection of outtakes.
"Heroin" is a song by American rock band the Velvet Underground, released on their 1967 debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico. Written by Lou Reed in 1964, the song, which overtly depicts heroin usage and its effects, is one of the band's most celebrated compositions. Critic Mark Deming of Allmusic writes, "While 'Heroin' hardly endorses drug use, it doesn't clearly condemn it, either, which made it all the more troubling in the eyes of many listeners." In 2004, it was ranked at number 448 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", and was re-ranked at number 455 in 2010.
Songs for Drella is a 1990 studio album by Lou Reed and John Cale, both formerly of the American rock band the Velvet Underground; it is a song cycle about Andy Warhol, their mentor, who had died following routine surgery in 1987. Drella was a nickname for Warhol coined by Warhol superstar Ondine, a contraction of Dracula and Cinderella, used by Warhol's crowd but never liked by Warhol himself. The song cycle focuses on Warhol's interpersonal relations and experiences, with songs falling roughly into three categories: Warhol's first-person perspective, third-person narratives chronicling events and affairs, and first-person commentaries on Warhol by Reed and Cale themselves. The songs, in general, address events in their chronological order.
Simon & Garfunkel, an American singer-songwriter duo, has released five studio albums, fifteen compilation albums, four live albums, one extended play, twenty-six singles, one soundtrack, and four box sets since 1964. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel first formed a duo in 1957 as Tom & Jerry, before separating and later reforming as Simon & Garfunkel.
American singer Brandy Norwood entered the music business as a backing vocalist for R&B boy bands such as Immature, prior to launching her own career in 1994. Her discography, as a solo artist, includes eight studio albums, one compilation album, one extended play, 44 singles, 46 album appearances and 28 soundtrack appearances. Norwood has sold over 8.6 million albums in the United States, and more than 40 million records worldwide. Additionally, she has won over 100 awards as a recording artist. In 1999, Billboard ranked Norwood among the top 20 of the Top Pop Artists of the 1990s.
"All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released as the band's debut single in 1966. The song is from their 1967 debut studio album, The Velvet Underground & Nico.
The discography of American alternative rock band Soul Asylum consists of 12 studio albums, two live albums, five compilation albums, two extended plays (EPs), 22 singles, and 17 music videos. Formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota using the name Loud Fast Rules, the band's original lineup consisted of vocalist Dave Pirner, guitarist Dan Murphy, bassist Karl Mueller, and drummer Pat Morley. The band changed their name to Soul Asylum prior to the release of Say What You Will... Everything Can Happen in 1984. Later that year, Morley was replaced on drums by Grant Young.
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The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. It originally comprised singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison and drummer Angus MacLise. In 1965, MacLise was replaced by Moe Tucker, who played on most of the band's recordings. Though their integration of rock and the avant-garde earned them little commercial success, they are now widely regarded as one of the most influential bands in rock, underground, experimental, and alternative music. Their provocative subject matter, experimentation, and nihilistic attitude were also instrumental in the development of punk rock, new wave and several other genres.
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