The first twelve albums to appear on the Rolling Stone Top 500 were "successful" by most reasonable standards. The Beatles, Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, and the Rolling Stones were, among other things, popular artists. The Clash wasn't at that level of popularity, but the whole awful "only band that matters" ad campaign suggests how highly they were regarded by the time of London Calling. Elvis Presley's work for Sun might not have had the worldwide impact of "Heartbreak Hotel," but it made enough of an impression to get him the RCA contract. I don't know enough about jazz to claim that Kind of Blue fits into this picture, but it seems to have had enormous impact in the jazz world from the moment it appeared.
The #13 album on the RS list is The Velvet Underground and Nico. The highest this record got on the charts was #171; none of the other original VU albums got even that high. This was not a popular band. I mention this not only because their subsequent notoriety might confuse people who assume an act as influential as the Velvets must have been fairly popular, but also because the Velvet Underground are my favorite rock and roll band of all time, and in general my taste runs closer to the popular than to the avant garde. Having said all of this, it's important to note the oft-stated claim that the Velvets may not have sold many albums, but everyone who bought one went out and formed a band of their own.
How great was the Velvet Underground? In their original existence, they released four studio albums. All four made the RS 500 (besides the debut, there's White Light/White Heat at #292, the self-titled third album at #314, and Loaded at #109). The All Music Guide gives their highest 5-star rating to every one of those albums, and also gives 5 stars to a mid-70s release of live material from 1969, a mid-80s rarities collection, and a mid-90s box set. Acclaimed Music, which collates critics lists from everywhere, places Velvet Underground and Nico as the 5th-most acclaimed album of all time ... the other three original studio albums all finish in the top 200 ... and places the band at #21 in the most-acclaimed artist list (just ahead of Aretha Franklin and Bob Marley). Robert Christgau gave an "A" grade to all three of the original albums he reviewed, as well as an "A" for the rarities album and an "A-" for three other posthumous releases. In the 21st century, three decades after the band broke up, Velvet Underground albums are still coming out, like Bootleg Series, Vol. 1: The Quine Tapes.
And I haven't even mentioned Vaclav Havel yet. One of those few copies of Velvet Underground and Nico showed up in Czechoslovakia in 1968. The impact of that album on Czech culture can be noted by the fact that the overthrow of the Communists in the late-80s was known as the "Velvet Revolution." Havel, who was named the first president of the emergent Czech Republic, told Velvet's songwriter Lou Reed, upon meeting him for the first time, "Did you know that I am president because of you?"
Article comments
1 - Jim Carruthers
I have to admit I'm a major VU fan, I have both CD issues of the third "Velvet Underground" album on CD, I have the "Live at Max's Kansas City", the box set, the reunion, the books, etc.
Plus Mo Tucker's solo albums, and so on. What an amazing band.
Bonus fun fact, they inspired Jonathan Richman who was a fan in Boston in the late 60s.
2 - Eric Olsen
Great job Steven, agree with you all the way -nothing like that first one although I love the terrible sound of Live '69 for some reason. As I've written more than once, Lou was never the same.
I think "Sunday Morning" is as beautiful as "Pale Blues Eyes," but those are the two.
3 - Jonathan
Hmm, I think I'll give them a listen.
I've never really heard of them, I'm 17 give me a break.
I'll get back to you on if I like 'em or not..
4 - Rodney Welch
Good piece. In defense of Loaded: it also has "New Age" -- which I personally put in my VU Top Five -- and "Oh! Sweet Nuthin.'" Also, while I can kinda take "Sister Ray" now and then, I don't have much use for a lot of the more atonal stuff: "European Son," "Black Angel's Death song," "Lady Godiva's Operation," etc. I love them at their most wild and rhythmic: "What Goes On," "White Light/White Heat." And, with Eric, I'm a major fan of 1969 -- in fact, that was the first VU I bought (although not the first Reed) -- it has a wonderfully spontaneous, you-are-there feel that you just don't hear on other live albums, except, of course, the ones it influenced.
5 - HW Saxton Jr.
Nice job there Steven.Even though The
VU has been perpetually in the glow of
the spotlight since their demise,I can't
think of any other band that honestly &
truly lives up to the hype. Lou writes
some of the most beautiful ballads, then
turns around and can knock you ass over
elbows with his rockers.The whole band
deserves credit though.Moe T's drumming
is of the "simple" but deadly school.
Charlie Watts and Jery Nolan (N.Y.Dolls)
both come to mind when digging Moe.John
Cale is a talented multi-instrumentalist
and song writer and Sterling Morrison is
easily one of the most underrated of all
guitarists around. They were,have been &
probably always will be considred ahead
of their time.The fact that they're the
topic of discussion right now attests to
that fact. Too bad the VU reunion didn't
go so good but given the purported egos
of both John and Lou it really was not a
surprise.They sounded good,(IMO)in view
of their limited rehearsals and all the
time between their last gigs as a band
and the present.They most certainly did
not sound stale or anachronistic. I have
to agree that ""Loaded"" is the least
inspired or inspiring of their original
first four LP's. I think that it has a
couple of overlooked gems though in the
rocking "Head Held High" and in the very
pretty "Who Loves The Sun?".They weren't
happy as a band.Also,they weren't quite
excited about the directions they were
pushed towards by the label they were on
and by ego clashes going between Lou and
the crew.It reflects in the album which
is unfortunate.They could still rock yer
socks off, as is shown on "Live 1969".
This LP was recorded just prior to the
commencement of the "Loaded" sessions &
despite the somewhat dodgy sound still
f**king rocks like mad. For proof dig on
"White Light,White Heat" and the medley
"Sweet Bonnie Brown/It's Just Too Much",
as good as anything they had recorded up
to that point in their career.Years ago
I basically wrote off R n R as my tastes
have been changing with age,preferring
the more esoteric sounds of progressive
Jazz,Funk and Blues and anything that
might fall in between,such as Jazzy Funk
Funky Blues,Bluesy Jazz,etc LOL.But when
craving a Rock n Roll fix I can always
listen to the VU which to this day sound
as good as the first time I ever heard
them,some 30 years ago. I honestly can't
say that many of my other RnR discs can
still hold up as well,with the possible
exceptions of "Get Your Ya-Ya's Out" by
the Stones,"Raw Power" by The Stooges &
a half dozen other discs like maybe the
"Marquee Moon" LP by Television which is
Velvets influenced,"Highway 61 Revisited
by Bob Dylan(an influence on the VU)and
the overlooked classic third Big Star LP
(once again,there is more of that Velvet
influence.)Anybody that's never got the
chance to check out the Velvets for one
reason or another would be wise to.
As for me I think I'd start with the 3rd
Lp and go backwards from there,if I had
never heard the Velvets before.As great a song as "Sister Ray" is, it's not the
song to break a Velvets neophyte in with
as it can be somewhat intimidating.Well,
anyways nice job Steven and rock on.....