The Velvet Underground: A Retrospective (1965-1970)

The Velvet Underground A Retrospective: 1964-1970

Overview: One of the most influential rock groups of all-time. Considered the predecessor to alternative rock and punk. Formed in New York City. Active: 1964-70 The Players Lou Reed (vocals, guitar: 65-70; left in August 1970 to pursue a solo career) John Cale (vocals, bass, viola: 1965-68; solo) Sterling Morrison (guitar, backing vox: 1965-71) Moe Tucker (drums, percussion: 1965-72) Nico (vocals: 1967) Doug Yule (bass, backing vocals: 1969-70) Billy Yule (drums: 1970) Links DMDB encyclopedia entry for Velvet Underground DMDB podcast: Covering Velvet Underground & Nico Dave’s Music Database: Lou Reed/Velvet Underground: Top 50 Songs Dave’s Music Database: Velvet Underground/Lou Reed: Top 10 Albums VelvetUndergroundMusic.com (official site) Facebook Wikipedia

Awards

Studio Albums

Archives

Compilations WM Best of: Words and Music of Lou Reed (compilation: 1966-70, released 1989) PS Peel Slowly and See (box set: 1965-70, released 1995) 20 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of (compilation: 1966-70, released 2000) VB The Very Best of (compilation: 1966-70, released 2003) G Gold (compilation: 1966-70, released 2005) Spotify Playlist Here’s my The Velvet Underground 1966-1970 playlist at Spotify that includes all of the songs from the above compilations (other than the Peel Slowly and See box set). Under each album snapshot, songs featured on the anthologies are noted.

The Velvet Underground & Nico The Velvet Underground & Nico

Released: March 12, 1967 Charted: May 13, 1967 Peak: 129 US, 43 UK Sales (in millions): 0.56 US, 0.3 UK, 0.96 world (includes US and UK) Genre: experimental rock/proto-punk Rating: 4.601 out of 5.00 (average of 37 ratings)

Tracks: Sunday Morning PS, VB, G I’m Waiting for the Man WM, PS, 20, VB, G Femme Fatale WM, PS, VB, G Venus in Furs PS, VB, G Run, Run, Run WM, PS, 20, G All Tomorrow’s Parties WM, PS, VB, G Heroin WM, PS, 20, VB, G There She Goes Again PS, G I’ll Be Your Mirror WM, PS, G The Black Angel’s Death Song PS European Son PS About the Album: Go to the DMDB page for more about this album including awards and more details about individual songs.

White Light/White Heat The Velvet Underground

Released: November 30, 1967 Peak: 199 US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Genre: experimental rock/proto-punk Rating: 4.007 out of 5.00 (average of 24 ratings)

Tracks: White Light/White Heat WM, PS, 20, VB, G The Gift PS Lady Godiva’s Operation PS Here She Comes Now PS, VB I Heard Her Call My Name PS, VB, G Sister Ray PS, 20, G About the Album: Go to the DMDB page for more about this album including awards and more details about individual songs.

The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground

Released: March 31, 1969 Peak: 197 US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Genre: experimental rock/proto punk Rating: 4.330 out of 5.00 (average of 23 ratings)

Tracks: Candy Says PS, G What Goes On WM, PS, 20, VB, G Some Kinda Love PS, VB, G Pale Blue Eyes WM, PS, 20, VB, G Jesus PS Beginning to See the Light WM, PS, 20, VB, G I’m Set Free PS That’s the Story of My Life PS The Murder Mystery PS After Hours PS About the Album: Go to the DMDB page for more about this album including awards and more details about individual songs.

Loaded The Velvet Underground

Released: August 31, 1970 Peak: -- US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Genre: experimental rock/proto punk Rating: 4.330 out of 5.00 (average of 23 ratings)

Tracks: Who Loves the Sun PS Sweet Jane WM, PS, 20, VB, G Rock and Roll WM, PS, 20, VB, G Cool It Down PS New Age PS, G Head Held High PS Lonesome Cowboy Bill PS I Found a Reason PS Train Round the Bend PS Oh! Sweet Nuthin’ PS About the Album: Go to the DMDB page for more about this album including awards and more details about individual songs.

VU The Velvet Underground

Recorded: 1968-69 Released: February 2, 1985 Peak: 85 US, 47 UK, -- CN, -- AU Sales (in millions): -- Genre: experimental rock/proto-punk Rating: 4.107 out of 5.00 (average of 26 ratings)

Tracks: I Can’t Stand It WM, PS, 20, VB, G Stephanie Says WM, PS, VB, G She’s My Best Friend Lisa Says WM, PS, G Ocean PS, G Foggy Notion PS, G Temptation Inside Your Heart PS, G One of These Days PS, G Andy’s Chest I’m Sticking with You PS, VB About the Album: This was the first archival collection of Velvet Underground material recorded during the Lou Reed era. Go to the DMDB page for more about this album including awards and more details about individual songs.

Another View The Velvet Underground

Recorded: 1967-1969 Released: September 1986 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: experimental rock/proto-punk Rating: 3.065 out of 5.00 (average of 9 ratings)

Tracks: We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together I’m Gonna Move Right In Hey Mr. Rain (version I) PS, G Ride into the Sun Coney Island Steeplechase Guess I’m Falling in Love (instrumental version) PS Hey Mr. Rain (version II) Ferryboat Bill Rock and Roll PS Total Running Time: 36:21 About the Album: This was the second archival collection of Velvet Underground material recorded during the Lou Reed era.

Best of: Words and Music of Lou Reed The Velvet Underground

Recorded: 1966-1970 Released: October 10, 1989 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: experimental rock/proto-punk Rating: 4.254 out of 5.00 (average of 15 ratings)

Tracks: (1) I’m Waiting for the Man (2) Femme Fatale (3) Run, Run, Run (4) Heroin (5) All Tomorrow’s Parties (6) I’ll Be Your Mirror (7) White Light/White Heat (8) Stephanie Says (9) What Goes On (10) Beginning to See the Light (11) Pale Blue Eyes (12) I Can’t Stand It (13) Lisa Says (14) Sweet Jane (15) Rock and Roll Total Running Time: 61:43 About the Album: This is an excellent single-disc collection that assembles cuts from all four of the Lou Reed-era Velvet Underground albums plus songs from the archival VU collection – and smartly presented in chronological order.

Peel Slowly and See The Velvet Underground

Recorded: 1965-1970 Released: September 26, 1995 Peak: -- US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU, 11 DF Sales (in millions): -- Genre: experimental rock/proto-punk Rating: 4.335 out of 5.00 (average of 8 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tracks, Disc 1 (July 1965 demos): (1) Venus in Furs (2) Prominent Men (demo) (3) Heroin (4) I’m Waiting for the Man (5) Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (demo) (6) All Tomorrow’s Parties Tracks, Disc 2 (Velvet Underground & Nico +): (1) All Tomorrow’s Parties (single version) * (2) Sunday Morning (3) I’m Waiting for the Man (4) Femme Fatale (5) Venus in Furs (6) Run, Run, Run (7) All Tomorrow’s Parties (8) Heroin (9) There She Goes Again (10) I’ll Be Your Mirror (11) The Black Angel’s Death Song (12) European Son (13) Melody Laughter (live) * (14) It Was a Pleasure Then * (15) Chelsea Girls * * Songs not on original studio album. Tracks, Disc 3 (White Light/White Heat +): (1) There Is No Reason (demo) * (2) Shelter Life (demo) * (3) It’s All Right (The Way That You Live) (demo) * (4) I’m Not Too Sorry (Now That You’re Gone) (demo) * (5) Here She Comes Now (demo) * (6) Guess I’m Falling in Love (live) * (7) Booker T. (live) * (8) White Light/White Heat (9) The Gift (10) Lady Godiva’s Operation (11) Here She Comes Now (12) I Heard Her Call My Name (13) Sister Ray (14) Stephanie Says * (15) Temptation Inside Your Heart * (16) Hey Mr. Rain (version I) * * Songs not on original studio album. Tracks, Disc 4 (Velvet Underground +): (1) What Goes On (live) * (2) Candy Says (3) What Goes On (4) Some Kinda Love (5) Pale Blue Eyes (6) Jesus (7) Beginning to See the Light (8) I’m Set Free (9) That’s the Story of My Life (10) The Murder Mystery (11) After Hours (12) Foggy Notion * (13) I Can’t Stand It * (14) I’m Sticking with You * (15) One of These Days * (16) Lisa Says * (17) It’s Just Too Much (live) * (18) Countess from Hong Kong (demo) * * Songs not on original studio album. Tracks, Disc 5 (Loaded +): (1) Who Loves the Sun (2) Sweet Jane (3) Rock and Roll (4) Cool It Down (5) New Age (6) Head Held High (7) Lonesome Cowboy Bill (8) I Found a Reason (9) Train Round the Bend (10) Oh! Sweet Nuthin’ (11) Satellite of Love * (12) Walk and Talk * (13) Oh Gin * (14) Sad Song * (15) Ocean * (16) Ride into the Sun * (17) Some Kinda Love (live) * (18) I’ll Be Your Mirror (live) * (19) I Love You * * Songs not on original studio album. Total Running Time: 379:34 About the Album: This five-disc box set gathered up all four of the Lou Reed-era Velvet Underground studio albums as well as the cuts featured on the VU archival collection alongside previously unreleased material.

20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best The Velvet Underground

Recorded: 1966-70 Released: October 2000 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: experimental rock/proto-punk Rating: 4.001 out of 5.00 (average of 15 ratings)

Tracks: (1) I’m Waiting for the Man (2) Run, Run, Run (3) Heroin (4) White Light/White Heat (5) Sister Ray (6) Beginning to See the Light (7) What Goes On (8) Pale Blue Eyes (9) I Can’t Stand It 10) Sweet Jane (live) (11) Rock and Roll (live) Total Running Time: 65:13 About the Album: If one is looking for a single-disc retrospective, this isn’t a bad way to go but isn’t as strong as Best of: Words and Music of Lou Reed. That’s mostly because this one includes the 17-minute “Sister Ray,” which is a bit much for a casual fan, and taking it out allows for putting in several more songs in its place. Also, this one has live versions of “Sweet Jane” and “Rock and Roll” instead of the studio version that appear on Words.

The Very Best of The Velvet Underground

Recorded: 1966-1970 Released: March 31, 2003 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: experimental rock/proto-punk Rating: 4.263 out of 5.00 (average of 15 ratings)

Tracks: (1) Sweet Jane (2) I’m Sticking with You (3) I’m Waiting for the Man (4) What Goes On (5) White Light/White Heat (6) All Tomorrow’s Parties (7) Pale Blue Eyes (8) Femme Fatale (9) Heroin (10) Here She Comes Now (11) Stephanie Says (12) Venus in Furs (13) Beginning to See the Light (14) I Heard Her Call My Name (15) Some Kinda Love (alternate take) (16) I Can’t Stand It (17) Sunday Morning (18) Rock and Roll Total Running Time: 75:11 About the Album: Of the three single-disc anthologies highlighted on this page, this one has the most songs but is severely hampered by presenting the songs in non-chronological order.

Gold The Velvet Underground

Recorded: 1966-1970 Released: June 14, 2005 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: experimental rock/proto-punk Rating: 4.308 out of 5.00 (average of 16 ratings)

Tracks, Disc 1: (1) I’m Waiting for the Man (2) Femme Fatale (3) Venus in Furs (4) Run, Run, Run (5) All Tomorrow’s Parties (6) Heroin (7) There She Goes Again (8) I’ll Be Your Mirror (9) Sunday Morning (10) Chelsea Girls (11) It Was a Pleasure Then (12) White Light/White Heat (13) I Heard Her Call My Name (14) Sister Ray Tracks, Disc 2: (1) Temptation Inside Your Heart (2) Stephanie Says (3) Hey Mr. Rain (version I) (4) Candy Says (5) What Goes On (6) Some Kinda Love (7) Pale Blue Eyes (8) Beginning to See the Light (9) Foggy Notion (10) I Can’t Stand It (11) One of These Days (12) Lisa Says (13) New Age (live) (14) Rock and Roll (live) (15) Ocean (live) 16) Sweet Jane (live) About the Album: It’s unclear just who would be in the market for this. The Velvet Underground only released four albums during the Lou Reed era. How many people need a two-disc anthology when all their albums could practically fit on 2 CDs? To be fair, this collection does pull some non-album material such as a couple of cuts from Nico’s 1967 album, archival material originally released on VU and Another View and some live songs.

Resources/References: Wikipedia page for Peel Slowly and See Related DMDB Links: First posted 8/29/2026; last updated 8/30/2026.