History Music / TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico

* CoverVersion: All of the songs have been covered by other artists numerous times; for that matter, the album has been covered in its entirety a few times, probably most famously by Music/{{Beck}}.

The album cover is equally famous: A huge banana against a solid white background, designed by Creator/AndyWarhol. On the original record cover, the banana was a sticker that could be peeled off, revealing a pink, naked banana underneath. This was later nodded to in the title of their box set ''Peel Slowly and See'', which featured a replica of the original banana sticker.

-> ''"Only 30,000 people bought The Velvet Underground & Nico, and all of them started a band."''

* HellIsThatNoise: The loud hissing from "The Black Angel's Death Song" is rather startling when you first hear it, especially since it's higher in the mix than the other instruments.

''The Velvet Underground & Nico'' is the debut studio album by, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as the name implies,]] Music/TheVelvetUnderground and Music/{{Nico}}. Released in 1967, and initially not selling well, it is considered one of the most influential rock albums of all time, as the attributed quote by Music/BrianEno can attest. Together with Music/FrankZappa's ''Music/FreakOut'' from 1966, it's often considered to be one of the first underground rock albums.

* AlwaysLate: The song "[[Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico I'm Waiting for the Man]]" describes the eponymous drug dealer as "never early, he's always late" in the third verse.

* AlternateAlbumCover: Later copies had the picture of Warhol associate Eric Emerson being projected upside-down behind the band airbrushed out after Emerson sued over the use of his image. The original image was restored on later reissues.

* AlternateAlbumCover: Later copies had the picture of Warhol associate Eric Emerson being projected upside-down behind the band airbrushed out after Emerson sued over the use of his image.

* TheBigRottenApple: "I'm Waiting for the Man" and "Run Run Run" both show an ugly side of UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity's night life.

* WordSaladLyrics: "Black Angel's Death Song", deliberately by Reed.

* GainaxEnding: The album ends with a mad free jazz section.

* LiteraryAllusionTitle / FilkSong: "Venus in Furs" is based on Creator/LeopoldVonSacherMasoch's [[Literature/VenusInFurs novella of the same title]].

* {{Corpsing}}: Music/LouReed can be heard cracking up on the last verse of "Heroin".

** "Hotellounge (Be the Death of Me)" from Music/{{dEUS}} album ''Music/WorstCaseScenario'' (1994) is a title shout-out to "Heroin" (which contains the phrase "Heroin, be the death of me").

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: By today's standards, the album probably covers 1 ("Femme Fatale", "I'll Be Your Mirror") to about a 6 or 7 ("European Son", "Heroin" at its hardest). By the standards of 1967, the heaviest moments easily reached 11.

''The Velvet Underground & Nico'' is the debut studio album by, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as the name implies,]] the Music/VelvetUnderground and Music/{{Nico}}. Released in 1967, and initially not selling well, it is considered one of the most influential rock albums of all time, as the attributed quote by Music/BrianEno can attest. Together with Music/FrankZappa's ''Music/FreakOut'' from 1966, it's often considered to be one of the first underground rock albums.

''The Velvet Underground & Nico'' is the debut studio album by, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as the name implies,]] the Music/VelvetUnderground and Music/{{Nico}}. Released in 1967, it is considered one of the most influential rock albums of all time. Together with Music/FrankZappa's ''Music/FreakOut'' from 1966, it's often considered to be one of the first underground rock albums. Also a CultClassic, since it didn't sell well upon its original release, but did become one of the best known rock albums in history.

The Velvet Underground usually gets the praise they deserve, but Nico's contribution to this album is sometimes overlooked. Especially since she only sang three songs on the album and didn't appear on their other albums.

This album might be one of music's [[AcclaimedFlop most influential commercial failures]]. In 2006 ''The Velvet Underground & Nico'' was included in Magazine/TimeMagazine's list of [[TimeAllTime100Albums 100 timeless and essential albums]], as well as inducted in the UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry for being "historically, culturally and aesthetically significant." It was also listed at #13 in Magazine/RollingStone's [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]. A big-name fan was influential British radio DJ Creator/JohnPeel who, in 1997, placed it at no. 2 in a list of his 20 personal favourite albums [[note]] It was by no means meant as a definitive list, as he felt that top albums lists "are terribly self-indulgent" and said "he'd change it to a completely different list if he would be asked again a week later". But it was the only time in his life he agreed to make such a list, so in that regard pretty close to being a definitive list [[/note]] when asked by the newspaper ''The Guardian''. It is currently #4 on Website/AcclaimedMusic's [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums combination of critics' lists]], and recently won their user poll of the best albums of all-time.

!! Tracklist:

[[AC: Side One]]

[[AC: Side Two]]

This album might be one of music's [[AcclaimedFlop most influential commercial failures]]. In 2006 ''The Velvet Underground & Nico'' was included in Magazine/TimeMagazine's list of [[TimeAllTime100Albums 100 timeless and essential albums]], as well as inducted in the UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry for being "historically, culturally and aesthetically significant." It was also listed at #13 in Magazine/RollingStone's [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]. A BigNameFan was influential British radio DJ Creator/JohnPeel who, in 1997, placed it at no. 2 in a list of his 20 personal favourite albums [[note]] It was by no means meant as a definitive list, as he felt that top albums lists "are terribly self-indulgent" and said "he'd change it to a completely different list if he would be asked again a week later". But it was the only time in his life he agreed to make such a list, so in that regard pretty close to being a definitive list [[/note]] when asked by the newspaper ''The Guardian''. It is currently #4 on Website/AcclaimedMusic's [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums combination of critics' lists]], and recently won their user poll of the best albums of all-time.

* YourCheatingHeart: "There She Goes Again".

-> ''"The first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band."''

** The narrator of "Heroin" is hoping to "nullify his life" by taking the titular drug.

* TheBigRottenApple: "I'm Waiting for the Man" and "Run Run Run", both show a not so pretty sight of New York's night life.

* PostRock: "Heroin" is often said to be either the song that started this trend off or at least the UrExample.

In 2006 ''The Velvet Underground & Nico'' was included in Magazine/TimeMagazine's list of [[TimeAllTime100Albums 100 timeless and essential albums]], as well as inducted in the UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry for being "historically, culturally and aesthetically significant." It was also listed at #13 in Magazine/RollingStone's [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]. A BigNameFan was influential British radio DJ Creator/JohnPeel who, in 1997, placed it at no. 2 in a list of his 20 personal favourite albums [[note]] It was by no means meant as a definitive list, as he felt that top albums lists "are terribly self-indulgent" and said "he'd change it to a completely different list if he would be asked again a week later". But it was the only time in his life he agreed to make such a list, so in that regard pretty close to being a definitive list [[/note]] when asked by the newspaper ''The Guardian''. It is currently #4 on Website/AcclaimedMusic's [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums combination of critics' lists]], and recently won their user poll of the best albums of all-time.