With hysterical guitar solos bursting out of every seam and recorded in just one take, it is quite simply a song that no other band could have created.ДЇeaturing what would become their trademark dirty guitar sound and iconic piano-driven vamp, the second track from the bandвЂ™s iconoclastic debut puts the listener inside the shoes of a drug addict on a mission to score from his man. Boasting a robust, swaggering riff right out of the gate, itвЂ™s a penetrating look into the psychosexual underbelly of New York City. Its moral ambivalence toward the taboo subject of heroin was jarring upon its release, but its beauty and influence have long outlived the controversy.Д¬ontaining eight individual characters, clocking in at over 17 minutes, and feeling like its about to spin completely out of control the entire time, this is perhaps the bandвЂ™s most legendary and challenging song. One of the VelvetвЂ™s most visceral songs, it has become recognized as a classic, channeling the sensory assault of drug use into sound and words, featuring a quickening tempo meant to emulate the rush of heroin use. While rock songs are often laced with veiled references to drug use, this one is pretty blatant and deals bluntly with that lifestyle. Ultimately succeeding in becoming a radio hit, this track is still one of the bandвЂ™s most recognizable. No song epitomized that goal better than this one, which is essentially a tribute to the radio hits that inspired front man Lou Reed in his early days of songwriting. The head of the label apparently told Reed to avoid the themes of sex and drugs and just focus on making an album loaded with hits. Harmonic yet chaotic, its outro descends into a cacophony of distorted bass and discordant noise.ДЄs the вЂ60s came to a close, the underappreciated band signed to major label Atlantic to produce their swan song. Ostensibly an ode to the joys of amphetamine use, it sees the band exercising some demons by turning their amps as loud as they can go. ItвЂ™s bold and unhinged, and the first song and the title track sets the tone nicely for the rest of the album. If the VelvetвЂ™s first album was intended to defy the conventions of rock nвЂ™ roll, their second album abandoned all pretenses of courting a mainstream audience. Originally written with NicoвЂ™s vocals in mind for the lead, Lou Reed ended up recording the vocals, with Nico serving up dreamy back-up.

It puts one in mind of a perfectly lazy Sunday morning вЂ¦if you ignore the subtle desperation of the lyrics, that is. Intended to create a hit for the bandвЂ™s legendary first album, the production on this track is fuller and more accomplished than many other songs on the record. This song still stands as one of the bandвЂ™s heaviest, most distinctive and menacingly dark songs. Provocative in more ways than one, it features John CaleвЂ™s discordant and foreboding viola and Lou Reed on a guitar with each string tuned to the same note, albeit on different octaves. Taking its name and subject matter from the risquГ© 19th century Leopold von Sacher-Masoch novella, the song is a leathery, unforgetable foray into the shadowy world of sadomasochistic sex. The track ended up becoming one of the most memorable songs on the bandвЂ™s debut album and a personal favorite of Lou ReedвЂ™s, who had written the lyrics for Nico. However, NicoвЂ™s emotional breakdown was apparently just what her vocal delivery needed, as one last вЂњHail-MaryвЂќ take turned out to be perfect. The recording session for this song was so difficult that vocalist Nico was literally brought to tears during the process. A bittersweet ballad penned by Lou Reed for his first love вЂ“ who just happened to be married at the time вЂ“ Reed trades in his usual sarcastic wit for earnestness in one of the bands most beautiful and haunting songs. Welcome to, and today weвЂ™re counting down our picks for the top 10 Velvet Underground songs.ДЇor this list, weвЂ™ve chosen our entries based on a combination of the artistвЂ™s fan favorites and their most commercially successful songs.ДЄppearing on the groupвЂ™s third album- the first not to feature co-founder John Cale-this song is a study in understatement for a band previously known for their heavy, guitar driven sound. Combining sonic abrasiveness and dark lyrical content with the vigor of rock nвЂ™ roll, theyвЂ™re a band that changed it all.

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