Complete List Of The Velvet Underground Songs From A to Z

Feature Photo: English: Photographer unknown. Published by Verve Records, a subsidiary of MGM Records at the time., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Velvet Underground took shape in New York City in the mid-1960s through the creative partnership of Lou Reed, a songwriter from Long Island with a background in pop music and literature, and John Cale, a classically trained experimental musician from Wales. Reed’s streetwise lyrics and rock instincts met Cale’s avant-garde sensibilities in a band that also included guitarist Sterling Morrison and drummer Maureen Tucker. Their early sound was abrasive, unfiltered, and unlike almost anything in the mainstream, qualities that would eventually define their influence even though commercial success initially eluded them.

The band became closely associated with artist Andy Warhol, who brought them into his circle in 1966 and featured them in the traveling multimedia production the Exploding Plastic Inevitable. Warhol also connected the group with German singer and model Nico, who appeared on their debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico. Released in 1967, the record reached only number 171 on the Billboard 200, yet its reputation grew steadily because of its experimental textures and unflinching songs about drug use, sexuality, alienation, and life outside conventional society.

The debut included songs that became central to the band’s legacy, including “Heroin,” “I’m Waiting for the Man,” “Venus in Furs,” and “All Tomorrow’s Parties.” Warhol’s banana cover added another unmistakable element to the album’s identity. Although the record received limited radio support and modest sales, it helped create a foundation for punk, alternative rock, art rock, and generations of independent musicians.

By the time of White Light/White Heat in 1968, Nico had departed and tensions between Reed and Cale were intensifying. The album pushed the group’s noise, distortion, and improvisation further, most dramatically on “Sister Ray.” Cale left later that year and was replaced by Doug Yule. The new lineup released The Velvet Underground in 1969, a quieter and more introspective album that emphasized melody, vulnerability, and songs including “Pale Blue Eyes,” “Candy Says,” and “What Goes On.”

The band released Loaded in 1970 with a more accessible rock-and-roll sound. The album included “Sweet Jane,” “Rock & Roll,” “Who Loves the Sun,” and “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’.” Lou Reed left shortly before its release. Doug Yule continued using the Velvet Underground name, and Squeeze appeared in 1973, although none of the founding members participated and the album has long occupied a disputed place in the group’s discography.

The Velvet Underground’s core studio legacy is generally centered on the four albums recorded during Reed’s membership: The Velvet Underground & Nico, White Light/White Heat, The Velvet Underground, and Loaded. Later archival releases, including VU, Another View, Peel Slowly and See, The Quine Tapes, and The Complete Matrix Tapes, revealed how much additional studio and live material the band had recorded.

Reed, Cale, Morrison, and Tucker reunited in 1993 for a European tour, but plans for additional performances and a new studio album did not continue. Sterling Morrison died in 1995. The Velvet Underground entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, when Reed, Cale, and Tucker performed “Last Night I Said Goodbye to My Friend” in Morrison’s memory.

Outside the band, the members followed distinct creative paths. Reed developed a prolific solo career that included albums such as Transformer and Berlin. Cale continued exploring avant-garde music, songwriting, production, and collaboration. Tucker made music with the same direct, minimalist spirit she brought to the Velvet Underground, while Morrison pursued academic work and later taught at the University of Texas.

The band’s impact grew far beyond its original lifespan. Its influence can be heard in artists ranging from David Bowie and R.E.M. to Sonic Youth, the Strokes, and countless punk and alternative groups. Todd Haynes’ documentary The Velvet Underground brought the band’s history, visual world, and musical experiments to another generation of listeners.

The Velvet Underground’s willingness to explore taboo subjects, unconventional structures, noise, repetition, tenderness, and artistic freedom made the group a lasting symbol of counterculture. Their recordings did not follow the dominant trends of their era. Instead, they created a separate path that later musicians could recognize, enter, and expand.

Complete List Of The Velvet Underground Songs From A to Z

“After Hours” – The Velvet Underground – 1969
“All Tomorrow’s Parties” – The Velvet Underground & Nico – 1967
“Andy’s Chest” – VU – 1985
“Beginning to See the Light” – The Velvet Underground – 1969
“The Black Angel’s Death Song” – The Velvet Underground & Nico – 1967
“Booker T” – Peel Slowly and See – 1995
“Candy Says” – The Velvet Underground – 1969
“Caroline” – Squeeze – 1973
“Chelsea Girls” – Chelsea Girl (Nico) – 1967
“Coney Island Steeplechase” – Another View – 1986
“Cool It Down” – Loaded – 1970
“Countess from Hong Kong” – Peel Slowly and See – 1995
“Crash” – Squeeze – 1973
“Dopey Joe” – Squeeze – 1973
“European Son (to Delmore Schwartz)” – The Velvet Underground & Nico – 1967
“Femme Fatale” – The Velvet Underground & Nico – 1967
“Ferryboat Bill” – Another View – 1986
“Foggy Notion” – VU – 1985
“Follow the Leader” – The Quine Tapes – 2001
“Friends” – Squeeze – 1973
“The Gift” – White Light/White Heat – 1968
“Guess I’m Falling in Love” – Another View – 1986
“Head Held High” – Loaded – 1970
“Here She Comes Now” – White Light/White Heat – 1968
“Heroin” – The Velvet Underground & Nico – 1967
“Hey Mr. Rain” – Another View – 1986
“I Can’t Stand It” – VU – 1985
“I Found a Reason” – Loaded – 1970
“I Heard Her Call My Name” – White Light/White Heat – 1968
“I’ll Be Your Mirror” – The Velvet Underground & Nico – 1967
“I Love You” – Fully Loaded – 1997
“I’m Gonna Move Right In” – Another View – 1986
“I’m Not A Young Man Anymore” – White Light/White Heat 45th Anniversary Deluxe Edition – 2013
“I’m Not Too Sorry (Now That You’re Gone)” – Peel Slowly and See – 1995
“I’m Set Free” – The Velvet Underground – 1969
“I’m Sticking With You” – VU – 1985
“I’m Waiting for the Man” – The Velvet Underground & Nico – 1967
“It’s Alright (The Way That You Live)” – Peel Slowly and See – 1995
“It’s Just Too Much” – Peel Slowly and See – 1995
“It Was a Pleasure Then” – Chelsea Girl (Nico) – 1967
“Jack & Jane” – Squeeze – 1973
“Jesus” – The Velvet Underground – 1969
“Lady Godiva’s Operation” – White Light/White Heat – 1968
“Lisa Says” – VU – 1985
“Little Jack” – Squeeze – 1973
“Little Sister” – Chelsea Girl (Nico) – 1967
“Lonesome Cowboy Bill” – Loaded – 1970
“Loop” – Aspen #3 – 1966
“Louise” – Squeeze – 1973
“Love Makes You Feel Ten Feet Tall” – Fully Loaded – 1997
“Mean Old Man” – Squeeze – 1973
“Melody Laughter” – Peel Slowly and See – 1995
“Miss Joanie Lee” – The Velvet Underground & Nico, 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe edition – 2012
“The Murder Mystery” – The Velvet Underground – 1969
“New Age” – Loaded – 1970
“Noise” – East Village Other – 1966
“Ocean” – VU – 1985
“Oh Gin” – Peel Slowly and See – 1995
“Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” – Loaded – 1970
“One of These Days” – VU – 1985
“Over You” – The Complete Matrix Tapes – 2015
“Pale Blue Eyes” – The Velvet Underground – 1969
“Prominent Men” – Peel Slowly and See – 1995
“Ride into the Sun” – Another View – 1986
“Rock & Roll” – Loaded – 1970
“Run Run Run” – The Velvet Underground & Nico – 1967
“Sad Song” – Peel Slowly and See – 1995
“Satellite of Love” – Peel Slowly and See – 1995
“Send No Letter” – Squeeze – 1973
“She’ll Make You Cry” – Squeeze – 1973
“She’s My Best Friend” – VU – 1985
“Sheltered Life” – Peel Slowly and See – 1995
“Sister Ray” – White Light/White Heat – 1968
“Some Kinda Love” – The Velvet Underground – 1969
“Stephanie Says” – VU – 1985
“Sunday Morning” – The Velvet Underground & Nico – 1967
“Sweet Bonnie Brown” – 1969 – 1974
“Sweet Jane” – Loaded – 1970
“Temptation Inside Your Heart” – VU – 1985
“That’s the Story of My Life” – The Velvet Underground – 1969
“There Is No Reason” – Peel Slowly and See – 1995
“There She Goes Again” – The Velvet Underground & Nico – 1967
“Train Round the Bend” – Loaded – 1970
“Venus in Furs” – The Velvet Underground & Nico – 1967
“Walk Alone” – The Velvet Underground & Nico, 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe edition – 2012
“Walk and Talk (It)” – Peel Slowly and See – 1995
“We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together” – Another View – 1986
“What Goes On” – The Velvet Underground – 1969
“White Light/White Heat” – White Light/White Heat – 1968
“Who Loves the Sun” – Loaded – 1970
“Winter Song” – Chelsea Girl (Nico) – 1967
“Wordless” – Squeeze – 1973
“Wrap Your Trouble in Dreams” – Chelsea Girl (Nico) – 1967