Complete List Of Nico Songs From A to Z

Feature Photo Unidentified (Ensian published by University of Michigan), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Nico’s path toward music solidified after she moved to New York and became a fixture in Andy Warhol’s Factory scene. Warhol was instrumental in pairing Nico with The Velvet Underground for their 1967 debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico. Though the group initially resisted her inclusion, she contributed vocals to some of the album’s most memorable tracks, including “Femme Fatale,” “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” and “I’ll Be Your Mirror.” Her detached, icy vocal delivery became a defining element of the album’s mood, adding another layer of complexity to its mix of distortion, dissonance, and darkness.

Following her stint with The Velvet Underground, Nico launched a solo career marked by a dramatic shift in tone and content. Her first solo album, Chelsea Girl (1967), featured contributions from Lou Reed, John Cale, and Jackson Browne. Though she later dismissed the record’s orchestral arrangements and lack of creative control, it contained early glimpses of her songwriting voice. By the time she released The Marble Index in 1968, Nico had abandoned conventional pop entirely, embracing a stark, funereal style led by her harmonium and lyrics steeped in gothic imagery and existential despair.

The Marble Index marked the beginning of Nico’s artistic reinvention. Produced by John Cale, the album was austere and challenging, establishing the sonic palette she would explore for the rest of her career. She followed it with Desertshore (1970), another haunting work that delved into themes of death, loneliness, and ritual. Albums like The End… (1974) and Drama of Exile (1981) pushed even further into avant-garde and experimental territory. Her final studio album, Camera Obscura, was released in 1985 and included elements of electronic music while maintaining her signature bleak aesthetic.

Throughout her solo career, Nico remained outside the commercial mainstream. She never had a hit single, nor did her albums chart widely, but her influence on later generations of artists has been profound. Her work has been cited as foundational by musicians across genres, from post-punk and goth to ambient and alternative rock. Artists such as Siouxsie Sioux, PJ Harvey, and Björk have spoken about her impact. She is remembered not for accessibility but for depth, bravery, and an unflinching commitment to her artistic vision.

Outside of music, Nico’s life was marked by turbulence. She battled heroin addiction for much of her adult life, which affected both her health and career. Yet she also ventured into acting, appearing in Warhol films and other experimental projects. Her relationship with her son, Ari Boulogne, was complicated and often strained, and her personal life remained shadowed by instability. Despite her struggles, she continued to perform throughout Europe during the 1980s, delivering intense and uncompromising live shows that reflected her enduring creative intensity.

Nico died in 1988 at the age of 49 after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage while bicycling on the island of Ibiza. Her death cut short a career that had always defied categorization. She left behind a body of work that was fiercely individual and often overlooked during her lifetime. In the years since, her reputation has grown significantly, with critical reassessments placing her among the most original voices in rock and avant-garde music.

Though she only released seven solo studio albums, Nico’s legacy is rooted not in quantity but in the emotional and artistic depth of her work. Her career remains a testament to the power of individuality in art. While the mainstream largely passed her by, she carved a path for artists who followed, proving that sincerity and experimentalism could coexist without compromise. Her music, like her persona, was often difficult, always haunting, and impossible to forget.

Complete List Of Nico Songs From A to Z

Abschied – Desertshore – 1970
Afraid – Desertshore – 1970
All That Is My Own – Desertshore – 1970
All Tomorrow’s Parties – The Velvet Underground & Nico – 1967
Ari’s Song – The Marble Index – 1968
Camera Obscura – Camera Obscura – 1985
Chelsea Girls – Chelsea Girl – 1967
Das Lied der Deutschen – The End – 1974
Das Lied der Deutschen (Rainbow Theatre live version) – The End (2012 re-issue) – 1974
Das Lied vom einsamen Mädchen – Camera Obscura – 1985
The End – The End – 1974
The End (John Peel Session) – The End (2012 re-issue) – 1974
The End (Rainbow Theatre live version) – The End (2012 re-issue) – 1974
Eulogy to Lenny Bruce – Chelsea Girl – 1967
Evening of Light – The Marble Index – 1968
Facing the Wind – The Marble Index – 1968
The Falconer – Desertshore – 1970
The Fairest of the Seasons – Chelsea Girl – 1967
Fearfully in Danger – Camera Obscura – 1985
Femme Fatale – The Velvet Underground & Nico – 1967
Frozen Warnings – The Marble Index – 1968
Frozen Warnings – The Peel Sessions – 1977
Genghis Khan – Drama of Exile – 1981
Genghis Khan – The Drama of Exile – 1983
Henry Hudson – Drama of Exile – 1981
Henry Hudson – The Drama of Exile – 1983
Heroes – Drama of Exile – 1981
Heroes – The Drama of Exile – 1983
I’ll Be Your Mirror – The Velvet Underground & Nico – 1967
I’ll Keep It with Mine – Chelsea Girl – 1967
I’m Waiting for the Man – Drama of Exile – 1981
I’m Waiting for My Man – The Drama of Exile – 1983
Innocent and Vain – The End – 1974
Into the Arena – Camera Obscura – 1985
It Has Not Taken Long – The End – 1974
It Was a Pleasure Then – Chelsea Girl – 1967
Janitor of Lunacy – Desertshore – 1970
Janitor of Lunacy – The Peel Sessions – 1977
Janitor of Lunacy (John Peel Session) – The End (2012 re-issue) – 1974
Julius Caesar (Memento Hodié) – The Marble Index – 1968
König – Camera Obscura – 1985
Lawns of Dawns – The Marble Index – 1968
Le petit chevalier – Desertshore – 1970
Little Sister – Chelsea Girl – 1967
Mütterlein – Desertshore – 1970
My Funny Valentine – Camera Obscura – 1985
My Heart Is Empty – Camera Obscura – 1985
My Only Child – Desertshore – 1970
Nibelungen – The Marble Index (1991 reissue) – 1968/1991
No One Is There – The Marble Index – 1968
No One Is There – The Peel Sessions – 1977
One More Chance – Drama of Exile – 1981
One More Chance – The Drama of Exile – 1983
Orly Flight – Drama of Exile – 1981
Orly Flight – The Drama of Exile – 1983
Prelude – The Marble Index – 1968
Purple Lips – Drama of Exile – 1981
Roses in the Snow – The Marble Index (1991 reissue) – 1968/1991
Saēta – The Drama of Exile – 1983
Secret Side – The End – 1974
Secret Side – The Peel Sessions – 1977
Secret Side (John Peel Session) – The End (2012 re-issue) – 1974
Secret Side (The Old Grey Whistle Test) – The End (2012 re-issue) – 1974
Sixty/Forty – Drama of Exile – 1981
60/40 – The Drama of Exile – 1983
Somewhere There’s a Feather – Chelsea Girl – 1967
The Sphinx – Drama of Exile – 1981
The Sphinx – The Drama of Exile – 1983
Tananore – Camera Obscura – 1985
These Days – Chelsea Girl – 1967
Valley of the Kings – The End – 1974
Valley of the Kings (The Old Grey Whistle Test) – The End (2012 re-issue) – 1974
Vegas – The Drama of Exile – 1983
We’ve Got the Gold – The End – 1974
We’ve Got the Gold (John Peel Session) – The End (2012 re-issue) – 1974
Win a Few – Camera Obscura – 1985
Winter Song – Chelsea Girl – 1967
Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams – Chelsea Girl – 1967
You Forget to Answer – The End – 1974
You Forget to Answer (John Peel Session) – The End (2012 re-issue) – 1974