Every Velvet Underground Album Ranked From Worst to Best

[@jakobm87]

I love that the self-titled album is basically the exact opposite of the previous album. _White Light/White Heat_ sounds like cocaine overdose, whereas _The Velvet Underground_ sounds like a plain cigarett. No marijuana, no cocaine, just a plain old cigarett to cool you down after a hard days night. The ability to offer such variety between records is one reason why VU is a such great band.

[@TheWaterlooWatermelon]

You put that so amazingly. You just got pinned, kang.

[@jakobm87]

@@TheWaterlooWatermelon Thanks a whole lot, man! I just subbed and I think you've got a super-underrated channel!

[@JesusGomez-ob2qt]

Which would you say sounds like the weed album

[@camilogarcia3171]

Lack of John Cale

[@robgronotte1]

Doug Yule wanted to release Squeeze as a solo album, but the record company insisted on it being released as the VU.

[@zackzallie8735]

@@TurnerZypsy Similar when Tony Iommi released Evening Star but the company insisted to be a Sabbath record. So laughable

[@markhunter8554]

Record companies love to do that. The reformed King Crimson originally called themselves Beat and the eighties Yes went by Cinema. But record companies know that a familiar brand sells more.

[@scottflowe2875]

​@@zackzallie8735 Seventh Star

[@zackzallie8735]

@@scottflowe2875 I confused with the Eno & Fripp record lol

[@marguskiis7711]

Not true. Yule was the leader of VU those days and wrote the songs following the path of "Loaded" and even Reed solo stuff. "Squeeze" had to be the VU album but their manager thought that recording with Yule alone with the help of Ian Paice from Deep Purple (!!!!) would be cheaper.

[@alex11v3]

I personally think that white light and white heat is a 10/10 album too, this was the first Noise rock album ever released and it is legendary. Stuff like Black Midi, Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth wouldn't exist without this album. I love the songwriting, the disgusting and feral jam and lyrics telling a orgy in the 19s(or 18s, i dont remember) in Sister Ray. The simple but amazing White Light White Heat, the macabre and sinister story in The Gift, and etc. I love all the songs on it, i respect your opinion, but that is a legendary record.

[@jwolf8371]

People are always looking for the "next Velvet Underground". I always say we already got them....Sonic Youth!

[@ephraimsb2277]

@@jwolf8371 Yeah no, Sonic Youth where TOTALLY the next VU. Most people would agree on this, I'm pretty sure.

[@ephraimsb2277]

White Light, along with their first is in my top 10 of all time. Don't care even REMOTELY as much about any of their albums after it.

[@alex11v3]

@@ephraimsb2277 Im not that extreme, I think that if somebody wanted to argue that all the VU albums(squeeze not included) are ten out of tens that would be a totally understable take. For me I would say that the The Velvet Underground and Nico and White Light White Heat are tens(both on my top 10 albuns of all time), I would say that the Self Titled and Loaded are 9s.

[@ephraimsb2277]

@@alex11v3 Oh, it's understandable sure, I just personally don't really enjoy much pop stuff (especially from the 60s).

[@deepblueharvest]

FUN FACT: The Rolling Stones were Velvet Underground fans. The Stones song "Stray Cat Blues" from the album Beggar's Banquet, released the year after The Velvet Underground & Nico and White Light/White Heat, has an intro that sounds just like the intro of "Heroin" and an outro that sounds just like "Sister Ray".

[@davidzasloff8797]

I get what you say about the noise on White Light/White Heat, but it's my favorite VU album nevertheless. I find it the purest expression of the band's concept, or at least of their rougher edge, and I just love "Here She Comes Now".

[@bosco7837]

The sound on White Light / White Heat was not intentional. John Cale said in more than one occasion that they wanted the sound to be much crisper and detailed but for a number of reasons they couldn't achieve that. Cale was overall very disappointed with how WL/WH turned out, and I guess Lou was too. Also, Squeeze: I know the general perception now is that Yule took the legacy of a historic band and run away with it, but the truth is that back in the early 70s the VU didn't have much of a legacy - they were just a band that recently disbanded and whose music was going out of fashion, except for a few die-hards. Nothing like the perception of them we have now. Yule used the name to tour schools, universities, BBQ joints and pizza parlours, not exactly arenas and stadiums...

[@Morn__]

Can we all just pretend that VU is the fifth velvet underground album instead of Squeeze? The world would be a better place, I promise you.

[@TheWaterlooWatermelon]

VU is one of those few bands where every demo and unreleased track is gold.

[@punkat13]

@@TheWaterlooWatermelon Agreed. The Stooges are another one

[@jwolf8371]

Love VU too!!!

[@jdd3786]

Yea man, those songs could've been released as an album. Also, "Another View" is more great unreleased songs that should've been on an album.

[@thebadfella5296]

Squeeze is actually pretty good, but nowhere near the first four albums and not great as a Velvet Undergroud album

[@wolvepotter5858]

The one thing to love about Squeeze is the album cover. Their first album was called Andy Warhol so it would be fitting that the final album’s cover would be The Empire State Building. If you’re familiar with Warhol’s work like I am, He made a movie called Empire back in 1964 which was nothing but the building for 8 hours straight so if you ask me. That’s a fitting way to close out the Velvet Underground legacy P.S. I think you should cover Bowie next P.P.S Venus in Furs is my personal favourite Velvet Underground song

[@onecrispyfrie1932]

Did you make the video? Yes What did it cost Melon man's sanity

[@ephraimsb2277]

The Velvet Underground & Nico and White Light / White Heat are two of my absolute all time favourite albums ever recorded and represent some of the absolute peaks of art to me. Sister Ray and Heroin are both in my top 5 songs of all time. When I finally got around to the second half of their discography, I was considerably to disappointed that they decided to become a pop band after those two insane masterpieces, and found it quite difficult to really get into anything I was hearing.

[@anthonykonstantinou5378]

as someone who sort of agrees with you i'd recommend i found a reason/ i found a reason demo version, sweet jane and after hours if you wanna give it another chance

[@MarkMars-9]

Nice profile pic!

[@ForARide]

Moe Tucker said that without John Cale the Velvets weren't the same anymore, they had lost their lunatic factor.

[@TheWaterlooWatermelon]

I was up so late finishing this video that I slept through the premiere. 🥲

[@jakeu1363]

Lol.

[@gavman21]

Mine is white light because of its crazy feeling towards noise while still making good pop songs

[@purepack]

I've never heard of the velvet underground before but now I'm gonna go ahead and listen to a few albums.

[@sulfur_americium2993]

It’s been 2 years, how’d that go?

[@punkat13]

Thanks for making a video about my favourite band! If you're interested, what about doing David Bowie next?

[@nathanclelland1047]

That would be amazing...and a ton of work! Wow!

[@poison9795]

The Velvet Underground is one of those bands who's discography is so good I would get pissed off at whatever you put on second to last

[@brunoactis1104]

Lady Godiva's Operation is so underrated, top 5 VU song for me. Also The Gift's instrumental is basically the coolest thing i have ever listened to in my entire life, and i listen to a lot of music; it is like ontologically cool, the definition of coolness.

[@pinkgreedyvillager]

YES!!! Thank you so much for making a video on the Velvet Underground!!!

[@oliverisacsson1018]

I really think this channel is underappreciated. KZbin recoemnded me your Pink Floyd video and I fell in love. I've watched your Beatles video too, and will in the future give Abbey Road a listen after your explanation of the Come Together intro. Thanks for all the good content, and may you be just as inspired to create even better stuff. Kind regards from Sweden!

[@stevenconnor4221]

For all VU songs it depends on the time of year and your mood, I have went through the same proceed as you years ago but as I got older I appreciated...... I'm set free. 😀

[@Theesotericcamel]

You keep going on about Lou Reed, but I think John Cale is an undersung hero of the band as well. He had a huge hand in the sound aesthetic of the band instrumentally.

[@ForARide]

Should have been co-credited for the music, but Reed's enormous ego would stand in the way.

[@Br00kbetafish]

we have been waiting….and it has arrived….thank you

[@curly_wyn]

The Velvet Underground & Nico is my favorite album of all time. I literally have a shrine to it on my window shelf made up of a poster of the album and the vinyl album itself propped up on that shelf. Every single track is a masterpiece and there are no skips for me. Every single track takes you into a whole different world and aspect of humanity itself, both light and dark, and it’s just the rebellious, subversive, raw, and viscerally human album that’s ever been made by anybody. I adore it! 💛🖤

[@brigantics7686]

15 seconds into watching this and it's already your best video

[@juanfilipwinifred]

My ranking is just their discography backwards

[@augustsinferno3185]

7:16 “a-peel”

[@onecrispyfrie1932]

I even commented that in live chat

[@CringePeddler]

WL/WH at #4 is ridiculous lol

[@SONYPVM]

the beatles

[@Iminsideurhouse-fn3cb]

?

[@philiphalkonidis6876]

the bottles

[@retronostalgiafan8635]

Hey man! Beatle guy here again 😂. I also love velvet underground too. On the 1969 album, I like the same five songs of it just like you.

[@WeskerFoda]

The way you described After Hours is so freaking accurate bro....

[@kavetta]

your videos keep getting better and better like how

[@Drums777]

My favourite velvet underground album is velvet underground 1969

[@astarcalledsun7646]

Dude your channel is CRIMINALLY underrated

[@smileysmilefan7879]

I do love white light white heat

[@edvonblue]

I don’t think most people consider Yule as an ‘original member’

[@magraretsbane6274]

White Light is definitely my favorite, I kinda had to learn to love it but once it fully clicked I knew I could never go back. Some of the most powerful grooves I’ve ever heard (especially The Gift and I Heard Her Call My Name)

[@jimbarnes4047]

You need to listen to the Velvet underground live version of what goes on. Best 8 minutes of music there is

[@elrabeechum5180]

So glad someone else said this. That ‘69 version blows the lid off of the album one.

[@brandonburroughs7128]

Great editing and love the clips of the snow. Video felt cozy

[@TheWaterlooWatermelon]

I was up so late editing, that morning snow started falling. Seemed like a great opportunity :)

[@scottmacgregor4622]

I've always been huge on White Light/White Heat. I seem to recall reading in Rolling Stone, back in the 70's, that the guitar solo from "I Heard He Call My Name" actually caused some kind of nerve damage when played at loud volumes (along with the solo in "Sympathy For The Devil" by the Stones). VU with Nico does come in a close second as that album is brilliant.

[@corntastrophy]

Loaded was my first VU record, and while I did like a lot of the tunes on it, it wasn't until their debut that made me fall in love with them. I do slightly think its worse than Squeeze since that album does carry that experimentation that Loaded was missing, but all of VU's albums are better than whats honestly being released today

[@Jipwell]

Squeeze is an absolute misnomer, but it is actually a good album. It’s not The Velvet Underground, it’s Doug Yule, and he HAD to release it under that label. It’s a fun album to listen to, and I enjoy it.

[@marguskiis7711]

Cmon. Squeeze follows Loaded strictly.

[@amarobijmholt4378]

You could do one of pink floyd or queen. Great vid btw love the edits :)

[@soma4320]

he already did pink floyd actually :))

[@LingusDaDingus]

the amazing part of their later years were that lou wrote the songs, and doug sung them. lou said that doug didn't understand a word of what he was singing, but he still sang "candy says" "who loves the sun" "new age" andall the others with all the passion he had for what he did.

[@Henryduckfan63]

Finally glad to see someone who doesn’t wildly overrate Velvet Underground and wildly underrate Loaded. I think because that third album has such high highs some people act like it’s much better than it actually is.

[@TheWaterlooWatermelon]

I think that album cover instantly reminds us of the highs too. Because, like, the album cover LOOKS like it would be tied to emotional, intimate music, which ARE the highs of that album. So we see the album cover, and we forget that there are a few songs that break the flow of that concept, and it is still REALLY GREAT AND AMAZING, but perhaps not deserving of being all the way at the top because of that. Just a theory though.

[@thebadfella5296]

For the 3rd album, I would include What Goes On in your collection of great songs from that album. I love that song so much lol Edit: Nevermind the whole album is great

[@retronostalgiafan8635]

Also Venus and furs is the first song I’ve heard from velvet underground and it got me into the band

[@rkkwc]

based after hours enjoyer

[@nitrousninja882]

Good job of rating The Velvet Underground albums. I am pretty much in agreement with you on the rating scale.

[@VolvoImpala]

John Cale said something like the love that went into the banana album didn't go into White Light/White Heat. But in a sense it is their purest album because the true velvets to a lot of people are just the four of them. No Andy Warhol and no Nico. They pushed a lot and experimented. Admittedly quite a few of those failed or "failed." But then with Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy has failures on it too or "failures" but again, they're still good and fun. My favorite is the banana album but runner-up might have to be VU actually even though the coy liner notes say it isn't their "lost great album" or whatever. Yes it is! You get Doug Yule and you get John Cale. The songs are solid and honestly it just works. Most of those songs migrated to Lou Reed solo albums but those songs were universally better by The Velvet Underground on this album. The company cleared the rest of its vaults on the highly inferior Another View which I would warn anybody about before picking it up.

[@ademkthesecond]

Now rank Ringo albums

[@atticuswilson8816]

This is just a few albums that I might suggest, not for a vid or anything, just for ur enjoyment, they’re just really good in my opinion. 1-parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, (Simon and Garfunkel) the way this album blends music and poetry to one medium rivals Lou Reeds transformer and that’s really saying something. 2-American woman(the guess who) a brash, mixture of rock, psychedelic sound and anti-American beauty 3-the dreaming(Kate bush) the weirdest music ever, incredibly bold, weirder than any iggy or Lou you’ll ever hear, and twice as haunting. Raw power(iggy and the stooges) full and complete submission to the animalistic beast within us all, a storm made perfect by its imperfections. Cheap thrills(big brother and the holding company) you probably already know it, but it’s worth mentioning as it’s by far the best description of what the middle sixties where about, better than any history book. Anyway that’s all

[@jonsrecordcollection7172]

"Beginning to See the Light" doesn't speak to you? "How does FEEEEEEEL to be LUH-UH-UH-VED..." I hope you find the love in your live that will make this song resonate for you.

[@marguskiis7711]

Ian Paice on "Squeeze" is a deep mystery bc Deep Purple was at the top of their game those days and Paice was very far from a struggling unemployed musician.

[@johnfitzgerald2625]

I think the 1985 album VU was incredible. Beautiful songs and a gift to the world. Another View was interesting as well.

[@music174-v5m]

White Light/White Heat being at 4 is criminal, Sister Ray is THE song

[@planetwaft349]

Top video and commentary. Fun too !

[@FlorianFlorian573]

I personally think that white light/white heat is the most underrated album of all time, it’s def in my top 10. I get not liking it though. Their first 3 albums are perfect so the order doesn’t matter that much. I like loaded but it gets overshadowed, despite it being a solid 9/10

[@adolescenttestudine3853]

Great video man! Keep up the good work and ur channel is bound to blow up at some point

[@lucaspage3538]

Really good video🙂Your videos just getting better and better

[@m.d8500]

how can such a good channel has only 5.000 subscribers

[@majedarahman6226]

The intro was so cool

[@mirrormundo]

White light = #4, while Loaded = #2? Dude...

[@fopplet]

i can't believe you didn't even mention sister ray when talking about white light/white heat :(

[@lukeizabelle2131]

For real, one of the most legendary tracks and greatest masterpieces in the history of rock music, such a shame.

[@doyouspeakespanola6423]

loaded and the banana album are my favouritee very good 👍

[@ShaNaNa242]

Doug Yule actually wanted Squeeze to be a solo LP, but the label wouldn't let him. Also the manager ousted Moe Tucker too.

[@agustin2468]

sister ray is like the hardest song ever made, feel free to hear

[@WhatsUpFella]

Noise rock rarely works for me so I happen to agree with ranking WL/WH lower. I have it above Loaded just cause I think it’s more interesting but it’s certainly not pleasant. I don’t care if this doesn’t make me cool. I like plenty of avant garde and experimental music generally but that one doesn’t do a whole lot for me. The two self titled albums are fantastic though. The debut balances their experimentation with the excellent more straight forward songs.

[@donato8983]

You should do one for the sparks.

[@sadlonelyandpathetic8412]

My favorite band ever

[@Gunga777]

i love lady godiva from WL/WH, defenetly one of the velvets 'core' tracks imo. Kurt Cobain has an amazing cover of Here she Comes now, which allows me to get more into the song i cant lie, but there are many other good songs in that album

[@donovanholland-wasson7177]

Do all the rolling stones albums

[@kiernanthomas6006]

You said you were going to celebrate all of their albums. Well, The albums "VU" and "Another view" are not just compilation albums, it's all previously unreleased. So I would have included those. P.S. There is only one album titled "The Velvet Underground". The other one is titled "The velvet Underground and Nico".

[@pindzolian3404]

Can you do Queen next

[@GamesWithBrainz]

Doug wasnt even an original band member. Honestly i think theres a couple tracks that are okay on squeeze. And i was young when i first heard it so i thought lou was still singing on it lol. All their other albums are basically masterpieces to me.

[@absolutehooman8948]

1:13 damn, what is this? Queen?

[@garrettcoffey8251]

Hey I love your videos man you should do all the phideaux albums ranked from worst to best 😁😁😁

[@dadudefromdabirthdayparty6962]

My personal favourite is white light because it’s just so crustaceous and brown

[@bainbow1694]

If you like U2 you should rank their albums, great video btw

[@Regreviews]

Oh man white light white heat is my favorite though

[@eoin8450]

I'm gonna have to listen to more VU, I've only gone through their self titled one's so far. Thankfully the banana one clicked with me on my 2nd listen, not like you're several month thing Also do you have an updated beatles ranking? Of the one's I listened to I've got 1. Abby Road 2. White album 3. Magical Mystery Tour 4. Seargant Pepper 5. Rubber Soul 6. Revolver (this is almost just the order of release), my 4-6 rankings constantly change though

[@lucalapaglia3941]

Amazing beatles ranking, you are a good person

[@joenisnapje712]

You have a very sweet voice 😉

[@jamesbaxterfromax]

VU and Another View should count

[@jwolf8371]

So yeah...Im a White Light/White Heat guy. But then I'd say Loaded second. Self titled 69 third. With "and Nico" last actually. Love all of them though. And no I haven't listened to Squeeze, and won't for exactly the given reasons. Actually got into the Velvets in high school after a Lit teacher played Murder Mystery for the class. Self titled 69 was the first CD I ever bought. Thanks for the video! What do you think of the cover album that just came out? I was surprised which ones I liked the best. Stipe's "Sunday Morning" and Vile's "Run Run Run" really stood out. Not really a fan of either artist so my wife was shocked to hear me go on about those. St Vincent's "All Tomorrows Parties" took me aback a bit on first listen, but now it may be my favorite.

[@minemaster1337]

you should re-rank your Beatles ranking

[@lucalapaglia3941]

Heh, i disagree Loaded and Squeeze aren't too far apart quality-wise And I think everyone would agree that WL/WH is basically as good as TVU&N So 1) TVU&N 2) WL/WH 3) TVU 4) Loaded 5) Squeeze And if we count VU and Another View I'd go 6) Another View 7) VU

[@Petfal]

What goes on and Murder Mysteries are the best of VU, but then again, I'm one of those that put WL/WH at #1

[@Furman2001]

The only problem of Squeeze, is the VU name in the cover. Its not a VU album, but its a good album.

[@augustsinferno3185]

So aesthetic

[@ivanlvianna1]

Loaded as #2 and you’ve lost a million of subscribers. Are you insane, man?!

[@benvel3392]

Could you do a Ranking of the Rolling Stones? Pretty please :D

[@makoabrendan1312]

You Should do Talking Heads

[@livecoilarchive1458]

Algorithm recommended you to me out of the blue. Think I'll follow your work henceforth. Your use of video game music helps, lol. Interesting ranking to all the albums. I don't think there's any doubt Squeeze is the worst one, because it's not a real VU record. It was hard enough without John, but without Lou, forget about it. It's not the worst thing in the world, but definitely feels like bargain bin forgettable early 70s folk rock. Doug Yule (and Lou Reed) got royally screwed over by the evil manager Steve Sesnick, so I can't be too hard on Doug, and at the very least, he and Lou later made up and they played more music together. Sadly, Doug wasn't invited to the VU reunion in the 90s, though... Loaded is my least favorite proper VU record. It's trying too hard to be commercial, to be successful. Moe Tucker was on maternity leave and didn't play drums. The more traditional drumming, I believe made the record more commercially viable, but her simple playing was a necessary, important element to the group. Everyone later said they should have waited for her. Not to mention, Sterling really got pushed into the background and I think mentally checked out. I just don't like that many songs on the record - really just the ones Doug sings on, like Who Loves the Sun. Sweet Jane is also good. The Velvet Underground, or the 3rd album, or the "grey" album is excellent. Very, very calm, stripped down soft rock, a wonderful change of pace after the unfettered lunacy of the previous album. Candy Says, What Goes On, Pale Blue Eyes, I'm Set Free, and After Hours are unbelievable. This is the record that should have broke the band into the main stream. Finally, I keep going back and forth between which is my favorite VU record, VU and Nico or White Light White Heat. They're both nearly perfect records, in my opinion. I love the madness of White Light White Heat, Sister Ray, and I Heard Her Call My Name, while Here She Comes, Lady Godiva's Operation, and The Gift all serve as nice, darkly comic contrasts. But VU and Nico has greater sonic and thematic range which I think objectively makes it the better record. I could gush for days about almost every song on that one, the only exception being the feedback-heavy European Son, however it is Venus in Furs which is probably one of, if not the greatest individual songs of the 20th century. I have never heard something as hypnotic and original as that song, never ever. It singlehandedly changed my life as a young tween forever. For that, I think I gotta give it to VU and Nico. I think in 2021, if you're green to experimental, innovative music, all of these albums take some time to grow on you, each in their own way. But the effort is worth it. Each album, except for Squeeze, is more rewarding with each successive listen. The Velvet Underground are one of the best bands of all time, easy.

[@nazfrde]

The first album is The Velvet Underground and Nico. So there are not two with the same title.

[@pineapple8055]

They are both self titled.

[@hybrid0907]

How do you get fan art to be featured?

[@TheWaterlooWatermelon]

People send it to me in the Discord server. This month, I just literally featured all of them.

[@hybrid0907]

@@TheWaterlooWatermelon Oh, awesome! Thanks for replying, too! Your videos are always a blast to watch!

[@MatthewvanR.music.]

i actually call the velvet underground (1967) andy warholl but thats just me.

[@robertohuevo6571]

I agree with everything said

[@eventwice1981]

No VU?

[@arnauddin9578]

Rank Lou Reed albums please, according to you. Thanks

[@pixhead]

make a rank of frank zappa pleaseeee

[@davidbanan.]

I would love too see A Mothers of invention/Frank Zappa video

[@idkhistory6580]

Where's ringo??? :O

[@bdka4693]

Please need the name of the song in the intro

[@TheWaterlooWatermelon]

The song is called “Over You.” It’s specifically a version from KZbin that adds a 70s keyboard. The cover is Homer and Marge on a bike if you’re looking for that version.