Now that it’s been over a half century since their debut release, It may be hard to discern the dazzling genius of Velvet Underground, or to appreciate all of the ways that they pushed against the mainstream.

The band was virtually unknown to the mainstream and their audience consisted almost exclusively of those who moved withing the artistic circles of Manhattan. Even Brooklyn was an outlier for the band’s reach, and yet they may be the most influential American band that ever existed. That point is arguable, but the breadth of Velvet Underground’s influence on the future course of music guarantees them status as one of the most important bands in our “How Music Changed” series. To tell this story, we naturally start at the beginning.

Featured songs include:

Gee Whiz – Lou Reed (demo)

Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright- Lou Reed (demo)

Heroin – Lou Reed (demo)

17 XII 63 NYC The Fire Is a Mirror (segment) – Lamont Young

The Ostrich – The Primitives

Run Run Run – The Velvet Underground