If you don't know who the Velvet Underground were, then you haven't been reading enough rock history. For the rest of us, who were reading the Rolling Stone Record Guide instead of doing our social studies homework in high school, the Velvet Underground was the greatest American band of the 1960's, and maybe of all-time. The Velvets hailed from New York City and produced gritty yet often pleasant bohemian music that defied all genres. Their albums represent a variety of styles which opened up doors in the 1960's which no one even knew existed.

The old cliche is that everyone who bought a Velvet Underground record started a band. That may be true. Modern alternative rock bands all owe the Velvets a royalty check as payback for the inspiration. No song from the Velvet Underground catalogue truly represents the band's artistic diversity, but the clip below was certainly an early favorite of mine.