The Velvet Underground was an American rock band first active from 1965 to 1970 (and 1970 to 1973 in a different incarnation). Its best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale. Although never commercially successful while together, the Velvet Underground are often cited by critics as one of the most important and influential groups of their era. A famous remark, often attributed to British musician Brian Eno, is that while only a few thousand people bought the first Velvet Underground record upon its release, almost every single one of them was inspired to start a band. Their sound influenced many later musicians in many genres, including experimental, post-punk, new wave, and gothic rock.

The Velvet Underground was an American rock band first active from 1965 to 1973. Its best-known lineup is vocalist/guitarist Lou Reed , bassist John Cale , guitarist Sterling Morrison and drummer Maureen Tucker . Some see Velvet Underground as being a bridge between the pacifist themes of the late 60s and the sheer chaos and indifference of the mid- 70s punk rock movement. The Velvet Underground was one of the first rock music groups to experiment heavily with the form by incorporating avant-gar