The Velvet Underground discography
The Velvet Underground released five studio albums, six live albums, fifteen compilation albums, seven box sets, eight music videos, six video albums, and eleven singles.
The band formed in New York with Lou Reed (vocals and guitar), John Cale (viola, keyboards and bass), Sterling Morrison (guitar and bass) and Angus MacLise on percussion, who was replaced by Maureen Tucker in 1965.
Their debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico, came out in 1967 with Nico. It charted in the United States, reaching 171 on the Billboard chart, and produced the singles All Tomorrow’s Parties and Sunday Morning, neither of which charted. Produced by Andy Warhol, the album later recharted in 2013, peaking at 129.
Their second studio album, White Light/White Heat, reached 199 on the Billboard charts and was more experimental. Warhol and Nico did not participate this time.
In 1969 they released The Velvet Underground, their third album, with John Cale’s replacement Doug Yule. It did not chart on its original release but, when reissued in 1985, peaked at 197.
Loaded followed in 1970 on Atlantic Records, their first major-label release. It aimed for a broader audience and moved away from the band’s earlier themes; the album and its singles did not chart. It was the last album with Lou Reed.
After Reed left, Yule fronted the group with other musicians. The fifth regular studio album, Squeeze, appeared in 1973 and was for a time left out of some lists.
After the band broke up, many compilations were released, including VU, a collection of outtakes that reached 85 on the US charts and 47 on the UK charts.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 02:47 (CET).