The Velvet Underground discography

The Velvet Underground discography
The Velvet Underground discography
Studio albums	5
Live albums	6
Compilation albums	14
Singles	11
Box sets	6

The discography of the American rock band The Velvet Underground consists of five studio albums, six live albums, 14 compilation albums, six box sets and eleven singles.

The first line-up was formed in New York City consisting of Lou Reed on vocals and guitar, John Cale on several instruments (viola, keyboards and bass), Sterling Morrison on guitar and bass and Angus MacLise on percussion (replaced by Maureen Tucker in November 1965). On March 12, 1967 they released their debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico featuring German singer Nico. The album charted in the United States and originally peaked at number 171 on the Billboard album charts and produced two singles, "All Tomorrow's Parties" and "Sunday Morning", which did not chart anywhere. The album, produced by artist Andy Warhol,^[1] recharted in 2013 peaking at number 129.

VU released their second studio album White Light/White Heat, which peaked at number 199 of the Billboard charts. The album was more experimental than their first album, featuring a loud and aggressive musical style. The album was produced without Warhol and Nico for the first time.^[2] In March 1969 they released the third studio album The Velvet Underground, their first project with Cale's replacement Doug Yule. It did not chart upon its original release. However, when reissued in 1985 it peaked at number 197 in the Billboard chart.^[3] One year later, Loaded was released by Atlantic Records, the first time by a major label. Compared with VU first releases, Loaded was produced for the mainstream, without thematizing sex and drugs. Although the songs were successful and popular in several music radios, neither singles, nor the album itself peaked in any music chart.^[4] It was the last album featuring Lou Reed, the last remaining founder of VU. After his departure, Yule became the new frontman of The Velvet Underground and toured together with Willie Alexander (keyboard), Walter Powers (bass guitar), Maureen Tucker (drums) and other musicians. In 1973, he recorded their fifth and last regular studio album, Squeeze,^[5] which for some time dropped out of the official discography. After their break-off, several compilation albums were released, some of which feature outtakes from their previous studio sessions, most notably VU, which peaked at number 85 on Billboard and 47 on the UK Albums Chart.

Albums

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions						Certifications
Year	Album details	US ^[6]	FRA ^[7]	GER ^[8]	NLD ^[9]	NOR ^[10]	UK ^[11]	Certifications
1967	The Velvet Underground & Nico Released: March 1967 Label: Verve Format: CD, CS, LP	129^[A]	164	89	58	40	43^[A]	BPI: Platinum^[12]
1968	White Light/White Heat Released: January 30, 1968 Label: Verve Format: CD, CS, LP	199	—	—	—	—	—	BPI: Silver^[12]
1969	The Velvet Underground Released: March 1969 Label: Verve Format: CD, CS, LP	197^[B]	—	—	—	—	—	BPI: Gold^[12]
1970	Loaded Released: November 1970 Label: Atlantic Format: CD, CS, LP	—^[C]	188	—	—	—	—
1973	Squeeze Released: February 1973 Label: Polydor Format: LP	—	—	—	—	—	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Notes

A^ Upon its release in 1967 the album peaked in the US at 171. Shortly after the death of Lou Reed in 2013 it recharted for one week and peaked at 129.
Likewise in the UK, where the album did not chart until 1994 when it reached 59, it recharted at 43 shortly after Reed's death in 2013.
B^ The album did not chart in its original release in 1969, but did chart on its reissue in 1985 when it peaked at 197.
C^ The album appeared at number two on Billboard's Bubbling Under the Top LPs chart for the week of January 30, 1971.

Live albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions
Year	Album details	US ^[6]	NZ ^[13]	UK ^[11]
1972	Live at Max's Kansas City Released: May 30, 1972 Label: Cotillion Format: CD, CS, LP	—	—	—
1974	1969: The Velvet Underground Live Released: September 1974 Label: Mercury Format: CD, LP	—	31	—
1993	Live MCMXCIII Released: November 26, 1993 Label: Warner Bros. Format: CD, CS	180	—	70
2001	Final V.U. 1971–1973 Released: August 2001 Label: Captain Trip Format: CD	—	—	—
2001	The Quine Tapes Released: October 16, 2001 Label: Polydor Format: CD	—	—	—
2015	The Complete Matrix Tapes Released: November 20, 2015 Label: Polydor Format: CD	—	—	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Compilations

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions				Certifications
Year	Album details	US ^[6]	NZ ^[13]	NOR ^[10]	UK ^[11]	Certifications
1970	Velvet Underground Released: 1970 Label: MGM GAS-131^[14] Format: LP	—	—	—	—
1971	Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground featuring Nico Released: 1971 Label: MGM Format: LP	—	—	—	—
1985	VU Released: February 1985 Label: Verve Format: CD, LP	85	16	—	47
1986	Another View Released: September 1986 Label: Verve Format: CD, CS, LP	—	—	—	—
1989	The Best of The Velvet Underground: Words and Music of Lou Reed Released: October 1989 Label: Verve Format: CD, CS, LP	—	—	—	—	BPI: Silver^[12]
1991	Chronicles Released: 1991 Label: Mercury Format: CD, CS, LP	—	—	—	—
1995	The Best of Lou Reed & The Velvet Underground Released: 1995 Label: Global Rad Format: CD, CS, LP	—	—	—	56	BPI: Gold^[12]
1997	Fully Loaded Released: February 18, 1997 Label: Rhino Format: CD	—	—	—	—
2000	20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of The Velvet Underground Released: October 2000 Label: Polydor Format: CD	—	—	—	—
2001	Rock and Roll: An Introduction to The Velvet Underground Released: July 2, 2001 Label: Polydor Format: CD	—	—	—	—
2002	The Velvet Underground & Nico (Deluxe Edition) Released: June 25, 2002 Label: Verve Format: CD, LP	—	—	40^[D]	59^[D]
2003	The Very Best of the Velvet Underground Released: March 31, 2003 Label: Polydor Format: CD	—	—	—	—	BPI: Silver^[12]
2005	Gold Released: June 14, 2005 Label: Polydor Format: CD	—	—	—	—
2008	Playlist Plus Released: April 29, 2008 Label: Polydor Format: CD	—	—	—	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Notes

D^ 2002 reissue

Box sets

Year	Album details
1993	What Goes On Released: 1993 Label: Raven Format: CD
1995	Peel Slowly and See Released: September 26, 1995 Label: Polydor Format: CD
2001	Final V.U. Released: 2001 Label: Captain Trip Records Format: CD
2012	The Velvet Underground & Nico 45th Anniversary Released: October 1, 2012 Label: Polydor Format: CD
2013	White Light/White Heat 45th Anniversary Released: December 3, 2013 Label: Polydor Format: CD
2014	The Velvet Underground 45th Anniversary Released: November 24, 2014 Label: Polydor Format: CD
2015	Loaded 45th Anniversary Released: October 30, 2015 Label: Rhino/Atlantic Format: CD

Singles

Year	Song (A-side and B-side)	Album	Ref(s)
1966	"All Tomorrow's Parties" (edit) b/w "I'll Be Your Mirror"	The Velvet Underground & Nico	^[15]
1966	"Sunday Morning" b/w "Femme Fatale" (FRA #174)	The Velvet Underground & Nico	^[15]
1968	"White Light/White Heat" b/w "Here She Comes Now"	White Light/White Heat	^[15]
1968	"I Heard Her Call My Name" b/w "Here She Comes Now"	White Light/White Heat	^[15]
1969	"What Goes On" (edit) b/w "Jesus" (radio-only single - mono versions)^[16]	The Velvet Underground	^[15]
1969	"The Velvet Underground" (radio ad distributed to radio stations with excerpts from The Velvet Underground)	The Velvet Underground	^[15]
1971	"Who Loves the Sun" b/w "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'"	Loaded	^[15]
	"Who Loves the Sun (mono)" b/w "Who Loves the Sun (stereo)"		^[15]
	"Who Loves the Sun" b/w "Sweet Jane" (UK-only release)		^[15]
1973	"Sweet Jane" b/w "Rock and Roll" (FRA #96)		^[15]
	"I'm Waiting for the Man" b/w "Run Run Run" b/w "Candy Says" (UK-only release)		^[15]
	"I'm Waiting for the Man" b/w "Candy Says" b/w "White Light/White Heat" (NLD-only release)		^[15]
1985	"Foggy Notion" (edit) b/w "I Can't Stand It" (promo)	VU	^[15]
1988	"I'm Waiting for the Man" b/w "Heroin" (UK-only release)	Non-album singles	^[15]
1988	"Venus in Furs" b/w "All Tomorrow Parties" (UK-only release)		^[15]
1993	"I'm Waiting for the Man" b/w "Pale Blue Eyes" b/w "White Light/White Heat" b/w "Sweet Jane" (UK-only release, promo)		^[15]
1993	"Venus in Furs" b/w "I'm Waiting for the Man" (FRA-only release)	Live MCMXCIII	^[15]
1994	"Venus in Furs" (live edit) b/w "Sweet Jane" (Live), "Heroin" (Live), "I'm Waiting for the Man" (Live) (UK #71)	Non-album singles	^[15]
2009	"We're Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together" b/w "If You Close the Door (After Hours)"	Non-album singles	^[15]

References

^ Mark Deming. "The Velvet Underground & Nico—Allmusic.com". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
^ Mark Deming. "White Light/White Heat—Allmusic.com". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
^ "The Velvet Underground | Awards". AllMusic.
^ Mark Deming. "Loaded—Allmusic.com". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Squeeze—Allmusic.com". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c "The Velvet Underground Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
^ "Discographie The Velvet Underground". lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved June 2, 2022.
^ "Artists Search: The Velvet Underground". charts.de (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 2011-05-05.^{[dead link‍]}
^ "Extended Search: The Velvet Underground". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
^ ^a ^b "Extended Search: The Velvet Underground". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Velvet Underground | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "British album certifications – The Velvet Underground". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 November 2014. Select albums in the Format field. Type The Velvet Underground in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
^ ^a ^b "Extended Search: The Velvet Underground". charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
^ "The Velvet Underground - USA LPS".
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s "The Velvet Underground". The Velvet Underground Web Page. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
^ "The Velvet Underground - Singles & EPs".

[TVUAN-1] Mark Deming. "The Velvet Underground & Nico—Allmusic.com". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-05-05.

[White_Light/White_Heat-2] Mark Deming. "White Light/White Heat—Allmusic.com". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-05-05.

[3] "The Velvet Underground | Awards". AllMusic.

[Loaded-4] Mark Deming. "Loaded—Allmusic.com". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-05-05.

[Squeeze-5] Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Squeeze—Allmusic.com". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-05-05.

[US-6] "The Velvet Underground Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-02-05.

[FRA-7] "Discographie The Velvet Underground". lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved June 2, 2022.

[DE-8] "Artists Search: The Velvet Underground". charts.de (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 2011-05-05.^{[dead link‍]}

[NLD-9] "Extended Search: The Velvet Underground". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-05-05.

[NOR-10] "Extended Search: The Velvet Underground". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-05-05.

[UK-11] "Velvet Underground | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 2, 2022.

[UKCerts-12] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "British album certifications – The Velvet Underground". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 November 2014. Select albums in the Format field. Type The Velvet Underground in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.

[NZ-13] "Extended Search: The Velvet Underground". charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-05-05.

[14] "The Velvet Underground - USA LPS".

[Landemaine-15] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s "The Velvet Underground". The Velvet Underground Web Page. Retrieved 2011-05-05.

[16] "The Velvet Underground - Singles & EPs".

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