Society was undergoing many dramatic changes during the time of the 1960s- the 1970s.  On the cusp of the music scene, consumers were shifting towards a rock sound that had become engulfed by a punk image.  Wearing leather jackets while acting socially unacceptable on and off the stage, the Velvet Underground & Nico were at the head of this movement.  This revolutionary band was composed of Lou Reed (singer/songwriter), John Cale (bassist), Sterling Morrison (guitarist), Maureen Tucker (drummer), and Nico (vocalist) stood out in more than one way.  

       Their image was far more disconsolate that many of the jam and pop bands surrounding the music scene of the sixties and seventies.  The type of music that they showcased was not too far from their image, as they created a sound together that can only be described as raw.  Part of the reason their industrial sound got so popular so quickly was due to the support provided to them via Andy Warhol.  For those who don't know, Andy Warhol was an imaginative, surreal, artistic master who created pieces such as "Campell's Soup" which is still celebrated to this day! He also had a passion for progressive music, which as I stated earlier, was an edgy hard, rock-at this time.  Noticing the talent that the Velvet Underground & Nico harbored, Andy Warhol took them in and became their not only mentor but also their sole producer.  Andy Warhol aided in the success of the Velvet Underground & Nico via pushing them to think out of the box and supporting their extraverted nature.  

       At this time, this was called revolutionary because the Velvet Underground & Nico came out in 1963.  The beginning of the sixties was a time of a poppy, innocent sound including renowned bands such as the Beach Boys and the Supremes.  The Velvet Underground broke out of this conformity and instead of singing songs such as "Build Me Up Buttercup" they preformed hit singles specifically including the notable "Heroin" and "White Light".  In this sense, they broke boundaries for both famous and non-famous musicians showing that expression is not meant to have limits and that these people should not be afraid to test the waters of fame.  Due to the "abnormal sound" of the Velvet Underground & Nico, their breakthrough was not initially respected or even noticed.   This was probably due to the musician’s style of playing, innovating, and creating.  

       Lou Reed formed lyrics in a way that was far more explicit and dissident than the standard lyric of the 1960's.  To cite a specific example within the aforementioned song "White Light/ White Heat":  "Watch that speed freak, watch that speed freak everybody gonna go and make it every week Hmm hmm, White heat, Aww sputter mutter everybody gonna go kill their mother" these were lyrics that naturally took a while to become socially accepted.  But, with the help of Andy Warhol's fame and production know-how coupled with the Velvet Underground & Nico's instrumentation talent, the band had no problem within due time becoming widespread.

        For the reason that the Velvet Underground takes risks, I respect them as one of my favorite bands.  The stood as nothing ready to take on a revolution that made them a historical something.  Any band that can do this leaves an imprint within my top influences.