In 1967, a group of musical misfits released a psychedelic rock masterpiece that helped reshape the sound of music. Nearly 60 years later, it’s being hailed as one of the best debut albums ever.
Produced by Andy Warhol, The Velvet Underground & Nico defied convention with a blend of experimental rock and provocative lyrics that had never been seen before.
Featuring The Velvet Underground members Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, John Cale and Maureen Tucker and the haunting voice of German singer Nico, the album included songs such as “Sunday Morning,” “Heroin” and “I’m Waiting for the Man.” Not only did Warhol produce the album, but he designed its famous “banana” cover, which earned the record its nickname as “The Banana Album.”
In November 2026, Collider ranked The Velvet Underground & Nico as the greatest and “most groundbreaking debut album not just in rock ’n’ roll but in all music history.” The album topped debut efforts by Led Zeppelin, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Guns N’ Roses and The Doors on the ranking list.
The outlet noted that Warhol designed the artwork, produced the debut album and helped the mismatched musicians “get as much publicity and exposure as possible.”
“It is considered an era-defining album. And it was just the beginning of the Velvet Underground’s journey,” Collider noted.
Reed credited Warhol for preserving the integrity of the album. The singer and songwriter, who died in 2013, once told Rolling Stone that Warhol protected the band and intimidated the record company with his presence at recording sessions.
“He was the guard dog,” recalled Reed. “He produced it. Andy said, ‘Don’t change anything.’”
“Warhol was one of the greatest people I’ve met in my life,” Reed added. “It’s hard to conceive where we would be without him. If he had a gallery opening, he took us with him. He fed us.”
According to the Library of Congress, Warhol reportedly produced the album for just $3000 with the assistance of producer and Columbia Records sales executive Norman Dolph. MGM’s Verve subsidiary ultimately signed the band.
Nico, who died in 1988, only recorded the one album with The Velvet Underground before pursuing a solo career. “I was only with them for one year, but it was a wonderful and exciting time,” she said in a 1985 interview with Paul Roland. “Lou was such a talented young man. He wrote the vocabulary for the streets, and that is why those songs still stand up today.”
Nearly 60 years after its release, The Velvet Underground & Nico remains an experimental rock masterpiece highlighted by Warhol’s unmistakable artistic imprint.
Related: 1973 One-Hit Wonder, From Dutch Prog Band, Was Written in Three Minutes and Defied Every Rock Rule
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