The Velvet Underground
New York art-rock band managed by Andy Warhol whose debut album sold poorly but influenced every indie and alternative rock band that followed.
Pantheon Standing
| List Name | Rank | Combined |
|---|---|---|
| Greatest Rock Artists of All Time | #1 | 96.0 |
The Age Divide
Voters under 30 and over 35 rank The Velvet Underground significantly differently across lists.
The Cultural Record
Discography
New York art-rock band managed by Andy Warhol whose debut album sold poorly but influenced every indie and alternative rock band that followed


Awards & Recognition
No Grammy data on record.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1996)
said to have inspired every band that heard them
Grammy counts reflect group-level wins. Member solo awards not included.
View Member Awards →The Case For The Velvet Underground
“The longevity argument alone puts them in a category of one. While others burned bright and faded, this figure consistently reinvented and dominated across decades, eras, and cultural shifts that would have destroyed lesser talents.”
“Technically unmatched. The craft here is evident in every performance, every work — the kind of effortless execution that only comes from thousands of hours of mastery made invisible. They make the impossible look inevitable.”
“Commercial success should never be held against artistic legacy. The ability to dominate charts while maintaining critical respect is a skill unto itself — one that this figure has mastered better than any peer in the conversation.”
Rank History
Ranking history will be available once voting opens for The Velvet Underground.
Often Compared To
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Detroit garage-rock duo of Jack White and Meg White who stripped rock back to its primal essentials and led the garage rock revival of the early 2000s.
The Who
#3Rock — London, UK · 1964–present
London rock band who invented the concept album with Tommy and Pete Townshend's guitar-smashing showmanship — one of the greatest live acts in rock history.