In 1967, The Velvet Underground tried to change the world and nobody wanted to listen. Jimmy Page has always “found that odd”
The Velvet Underground made little commercial impact when they released their debut album in 1967, despite creating music that later became hugely influential. Jimmy Page, who saw them perform in New York while touring with the Yardbirds, said he was surprised that so few people came to hear a band he considered radical and compelling.
The article recalls Brian Eno’s remark that the album’s small audience helped inspire many musicians, while noting that Lou Reed later told Eno it had sold 30,000 copies in its first five years. Page estimated that some Velvet Underground shows drew only nine to a dozen people, and praised the group’s dark sound and cohesion. Their reputation grew later, after Reed’s solo success prompted more listeners to recognise how far ahead of their time the band had been.
In short
- The Velvet Underground drew tiny crowds in the late 1960s.
- Jimmy Page was puzzled by their lack of an audience.
- Their influence became clearer years later.
Explained simply
The Velvet Underground were a New York rock band led by singer and songwriter Lou Reed. Their 1967 debut album combined rock with experimental sounds and lyrics about subjects rarely heard in popular music at the time.
The album sold modestly at first, and the band played to small audiences, including when they shared a bill with British guitarist Jimmy Page’s group, the Yardbirds. Their music later influenced many musicians, and interest grew as Reed became better known as a solo artist.