Velvet Underground, The Vinyl Records
The Velvet Underground were largely ignored during heir original run from the mid-'60s into the early '70s, but few bands would cast as long a shadow in terms of innovation and influence. Playing music that was boldly uncompromising both sonically and lyrically, the Velvet Underground infused rock & roll with the daring of the avant-garde and the poetic realism of post-beat literature. Too far ahead of their time for pop music's mainstream, the VU made a profound impression on thoughtful listeners, many of whom would go on to make ground-breaking music of their own, and they would belatedly be acknowledged as one of rock's most important groups.