This article is about the band. For their self-titled album, see The Velvet Underground ; for the book, see The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band first active, in various incarnations, from 1965 to 1973. Their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although never commercially successful while together, the band is often cited by many critics as one of the most important and influential groups of their er