11. The Velvet Underground & NicoThe Velvet Underground & Nico
I know, I know – it’s the most classic album on the list. But it is an amazing record. You can look at it in so many ways – just as a piece of music, or what it was responsible for culturally. It really was the most influential record of all time. I’d say it and Never Mind The Bollocks invented modern leftfield music. It has incredible songs, that’s one thing. And another is that it has Lou Reed as songwriter. His voice is one of those that you become glued to. It’s not as perfect as Scott Walker’s, it’s more about his phrasing. I love Nico. I mean, how influential was Nico? I think she invented goth. Obviously when she did stuff on her own she really went out there, but with the Velvet Undergound I love the juxtaposition between the songs’ melodies and the fact that she couldn’t really sing. She had her own style. Amazing record. ‘Venus In Furs’, ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’: I love the drones.
