10 Failed Albums That Became Cult Classics

Originally forming in 1964, The Velvet Underground took three years to finally release their debut record. The banana fronted record might an iconic, offbeat and idolised classic nowadays, but upon its release this album was a financial disaster.

The Velvet Underground experienced a rather uneventful first few years as a band, chopping and changing band members and recording their initial demo music in the loft of Lou Reed's apartment. Their career began to pick up in 1965 when 1960's cultural icon Andy Warhol obtained a copy of their demo. He immediately decided he would be their manager and teamed the group up with German singer, Nico.

However, the mainstream appeal attached to Andy Warhol was not enough to bring immediate success and fame to The Velvet Underground. The album was a commercial flop, peaking at 171 in the US Billboard charts and it was rejected for airplay by almost every radio station it was sent to. The controversial content of the record also led its banning from numerous record stores and magazines refusing to advertise or promote it.

However, over a decade later in the late 70's, rock critics began to change their tune regarding the then underrated release, praising it immensely. This proved to be a catalyst in the record steady rise to fame and its current status as one of the most influential records in rock history.