Lou Reed: His 10 Best Tracks

2. Perfect Day

What can be said about 'Perfect Day' that hasn't already been said? What was eventually repopularised by the BBC in 1997 as a charity release, began life as a lamenting, nostalgic ode on 1972's 'Transformer'. Often interpreted to be about a troubling point in Reed's own battles with Heroin addiction; it addresses devotion and a happiness gained through the experience; looking back in a romanticised manner on the entire affair. The message is aided by the constantly rolling key of the track, which generates a 'day in, day out', sound that, when partnered with Reed's delicate and longing vocals, creates a once hurt, now thoughtful feeling throughout. Of course, the song could also simply have been about Reed's partner at the time, Bettye Kronstadt, who would eventually become his first wife. But however you read it, 'Prefect Day' is a definite summary of Lou Reed as a musician and his most iconic song. As it evolves from a trudging stomp into a full and rousing chorus, it perfectly captures all the sounds we'd grown and would grow familiar to, throughout his career.