Lou Reed

The music industry lost a legend Sunday.

Alternative rocker Lou Reed died following a battle with liver disease at age 71. His death ended a career in music spanning nearly 50 years.

Reed was born in 1942 in Brooklyn. He began attending Syracuse University in 1960 and studied journalism, film and creative writing.

It was there that he also met poet Delmore Schwartz, whom he later credited with teaching him to write.

Reed first started making music as a guitarist and songwriter in 1964 in several short-lived bands as part of his tenure as house songwriter at Pickwick Records.

He had a minor hit that year with “The Ostrich.” Later dubbed the “ostrich tuning,” Reed’s guitar on that track featured each string tuned to the same note.

The band that recorded “The Ostrich” with Reed, called the Primitives, included Welsh guitarist and violist John Cale.

After meeting guitarist Sterling Morrison and drummer Maureen Tucker, the Primitives became the Velvet Underground.

The Velvet Underground’s 1967 debut album, “The Velvet Underground and Nico,” is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock ’n’ roll albums of all time.

Featuring German vocal “chanteuse” Nico, the album appears at No. 13 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

The album’s subject matter includes controversial topics such as drug addiction and sexual deviancy.

Although the album was a commercial failure, it has retained a cult following since its release.

Ambient pioneer Brian Eno is rumored to have said, “The first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band.”

Reed recorded three more albums with the Velvet Underground before going solo in 1972.

He recorded 20 albums as a solo artist, including the controversial “Metal Machine Music.”

Reed’s second album, the David Bowie-produced “Transformer,” gave him his only top 40 hit, “Walk on the Wild Side.”

Reed made a spontaneous appearance at the Bluebird Nightclub in Bloomington in 1987 with John Mellencamp and Bloomington drummer Kenny Aronoff.

The next day, IU music professor Glenn Gass convinced Reed to visit his History of Rock Music class.

Gass reported that Reed kept saying, “This is the weirdest thing I’ve ever done.”

Reed is beloved in the music industry because he was never predictable. His last musical project was an expansive progressive rock album with Metallica, called “Lulu.”

Unfortunately, the effort was hated by many critics and currently holds a rating of 45 out of 100 on review aggregate website Metacritic, indicating “mixed or average reviews.”

Reed had undergone a liver transplant in May and was in poor health from then until his death.

He is survived by his wife, Laurie Anderson. His legacy as one of rock ’n’ roll’s greatest non-conformists will not soon be forgotten.

Here are five essential Lou Reed songs for those looking for an entry point into his music.

1. “Sunday Morning” — from “The Velvet Underground and Nico” (1967): The beautiful opener to the Underground’s debut has even more poignancy now, since Reed died on a Sunday.

2. “Venus In Furs” — from “The Velvet Underground and Nico” (1967): A contrast to “Sunday Morning,” this song contains some of Reed’s creepiest and best lyrics.
The themes of sadomasochism paired with John Cale’s haunting viola make it a stark, haunting production. It will fit right in on your Halloween playlist this weekend.

3. “Pale Blue Eyes” — from “The Velvet Underground” (1969): On the group’s third album, Velvet Underground went for a much different sound.
“Pale Blue Eyes” is a gorgeous, slow ballad. Reed’s deadpan voice is tender here, and the subtle guitar chords make this a gem from the group.

4. “Satellite of Love” — from “Transformer” (1972): Featuring piano, horns and a more orchestral David Bowie-produced sound, this is one of Reed’s most glam rock songs.
The ending coda builds up triumphantly with more energy than almost anything Reed recorded.

5. “Walk on the Wild Side” — from “Transformer” (1972): Reed’s only top 40 hit is a sparse production featuring acoustic guitar, bass and a bari sax solo.
Hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest must have thought it was hip because the group later sampled the song on its single “Can I Kick It?”