Album of the Day

Before Lou Reed co-founded The Velvet Underground, he had worked at New York budget label Pickwick Records, penning knock-offs of Top 40 hits; if the Velvets were notorious for walking on the musical wild side, Reed never forgot the commercial lessons he had learned as a staff songwriter. Those lessons came to the fore on 1970's LOADED, the VU's final studio album with Lou, and a collection “loaded” with such potential hits as “Sweet Jane” and “Rock and Roll.” With top-notch production and Doug Yule's pop-friendly vocals on several songs, it's arguably the band's most accessible work, and was ranked by Rolling Stone among the 500 greatest albums of all time. Released 50 years ago this month, LOADED remains essential listening for anyone whose life was saved by rock and roll.