Album of the Day

If the Velvet Underground was notorious for walking on the musical wild side, co-founder Lou Reed had solid commercial instincts honed as a staff songwriter for budget label Pickwick Records and they came to the fore on 1970's LOADED. The VU's final studio album with Lou, the set is loaded with radio-friendly rock, including the upbeat single “Who Loves The Sun,” the beautifully harmonized “I Found A Reason” and the closing epic “Oh! Sweet Nuthin'” - not to mention a pair of bona fide classics in “Sweet Jane” and “Rock & 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. LOADED remains essential listening for anyone whose life was saved by rock and roll.