Few rock groups can claim to have broken so much ground and maintained such consistent brilliance on record as the
Velvet Underground
during their brief lifespan. The mid- to late '60s was an era of explosive growth and experimentation in rock, but
the Velvets
' innovations -- which blended the energy of rock with the sonic adventurism of the avant-garde, and introduced a new degree of social realism and sexual kinkiness into rock lyrics -- were too abrasive for the mainstream to handle. During their time, the group experienced little commercial success; though they were hugely appreciated by a cult audience and some critics, the larger public treated them with indifference or, occasionally, scorn. The band's music was too important to languish in obscurity, though. Their cult only grew larger in the years following their demise, and continued to mushroom well into the 21st century.