The Velvet Underground: Was there ever a more underrated band?  

It's been said that only a thousand people ever bought a Velvet Underground album while they were still together, but that every single one of them started a band. And to a degree, I think that is true.

VU were just about ten to fifteen years ahead of their time. The world just wasn't ready for "Venus In Furs" when they made it. Interestingly enough, their final album Loaded which was recorded while the band was falling apart is probably their most "mainstream" record. Not saying anything against it, I loved Loaded, it gaves us Sweet Jane and Rock N Roll.

Overall, I can't think of a band that had more of an impact on the history of music but sold less records than VU did.