The Velvet Underground and Nico by The Velvet Underground and Nico, released on Verve Records, 1967, value mono, £350; stereo £200

NEVER before has a rock band been so influential, but sold so few records, writes MICHAEL BROOKS. However, the artwork on the album cover by Andy Warhol has led this iconic image to be one of the top selling art print covers of all time. Recorded in April/May in 1966 but released in 1967 at the height of flower power, this does not contain any peace or love anthems, with the exception of the haunting Sunday Morning sung by Nico. The rest of the musical content has been described as dark, decadent with controversial subject matter. The album was financed by Andy Warhol who was listed as the producer, but in name only.

The band was fronted by Lou Reed, relatively unknown at the time but recognised as a contract songwriter and sometimes a solo performer. Also included was Welsh born John Cale, a classically trained musician, who had been a child prodigy and secured a scholarship to study in America; together they provided a contrast of personality that ensured the band's early notoriety. Warhol recruited German born Christa Paffgen into the band as a singer, renaming her as Nico.

Early copies of the album invited the owner to 'peel back slowly and see,' revealing a flesh coloured banana underneath. The early copies are now rare collectors items. Nico left the band at the end of 1967 and embarked on a solo career. She released half a dozen albums, the best being Chelsea Girl recorded in 1971; her albums are also deemed collectable. She did return to perform with the band on several occasions when they chose to reunite when the album was re-released as it has been over the years. Her life ended rather tragically in 1988, succumbing to a heart attack while cycling on the island of Ibiza; she died from a severe head injury.

This album has been reissued many times from 1969 to 1999. Copies of these albums are only of minimal value. Lou Reed was often revered as a visionary but always claimed that he only wrote about "what I could see." Despite being a commercial failure on its release, it is now recognised as one of the greatest influential and prophetic records of all time, now considered essential for any record collector.