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Cover of Transformer by Lou Reed — Cover: Transformer

Song · Lou Reed

“Vicious” by Lou Reed

From the album Transformer (1972)

“Vicious” by Lou Reed appears on 18 radio countdowns from 4 stations between 1988 and 2024. It was first released in 1972 on the album Transformer. Its best result is #401 on The Best Opening Tracks of All Time. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #1,266 alternative song of all time.

18countdowns

4stations

#401best position

0#1 finishes

0top 10 finishes

1988–2024years charted

Watch

Lou Reed - Vicious (Official Audio)

Video from YouTube (LouReedVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Vicious" comes from Transformer, Lou Reed's second solo album after the Velvet Underground, released on RCA in 1972, and it went out as a single the following year. The idea came from Andy Warhol, who suggested the title and offered a definition of vicious that involved hitting someone with a flower. Reed wrote it down and ran with it.

David Bowie and Mick Ronson produced and helped Reed arrange it, and the glam sheen they bring never softens the sneer. It's a driving rocker with a mean, bored grin, Reed drawling his contempt over a guitar that slashes rather than strums. Cash Box caught the sarcasm straight away and called it a natural hit.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

#1,266 of all time

Indie & Adult Alternative

#4,359 of all time

All Rock Formats

#2,234 of all time

All-time and decade countdowns

Year	#	Station	Countdown	of
1988	432	Live 105	Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988)	501
1999	684	CD101	CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999)	2000
2000	684	CD101	CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000)	2001
2001	685	CD101	CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001)	2002
2002	685	CD101	CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002)	2003
2003	685	CD101	CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003)	2004
2004	685	CD101	CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004)	2005
2005	685	CD101	CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005)	1994
2007	1278	CD101	CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007)	2008
2008	1196	CD101	CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008)	2009
2009	1197	CD101	CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009)	2010
2010	1233	CD101	CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010)	2011
2011	1286	CD101	CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011)	2011
2013	1288	CD101	CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013)	2012
2014	1246	CD101	CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014)	2013
2019	468	KEXP	KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time	627
2022	907	WYEP	WYEP Countdown to Fall 2022	603
2024	401	KEXP	The Best Opening Tracks of All Time	738

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