Song · The Velvet Underground
“What Goes On” by The Velvet Underground
From the album The Velvet Underground (1969)
“What Goes On” by The Velvet Underground appears on 5 radio countdowns from 3 stations between 2001 and 2019. It was first released in 1969 on the album The Velvet Underground. Its best result is #276 on the KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #4,460 alternative song of all time.
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Video from YouTube (The Velvet Underground - Topic). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"What Goes On" was the lone single pulled from the Velvet Underground's third album, the self-titled 1969 record on MGM, and it's Lou Reed's song all the way: he wrote it and sang lead, and the band arranged and produced it themselves. They cut it in 1968 at TTG Studios in Hollywood, and it churns with a steady, hypnotic drive, a rock and roll song that just keeps rolling.
It lived on stage too. A concert take with Doug Yule on keyboards turned up on the double live album 1969: The Velvet Underground Live.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1823 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2003 | 389 | WOXY 97X | WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) | 500 |
| 2005 | 363 | WOXY 97X | WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) | 500 |
| 2006 | 342 | WOXY 97X | WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) | 499 |
| 2019 | 276 | KEXP | KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time | 627 |
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