Lou Reed's most commercially palatable album remains his most enduring, thanks to David Bowie and Mick Ronson's glittering production sheen. Walk on the Wild Side became an unlikely radio hit despite cataloguing New York's transgender demimonde, while Perfect Day masked darkness in honeyed melody.

Reed smuggled Velvet Underground's street-level observations into the glam era's spotlight, documenting hustlers, junkies and misfits with matter-of-fact tenderness. The album's frank sexuality and gender fluidity made it a beacon for outsiders, proving Reed's downtown stories could reach the suburbs without losing their bite.