Lou Reed

Before his successful solo career, Lou Reed was the co-founder, lead vocalist, and principal songwriter of the highly influential rock band The Velvet Underground. The band, active primarily in the late 1960s and managed by Andy Warhol, released landmark albums like "The Velvet Underground & Nico."

Lou Reed's most recognizable solo track is "Walk on the Wild Side," released in 1972 on his second album, "Transformer." The song, produced by David Bowie, surprisingly became a hit despite its candid references to oral sex, transvestites, and drug use.

No, Lou Reed wrote the song, but he actually took the title from the 1956 novel "A Walk on the Wild Side" by author Nelson Algren. Reed had read the book and was inspired to use its title for his 1972 hit song, which explored different themes related to the characters from Andy Warhol's Factory.

In 2011, Lou Reed collaborated with the heavy metal band Metallica to release the collaborative double album "Lulu." The album was highly experimental and polarized critics, becoming Reed's final major studio release before his death in 2013.