Lou Reed was never particularly interested in keeping his opinions about other musicians to himself. Throughout his career, the Velvet Underground frontman developed a reputation for blunt assessments of rock’s biggest names. But one band continued to attract his particularly harsh criticism: The Doors, led by Jim Morrison.
What made the disagreement interesting was that Reed and Morrison had more in common than their opposing musical reputations might suggest. Both were literary-minded performers who pushed rock beyond conventional songwriting. Yet their ideas about artistic expression were dramatically different, and Reed’s opinion of Morrison’s band remained remarkably critical long after the 1960s had ended.
Why Lou Reed Disliked The Doors and the West Coast Rock Scene
To understand Reed’s hostility towards The Doors, it helps to look at the musical environment that shaped the Velvet Underground.
Emerging from New York’s experimental art scene, the Velvet Underground became closely associated with artist Andy Warhol and his multimedia project, the Exploding Plastic Inevitable. Their music combined unconventional songwriting with avant-garde influences, creating an identity that stood apart from the psychedelic rock gaining popularity elsewhere in America.
When the band travelled to California in 1966, Reed was particularly unimpressed by the musical culture he encountered.
In comments from that period, later reproduced in accounts of the band’s history, he described the San Francisco music scene as:
“tedious, a lie and untalented”
His criticism extended to prominent groups such as Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead.
There is an important distinction here: The Doors were based in Los Angeles, not San Francisco. Reed’s comments about San Francisco should therefore not be mistaken for a direct attack on The Doors at that particular moment.
However, his broader rejection of West Coast counterculture provides useful context for understanding his later comments about Morrison’s band.
The Velvet Underground’s performances in California also failed to generate the enthusiasm enjoyed by some psychedelic acts. Their experimental approach and New York artistic identity placed them at odds with sections of the emerging California music scene.
It was more than a disagreement over musical taste. The two environments represented different visions of what rock music could become.
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Lou Reed’s career was shaped by an unusually strong commitment to his own artistic identity, even when that put him at odds with mainstream expectations. Readers interested in another celebrity who ultimately rejected the pressures of Hollywood can explore our Evangeline Lilly quit acting report.
The Velvet Underground and The Doors Had Completely Different Musical Identities
Although both groups challenged conventional rock songwriting, their creative approaches were noticeably different.
The Doors formed in Los Angeles during the mid-1960s, initially built around Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek. Guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore later completed the group’s familiar lineup.
Their sound blended rock, blues, jazz and psychedelic influences, while Morrison’s poetry, distinctive voice and theatrical stage presence became central to their identity.
Their self-titled debut arrived in 1967, followed by a series of successful albums and singles that established The Doors as one of America’s defining rock groups.
The Velvet Underground, meanwhile, approached songwriting from a different perspective.
Lou Reed frequently explored unconventional subjects, urban characters and situations that were far removed from traditional pop themes. The band’s experimental arrangements reflected its connections to New York’s avant-garde art world.
Morrison often embraced mythology, symbolism and theatrical imagery. Reed’s writing was generally more conversational and observational, frequently drawing from everyday experiences and recognisable characters.
Neither approach was necessarily less ambitious than the other. The difference was how each musician believed that ambition should translate into music.
For Reed, artistic experimentation needed to produce something meaningful. He was particularly critical of what he perceived as pretentiousness without sufficient substance.
Lou Reed Specifically Named The Doors in His 1987 Interview
One of the strongest pieces of evidence documenting Reed’s opinion comes from an interview recorded on March 20, 1987, with Joe Smith.
The recording is preserved in the Joe Smith Collection at the Library of Congress as part of Smith’s oral-history work on rock and roll. A transcript was subsequently published by Blank on Blank.
During the conversation, Reed explained what the Velvet Underground had originally wanted to accomplish with its music.
He described the band’s ambition as:
“To elevate the rock and roll song, and take it where it hadn’t been taken before.”
He then discussed his frustration with music that he considered intellectually weak or unnecessarily pretentious.
Reed described much of the surrounding rock music as “painfully stupid and pretentious.”
When asked to explain what he meant by stupid, he specifically identified The Doors.
“What I mean by stupid, I mean like The Doors,” Reed said.
The comment is particularly revealing because it came in 1987, well after the band’s original period of success and more than 15 years after Morrison’s death.
This was not simply a young musician dismissing a contemporary rival during the competitive atmosphere of the 1960s. Reed was still using The Doors as an example when explaining his artistic objections years later.
His criticism was not limited to Morrison’s group, either.
During the same interview, Reed was asked about The Beatles. His response was equally blunt:
“I never liked the Beatles. I thought they were garbage.”
These comments demonstrate that Reed’s musical criticism extended across several major acts. Although The Doors were among his clearest targets, the available evidence does not establish that they were the only band he disliked or the one he hated more than every other group.
The Velvet Underground’s Commercial Struggles Make the Disagreement More Interesting
The contrast between the commercial fortunes of the two groups adds another dimension to their history.
The Velvet Underground initially struggled to find a substantial audience. Their experimental music and unconventional subject matter did not translate into major commercial success during the band’s original run.
Their early Billboard album performances included:
| Velvet Underground album | Billboard 200 peak |
| The Velvet Underground & Nico | No. 171 |
| White Light/White Heat | No. 199 |
| The Velvet Underground (1969) | Did not chart on original release; peaked at No. 197 in 1985 |
| Loaded (1970) | Did not chart |
The band’s fourth studio album, Loaded, was released on November 15, 1970.
The record was created under pressure to produce more commercially accessible music. Its title reflected the intention to make an album that was “loaded with hits.”
It ultimately included two of Reed’s most enduring songs, “Sweet Jane” and “Rock & Roll.”
Despite the commercial ambitions behind the project, Loaded failed to enter the Billboard 200 during its original release.
The Velvet Underground’s later reputation would be very different from its initial chart performance. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has recognised the band’s enormous influence on alternative and experimental music, despite the modest commercial results of its original albums.
However, the difference between the groups’ sales does not prove that Reed’s hostility was motivated by jealousy.
There is no reliable evidence establishing commercial resentment as the definitive reason behind his dislike of The Doors. His documented explanations focused much more directly on artistic ambition, songwriting and musical quality.
The Doors Became a Global Success With Jim Morrison
While the Velvet Underground struggled commercially, The Doors followed a remarkably different trajectory.
Their 1967 debut established the group as a major presence in American rock, and subsequent albums strengthened their position.
The band’s original run with Morrison produced six studio albums:
| Album | Release year |
| The Doors | 1967 |
| Strange Days | 1967 |
| Waiting for the Sun | 1968 |
| The Soft Parade | 1969 |
| Morrison Hotel | 1970 |
| L.A. Woman | 1971 |
Their best-known songs included “Light My Fire,” “Hello, I Love You,” “Touch Me” and “Riders on the Storm.”
According to the band’s official materials and Rhino’s anniversary information, The Doors have sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
The more conservative figure is important because some modern estimates place their total sales at 120 million, but that number should not be presented as an officially confirmed total.
Their success eventually developed into a legacy that extended far beyond their original commercial achievements.
The Doors were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Their debut album was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2014.
The group also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, alongside further recognition for individual recordings and songs.
None of these achievements changed the fact that Reed had a very different opinion of their music.
Why Lou Reed’s Musical Preferences Explain His Criticism
Reed’s admiration for other musicians helps clarify what he valued in rock music.
One group he particularly appreciated was The Stooges, especially their 1970 album Fun House and their 1973 release Raw Power.
His appreciation for their music fits with his broader attraction to sounds he considered direct, confrontational and uncompromising.
Interestingly, Reed was not opposed to experimentation. The Velvet Underground themselves were among the most experimental American rock groups of their generation.
The distinction was more specific.
He appreciated artistic experimentation when he believed it produced something meaningful. What frustrated him was music that appeared to rely on an arty presentation without delivering enough substance.
This helps explain why two musicians who both incorporated literary ideas into rock music could have such different artistic sensibilities.
Jim Morrison’s poetry versus Lou Reed’s urban songwriting
Morrison’s lyrics frequently explored mythology, symbolism, psychological imagery and theatrical themes. His identity as a poet became closely connected to The Doors’ public image.
Reed generally approached songwriting through urban observation, relationships, conversations and characters drawn from the world around him.
Reducing the contrast to poetry versus realism would be too simplistic. Both musicians moved between abstract imagery and concrete storytelling.
However, their approaches to literary songwriting were clearly different.
For Morrison, theatricality and symbolic expression were important parts of The Doors’ musical identity. For Reed, that same approach apparently crossed into the kind of pretentious rock he strongly disliked.
Their shared interest in literature did not translate into shared artistic admiration.
Lou Reed’s Reaction to Jim Morrison’s Death Was Especially Harsh
Perhaps the most striking example of Reed’s attitude towards Morrison emerged when he later recalled the singer’s death.
Morrison died in Paris on July 3, 1971, aged 27.
His official death certificate attributed his death to heart failure, and French authorities did not require an autopsy.
Years later, Reed recalled hearing the news and responded with a remark that became one of the most frequently cited examples of his hostility towards the singer:
“How fabulous, in a bathtub in Paris!”
The comment was unusually unsympathetic, particularly considering that Morrison had already become an important figure in rock music.
It also fits with Reed’s previously documented criticism of The Doors rather than establishing evidence of a specific personal dispute between the two musicians.
There has been extensive speculation about the circumstances surrounding Morrison’s death. However, those later theories should not be confused with the official historical record.
They also do not establish why Reed disliked Morrison.
What the quotation does demonstrate is that Reed’s negative attitude towards the Doors frontman remained evident even when discussing his death years later.
Was The Doors Really Everything Lou Reed Disliked About Rock Music?
Reed’s comments make one thing clear: he strongly disliked The Doors and considered them an example of the kind of rock music he described as stupid and pretentious.
However, claiming that the band represented everything he hated about rock would go further than the available evidence allows.
His criticism of The Beatles and the San Francisco music scene demonstrates that his objections extended well beyond Morrison’s group.
Likewise, there is insufficient evidence to establish that the Velvet Underground’s commercial struggles directly motivated his hostility towards The Doors.
What makes the disagreement historically interesting is the contrast between two influential approaches to artistic expression.
Both groups challenged conventional rock music, but they did so through very different creative philosophies.
The Velvet Underground initially struggled commercially before becoming a foundational influence on alternative, punk and experimental music. The Doors achieved significant commercial success during Morrison’s lifetime and developed into an enduring cultural institution.
Reed continued to reject a group whose music had become firmly established in rock history, even as the Velvet Underground eventually received widespread recognition of its own.
Conclusion: Lou Reed Never Hid His Opinion of The Doors
Lou Reed’s criticism of The Doors remains one of the more revealing examples of the artistic divisions that shaped rock music during the 1960s and 1970s.
His 1987 interview with Joe Smith provides direct evidence of his opinion, particularly when he identified The Doors as an example of music he considered unintelligent and pretentious. His later recollection of Jim Morrison’s death offered another unusually harsh glimpse into his attitude.
Yet The Doors continued to build a legacy recognised through major commercial achievements and institutional honours, while the Velvet Underground eventually became celebrated for its influence despite its early commercial difficulties.
Ultimately, the disagreement was about more than popularity. It reflected two very different ideas of what ambitious rock music should sound like.
Reed never appeared to reconsider his position, but The Doors’ enduring place in music history shows that his personal verdict was far from universal.
Looking Back at Another Viral Celebrity Moment
Music history is filled with performers whose public images became as memorable as their work, although the phenomenon extends well beyond rock. For another story examining a high-profile entertainment moment that drew widespread attention, see our Jennifer Lopez Glambot incident explainer.
Source and Research Disclaimer
This article has been prepared through research of the sources provided below, including archival interview documentation, published interview transcripts, official band materials and historical music references. Quotations, dates, chart positions, sales figures and historical details are presented according to the information available from these sources. The article does not imply independent verification beyond the documentation and material referenced.
Sources
- Library of Congress – Lou Reed, Joe Smith Collection Interview Record
- Blank on Blank – Lou Reed Interview Transcript
- The Doors – Official Website
- Rhino – The Doors 60th Anniversary History
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – The Velvet Underground Historical Biography
- Rhino – The Velvet Underground’s Loaded
- Pitchfork – Lou Reed’s Chart History
- Louder – Historical Coverage of Lou Reed and The Doors
Featured Image Credit: Verve Records / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
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