Andy Warhol's Banana Cover for The Velvet Underground & Nico

Andy Warhol designed the iconic banana cover for The Velvet Underground & Nico, the debut album released in March 1967. The album was recorded in 1966 during Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable tour. Despite Warhol's role as credited producer, he had minimal influence beyond funding. The cover featured a peelable banana sticker, revealing nude-colored fruit underneath—a sexually charged effect that delayed release. MGM supported the design due to Warhol's cachet. The album sold only 30,000 copies in five years but is now considered one of the greatest in popular music. In the mid-80s, musician Howie Pyro discovered the original banana image on a tin ashtray in a Lower East Side junk shop, later realizing its significance.