As New York’s unofficial poet laureate and punk’s surliest godfather, Lou Reed looked into the heart of darkness and never flinched at what he found. While the songs he brought back with him were often filled with pain, his work in The Velvet Underground and as a solo artist was rife with beauty and grace. That balance of light and shadow is why his music connects—not just with listeners but the many artists who follow him into the abyss.