Monday 27th October 2014 by Alexandra Pollard | Photos by WENN

Remembering Lou Reed - 15 of his all time greatest quotes

A year after Reed's death, celebrate his finest quotes

"I've always believed that there's an amazing number of things you can do through a rock n' roll song and that you can do serious writing in a rock song if you can somehow do it without losing the beat."

"It always bothers me to see people writing 'RIP' when a person dies. It just feels so insincere and like a cop-out. To me, 'RIP' is the microwave dinner of posthumous honors."

"I'm not trying to change anybody's mind about anything. I'm not trying to win anybody over. I'm happy to get up in the morning. I can tie my shoelaces. I haven't got hit by a car. I just love the music and sound and wanted to make it better, so if someone else wanted to hear it, they'd get some bang for the buck."

"I'm in this business for too long to be half-hearted about anything."

"I think that everything happens for a reason, everything happens when it's going to happen."

"I don't like being interviewed. Why would anyone want to be interviewed? Anybody in their right mind? Why would you, if the position was reversed, want to sit here and have me ask questions about you?"

"These are really terribly rough times, and we really should try to be as nice to each other as possible."

"It's funny having someone from TV ask that question; it's the lowest medium there is. Look what's on it. Garbage." (When asked by a TV presenter whether there's still authenticity in the music industry)

"One chord is fine. Two chords are pushing it. Three chords and you're into jazz."

"I don't know anyone actually who does care what a critic says."

"Maybe listening to my music is not the best idea if you live a very constricted life."

"This is rock & roll. It's my rock & roll. If you don't like my rock & roll, why don't ya just split? Get a refund, motherfucker." (To a heckler)

"I�m pretty satisfied if I just get an idea. I had one this morning that I�m sad I didn�t write down. My songs are all simple songs. There�s no big secret."

"My God is rock'n'roll. It's an obscure power that can change your life. The most important part of my religion is to play guitar."

"The music is all. People should die for it. People are dying for everything else, so why not the music?"

Tags: Lou Reed

A year ago today, Lou Reed died aged 71. We won't say RIP, because to Reed, RIP was "like the microwave dinner of posthumous honours."

Whether he's resting in peace or not though, Reed's work, both as a member of Velvet Underground and as a solo artist, has helped shape the music industry today. Though only 30,000 people bought his band's debut album, "everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band."

Given that it was partly his deft and poetic lyrics that made Reed's music so brilliant, it's hardly surprising that outside of music, he's said some pretty great things. Here are 15 of the best Lou Reed quotes.