This thesis examines the work of composer and musician John Cale, whose contributions have greatly influenced popular music of the twentieth century primarily through his involvement in rock group the Velvet Underground. This influence is a result of Cale's experimental approach to rock music in which he combined progressive techniques, like drone and noise, with forms and instrumentations more often found in popular music. His background in art music and early performance art processes was the primarily motivator in the conception of this new style. Cale's combination of provocative sounds with rock's aggression is especially important to early punk rock and other experimental popular musicians. His unique music, which has never been comprehensively examined, commands another look at the place of the avant-garde musician in the Western music canon.
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