This paper was accepted for publication in the journal Optics and Lasers in Engineering and the definitive published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.optlaseng.2016.10.023.In 1964, just a few years after the invention of the laser, a fluid velocity measurement based on the frequency shift of scattered light was made and the laser Doppler technique was born. This\ud comprehensive review paper charts advances in the development and applications of laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) since those first pioneering experiments. Consideration is first given to the challenges that continue to be posed by laser speckle. Scanning LDV is introduced and its significant influence in the field of experimental modal analysis described. Applications in structural health\ud monitoring and MEMS serve to demonstrate LDV’s applicability on structures of all sizes. Rotor vibrations and hearing are explored as examples of the classic applications. Applications in acoustics\ud recognise the versatility of LDV as demonstrated by visualisation of sound fields. The paper concludes with thoughts on future developments, using examples of new multi-component and multichannel instruments