Blue Oyster Cult

Heavy metal pioneers Blue Oyster Cult have sold over 14 million albums worldwide since their inception in 1967. Two members of the band's original line-up - vocalist and guitarist Eric Bloom and lead guitarist Buck Dharma - continue touring and recording together to this day.

Fast Facts:

1. Active: 1967-present
2. Studio Albums: 14
3. Live Albums: 4
4. Movie Soundtracks: 3
5. "Astronomy" from Secret Treaties was covered by Metallica on 1998's Garage Inc album
6. Ranked 55 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock

Albums

1. Blue Oyster Cult (1972)
2. Tyranny and Mutation (1973)
3. Secret Treaties (1974)
4. Agents of Fortune (1976)
5. Spectres (1977)
6. Mirrors (1979)
7. Cultosaurus Erectus (1980)
8. Fire of Unknown Origin (1981)
9. The Revolution by Night (1983)
10. Club Ninja (1986)
11. Imaginos (1988)
12. Heaven Forbid (1998)
13. Curse of the Hidden Mirror (2001)
14. St. Cecilia: The Elektra Recordings (2001)

"(Don't Fear) the Reaper"

The band's most famous and enduring song is "Don't Fear the Reaper," off of the 1976 album Agents of Fortune. It was written by lead guitarist Buck Dharma, who also performs vocals on the track. Though Dharma insists the song is about enduring love, some of its lyrics - particularly a reference to Romeo and Juliet - have led to speculation that it actually describes a murder-suicide or a suicide pact.

The song and its trademark riff have appeared in a number of films and TV shows, including The Stand, the pilot of the series Veronica Mars, The Simpsons (in an episode titled "Don't Fear the Roofer"), the 1978 original Halloween, Scream and The Frighteners, among others.

The song was the basis of an infamous Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Christopher Walken as Blue Oyster Cult's (fictional) producer Bruce Dickinson, who demands that the Blue Oyster Cult include "more cowbell" in their performance. (Though the song does actually feature a cowbell, it is not prominent on the track.)

Categories