(Don't Fear) The Reaper by Blue Öyster Cult
ShareThisDifficulty
Guitar
Three stars
Vocals
No stars
Drums
Five stars
Bass
Four stars
Band
Four stars
Album
Agents of Fortune
Release Year
1976
Genre
Classic Rock
Family Friendly
Listen to Song
The Story
More cowbell! MORE COWBELL! Yes, this is the track that Saturday Night Live famously goofed on, but "(Don’t Fear) The Reaper" has a lot more in its favor: This was the song that proved that left-field cult bands could have hit singles.
Blue Oyster Cult was formed by a pack of collegiate hipsters, rock critic Richard Meltzer was an early member and gave the group its outlandish name (which was at least an improvement on its original moniker, Soft White Underbelly). The band’s highbrow friends include sci-fi writer Michael Moorcock and punk poet Patti Smith, both of whom wrote lyrics for them.
They even hung out with Steven King, who used their music in his TV movie The Stand. But "(Don’t Fear) The Reaper" was written entirely by guitarist Buck Dharma, who also played the torrid middle solo. That and the song’s uncharacteristically pretty harmonies made the song a hit, despite (or maybe because of) the sinister lyrics.
Trivia
Even if they’d never recorded a note of music, Blue Öyster Cult would get immortality as the first metal band to put an umlaut in its name.
Where Are They Now?
Still on tour after various lineup changes—complete with a roadie who plays the cowbell part.
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