Pre-Release
- 13 DEC 2024
- 24 Songs
- Agents of Fortune · 1976
- Blue Öyster Cult · 1972
- 50th Anniversary Live - Second Night · 2024
- 50th Anniversary Live - Second Night · 2024
- 50th Anniversary Live - Second Night · 2024
- 50th Anniversary Live - Second Night · 2024
- 50th Anniversary Live - Second Night · 2024
- 50th Anniversary Live - Second Night · 2024
- 50th Anniversary Live - Second Night · 2024
- 50th Anniversary Live - Second Night · 2024
Essential Albums
- BÖC’s 1974 album recruited songwriting sophisticates like punk poet Patti Smith (for the statement of purpose “Career of Evil”) and gonzo rock critic Richard Meltzer (the probably Ramones-inspiring “Cagey Cretins”) to create a cabal of songs that really do sound like secret treaties. Spookily catchy riffs from another dimension propel lyrics about Nazi warplanes, space science and eye harvesting; as things carry on, it only gets stranger. Some of it may be tongue-in-cheek—but unless you’re in the band, you’ll never know for sure.
- 1986
- 2024
- 2023
Artist Playlists
- The thinking man's hard rock band transcends trends.
- Their hard rock can take on many fantastic and far-out forms.
Singles & EPs
Compilations
About Blue Öyster Cult
After rock journalist Sandy Pearlman overheard guitarist Buck Dharma and friends jamming at a house near New York’s Stony Brook University, he offered to become their manager and named the group Soft White Underbelly. ∙ Derived from Pearlman’s poetry, the name Blue Öyster Cult refers to a sect of aliens covertly guiding our planet’s history. ∙ After the release of the band’s debut album, they developed a flair for showmanship by touring with Alice Cooper. ∙ The Platinum-selling Agents of Fortune became their biggest album, spawning “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” which Rolling Stone ranks among the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. ∙ Blue Öyster Cult was one of the first bands to experiment with laser-light shows at their concerts. ∙ Originally intended for Dharma’s solo album, “Burnin’ for You” became a Top 40 hit for the band, while its video received constant play on the then-recently launched MTV. ∙ Richard Meltzer, known as the father of rock criticism, wrote lyrics for Blue Öyster Cult songs, as did Patti Smith, who dated BÖC keyboardist/guitarist Allen Lanier. ∙ The band’s literate songwriting and relationships with famous authors led to their reputation as “the thinking man’s heavy metal band.” ∙ In 2000, Saturday Night Live aired its classic “More Cowbell” sketch—a Behind the Music-style account of the recording sessions for “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.” ∙ Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Alice in Chains are among the legions of hard rock and heavy metal artists that Blue Öyster Cult has influenced.
- ORIGIN
- Stony Brook, NY, United States
- FORMED
- 1967
- GENRE
- Hard Rock