Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band formed in New York in 1967 and still active as of 2011. They have sold over 124 million albums worldwide - including 7 million in the US alone.
The name "Blue Öyster Cult" came from a 1960s poem written by manager Sandy Pearlman. It was part of his "Imaginos" poetry, later used more extensively in their 1988 album Imaginos.In Pearlman's poetry, the "Blue Oyster Cult" was a group of aliens who had assembled to secretly guide Earth's history. Initially, the band was not happy with the name, but settled for it, and went to work preparing to record their first release...
The hook-and-cross logo was designed by Bill Gawlik in January 1972,and appears on all of the band's albums.In Greek mythology, "...the hook-and-cross symbol is that of Kronos (Cronus), the king of the Titans and father of Zeus...and is the alchemical symbol for lead (a heavy metal), one of the heaviest of metals.
Sandy Pearlman considered this, combined with the heavy and distorted guitar sound of the band and decided the description "heavy metal" would be aptly applied to Blue Öyster Cult's musical sound. In Roman mythology, the hook-and-cross symbol represents Saturn, the God of agriculture and fertility.
The logo's "...metaphysical, alchemical and mythological connotations, combined with its similarity to some religious symbols gave it a flair of decadence and mystery...".
Due to their unique sound and diversity, Blue Öyster Cult have been very influential to many modern bands that span many genres, and are often viewed as important pioneers of several different styles of rock music that came to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s. Many heavy metal bands have cited them as a major influence, and bands such as Metallica, HIM, and Iced Earth have covered their songs on studio recordings and during live performances.
Τheir first platinum album was Agents of Fortune (1976). It contained the hit single "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", which reached #12 on the Billboard charts.
It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser, produced by Sandy Pearlman, and is built around Dharma's guitar riff that opens the song and continues throughout.
The song's popularity also proved to be very long-lasting there, as of 2010 it has sold approximately 922,000 digital copies. It reached #16 on the UK pop chart in 1978.
Part of the song's appeal consists in its resonance with archetypal themes. The reaper is a reference to the Grim Reaper, a traditional personification of death in European folklore. Moreover, songs and poetry pairing "Death and the Maiden" date back to the time before the Middle Ages. Dharma says the song is about eternal love
The song has also been covered by many diverse artists, notably Evanescence, The Goo Goo Dolls, The Beautiful South, Wilco, Big Country, and deceased singer-songwriter Elliott Smith.
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