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(Don't Fear) The Reaper
Blue Öyster Cult
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- Album
- Agents Of Fortune
- Released
- 1976
- Genres
- classic rock, hard rock
- Length
- 5:08
- Tempo
- 141 BPM
- Label
- Columbia
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About this song
Released in 1976, the song was a hit that reached No. 12 on the charts. Rolling Stone magazine named it the song of the year for 1976. It also became the basis for a well-known Saturday Night Live sketch starring Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken.
What it's about
The lyricist wrote it with the inevitability of death and dying young on his mind, but he insisted that its theme was eternal love.
Fun facts
- Sampled in 10 other songs, like “pathetic bastards by witchbox (Ft. jaydes)”.
- Covered 28 times, including “Don't Fear The Reaper by Rosetta Stone”.
- Written by Buck Dharma.
- Produced by Murray Krugman and Sandy Pearlman.
- Recorded at The Record Plant.