(Don't Fear) The Reaper: Difference between revisions
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"'''(Don't Fear) The Reaper'''" is a song by the rock band [[Blue Öyster Cult]] from their 1976 album, ''[[Agents of Fortune]]''. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, [[Buck Dharma|Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser]] and was produced by [[David Lucas (composer)|David Lucas]], [[Murray Krugman]], and [[Sandy Pearlman]].<ref name=rs>{{cite news|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/blue-oeyster-cult-dont-fear-the-reaper-19691231|title=500 Greatest Songs of All Time: No. 405, Blue Oyster Cult, 'Don't Fear the Reaper'|accessdate=May 30, 2011|work=Rolling Stone}}</ref> It is built around Dharma's guitar [[riff]] that opens the song and repeats throughout. The edited single version was Blue Öyster Cult's biggest US hit, reaching No. |
"'''(Don't Fear) The Reaper'''" is a song by the rock band [[Blue Öyster Cult]] from their 1976 album, ''[[Agents of Fortune]]''. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, [[Buck Dharma|Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser]] and was produced by [[David Lucas (composer)|David Lucas]], [[Murray Krugman]], and [[Sandy Pearlman]].<ref name=rs>{{cite news|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/blue-oeyster-cult-dont-fear-the-reaper-19691231|title=500 Greatest Songs of All Time: No. 405, Blue Oyster Cult, 'Don't Fear the Reaper'|accessdate=May 30, 2011|work=Rolling Stone}}</ref> It is built around Dharma's guitar [[riff]] that opens the song and repeats throughout. The edited single version was Blue Öyster Cult's biggest US hit, reaching No. 12 on the American charts in November 1976,<ref name="RollingStone">{{cite web| title =(Don't Fear) The Reaper| work =Rolling Stone| publisher =Wenner Publishing| date =December 9, 2004| url =http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6596242/dont_fear_the_reaper| accessdate =June 6, 2007| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20070603213401/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6596242/dont_fear_the_reaper| archivedate= June 3, 2007<!--Added by DASHBot-->}}</ref> and is listed at No. 397 on the ''[[Rolling Stone]]''s list of the top 500 songs of all time. The song's popularity has been long-lasting. As of 2010 it has sold approximately 922,000 digital copies in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/68581/chart-watch-extra-halloweens-greatest-hits/ |title=Chart Watch Extra: Halloween's Greatest Hits – Chart Watch |publisher=New.music.yahoo.com |date=October 29, 2010 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> It reached No. 16 on the [[UK pop chart]] in 1978.<ref name="betts">{{cite book| first= Graham| last= Betts| year=2004| title= Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004| edition= 1st|publisher= Collins| location= London| isbn= 0-00-717931-6| page=89}}</ref> It is a perennial favorite on [[classic rock]] radio stations and is a concert staple for the band. |
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Revision as of 15:12, 23 March 2012
| "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" | |
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| B-side | "Tattoo Vampire" |
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman.[1] It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that opens the song and repeats throughout. The edited single version was Blue Öyster Cult's biggest US hit, reaching No. 12 on the American charts in November 1976,[2] and is listed at No. 397 on the Rolling Stones list of the top 500 songs of all time. The song's popularity has been long-lasting. As of 2010 it has sold approximately 922,000 digital copies in the United States.[3] It reached No. 16 on the UK pop chart in 1978.[4] It is a perennial favorite on classic rock radio stations and is a concert staple for the band.
Theme
The song's appeal is due in part to its use of well-known archetypes in American culture. "The reaper" is a reference to the Grim Reaper, a traditional personification of death in European folklore. Also, songs and poetry pairing "Death and the Maiden" date back to before the Middle Ages.
Lyrics such as "Romeo and Juliet are together in eternity" have led many listeners to interpret the song to be about a murder-suicide pact, but Dharma says the song is about eternal love, not suicide:
I felt that I had just achieved some kind of resonance with the psychology of people when I came up with that, I was actually kind of appalled when I first realized that some people were seeing it as an advertisement for suicide or something that was not my intention at all. It is, like, not to be afraid of it (as opposed to actively bring it about). It's basically a love song where the love transcends the actual physical existence of the partners.[5][6]
In popular media
Television
Movies
References
- ^ "500 Greatest Songs of All Time: No. 405, Blue Oyster Cult, 'Don't Fear the Reaper'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
- ^ "(Don't Fear) The Reaper". Rolling Stone. Wenner Publishing. December 9, 2004. Archived from the original on June 3, 2007. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
- ^ "Chart Watch Extra: Halloween's Greatest Hits – Chart Watch". New.music.yahoo.com. October 29, 2010. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ Betts, Graham (2004). Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004 (1st ed.). London: Collins. p. 89. ISBN 0-00-717931-6.
- ^ "Biography for Donald Roeser". IMDB. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
- ^ "(Don't Fear) The Reaper by Blue Öyster Cult". Songfacts. Retrieved November 19, 2011.Songfacts says that it is quoting "a 1995 interview with College Music Journal."
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help)CS1 maint: postscript (link)
External links
- Don't Fear the Reaper – IMDB search results
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