Blue Oyster Cult has astoundingly maintained their musical journey for an impressive 53 years. The origins of this iconic band, originally known as Soft White Underbelly, trace back even earlier to the late 1960s, showcasing their enduring legacy in the rock music scene.

They celebrated their remarkable 50-year anniversary with a series of three unforgettable concerts in September 2022 at Sony Hall in New York City. Each night, they performed one of their initial three albums in the first set, followed by a second set filled with a selection of their timeless classics. The third performance, which highlighted the 1974 album Secret Treaties, extended to nearly two and a half hours, ensuring that audiences received a truly memorable experience.

In essence, attending a Blue Oyster Cult concert guarantees value for your money. “We have never phoned it in,” states guitarist and vocalist Buck Dharma during his insightful interview on the UCR Podcast, which you can listen to below. “If there ever comes a point where we can’t perform at that level, we will stop,” he affirms, underscoring their commitment to delivering high-quality performances.

The year 2025 has already proven to be significant for this legendary Long Island band, as they played a prominent role in the celebration of Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary. A four-part documentary dedicated an entire episode to the iconic “more cowbell” sketch, famously inspired by their cowbell-centric hit, “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” Despite its humorous status in pop culture, Dharma reveals that the inspiration for the song stemmed from a serious medical issue he faced in his youth.

READ MORE: Discover How ‘SNL’ Influenced Blue Oyster Cult’s Return to Cowbell in ‘Reaper’

Uncovering the Profound Inspiration Behind ‘Don’t Fear the Reaper’

Buck Dharma reflects, “I had been diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia and it frightened me.” He recalls his cardiologist reassuring him, saying, “You know this isn’t going to kill you. You can manage this.” He has successfully managed this condition with medication for the past 45 or 50 years. However, it led him to contemplate mortality. He aimed to craft a love song that would resonate within the BOC aesthetic, infused with metaphysical and creepy overtones. “It’s personal in that regard,” he adds.

Much like Paul McCartney composing “Get Back” for the Beatles, the idea for the song emerged swiftly, although they dedicated significant time to perfecting it. “The nuts and bolts work of ‘Reaper’ actually took about six weeks,” he elaborates. “But certainly, the inspiration just kind of sprang out of me, and I had a clear vision of its direction. However, I needed to write the bridge, resolve the story, and arrange the music. This was the first song I composed on a multi-track recorder at home, specifically the Teac 3340S.

“We all acquired the Teac 3340S when they became affordable, and it fundamentally transformed how the songwriters in the band crafted their music, especially compared to the earlier days when compositions had to be presented using an acoustic guitar or piano,” he continues. “After that, we started bringing in songs with much more developed arrangements, allowing us to evaluate them based on their artistic merit. I believe this led to a greater differentiation in our sound compared to previous methods.”

Listen to Blue Oyster Cult’s Iconic Track ‘Don’t Fear the Reaper’

Exploring the Friendly ‘Rivalry’ Between Blue Oyster Cult and Kiss

Throughout their extensive career, discussions regarding a rivalry with Kiss have arisen, but Dharma downplays any notion of serious competition. “They opened for us,” he reminisces. “They arrived with a semi-truck and a large crew, while we had a humble box truck and a simple backline setup. They were the big players, while BOC were the smaller act. With their platform boots and extravagant costumes, they were truly a sight to behold. I knew Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley quite well. I was familiar with Ace Frehley to a lesser degree, and I didn’t know Peter Criss very well, but being fellow New Yorkers, we shared a lot in common.”

Addressing Tensions with Black Sabbath During the ‘Black and Blue’ Tour

The atmosphere was less congenial during the band’s 1980 tour alongside Black Sabbath, a series of co-headlining performances. “That tour was organized because, at that time, Sandy Pearlman managed Sabbath,” he explains. “In hindsight, I doubt they were particularly happy under Sandy’s management or with the idea of alternating the headlining slots with us. Sometimes they would take the lead, and at other times we would. I can’t speak for Sabbath, as I don’t really know those guys well, except for Ronnie Dio, whom we were close with. It’s unfortunate; we were huge fans of classic Black Sabbath and their entire history. They produced that fantastic album, Heaven and Hell with Ronnie Dio and Martin Birch. We had the opportunity to work with Martin shortly after he completed that project, and we were all about it. So, it’s regrettable that it wasn’t a more enjoyable experience, but we have great respect for Black Sabbath.”

In recent years, there has been a wealth of music for fans to enjoy. Alongside the official release of the 2022 anniversary shows across three volumes, the upcoming release of Ghost Stories in 2024 features the classic rockers revisiting a collection of previously unreleased recordings from the 1970s and 1980s. While Dharma is uncertain about any future new music from the band, he did release “The End of Every Song” last year, marking his first solo recording since Flat Out in 1982. “I believe there will be more in the future,” he shares. “I don’t envision creating a full-length album with ten songs, but I plan to release singles individually, and if it’s for posterity, that’s perfectly fine.”

Catch Buck Dharma of Blue Oyster Cult on the ‘UCR Podcast’