Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult performing in 2017
Background information
Also known as	Soft White Underbelly (1967–1969•1981•2025) Oaxaca (1970) Stalk-Forrest Group (1970) Santos Sisters (1970)
Origin	Stony Brook, New York, U.S.
Genres	Hard rock heavy metal occult rock psychedelic rock progressive rock acid rock
Works	Discography
Years active	1967–1986 1987–present
Labels	Columbia CMC Frontiers
Members	Buck Dharma Eric Bloom Danny Miranda Richie Castellano Jules Radino
Past members	Albert Bouchard Allen Lanier Joe Bouchard See members article for others.
Website	blueoystercult.com

Blue Öyster Cult (/ˈɔɪ.stər/ OY-stər; sometimes abbreviated BÖC or BOC) is an American rock band formed on Long Island, New York, in the hamlet of Stony Brook, in 1967. They have sold 25 million records worldwide, including 7 million in the United States.^[1] Their fusion of hard rock with psychedelia and penchant for occult, fantastical and tongue-in-cheek lyrics had a major influence on heavy metal music.^[2][3][4] They developed a cult following and enjoyed mainstream success with "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (1976), "Godzilla" (1977), and "Burnin' for You" (1981), which remain classic rock radio staples. They were early adopters of the music video format, and their videos were in heavy rotation on MTV in its early period.

Blue Öyster Cult continued making studio albums and touring throughout the 1980s, although their popularity had declined such that they were dropped from their longtime label CBS/Columbia Records, following the commercial failure of their 11th studio album Imaginos (1988). Other than contributing to the soundtrack of the 1992 film Bad Channels and an album of re-recorded material, Cult Classic, in 1994, the band continued as a live act until releasing its first studio album of original material in 10 years, Heaven Forbid (1998). The lackluster sales of its follow-up Curse of the Hidden Mirror (2001) led to another hiatus from studio recording, but they continued performing live. Two more studio albums were released in the 2020s, The Symbol Remains (2020) and Ghost Stories (2024), the latter of which is said to be the band's last.^[5]

Blue Öyster Cult's longest-lasting and most commercially successful lineup included Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals), Eric Bloom (lead vocals, "stun guitar", keyboards, synthesizer), Allen Lanier (keyboards, rhythm guitar), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals, keyboards), and Albert Bouchard (drums, percussion, vocals, miscellaneous instruments). The band's current lineup still includes Bloom and Roeser, in addition to Danny Miranda (bass, backing vocals), Richie Castellano (keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals), and Jules Radino (drums, percussion).^[6] The duo of the band's manager Sandy Pearlman and rock critic Richard Meltzer, who also met at Stony Brook University, played a key role in writing many of the band's lyrics.^[7]