"Godzilla" is a single by U.S. hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, the first track on the band's fifth studio album Spectres. The lyrics are a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the popular movie monster of the same name. The single release had a picture sleeve featuring a promotional still from the movie Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster.[4] Despite failing to chart, the song received significant airplay on rock radio stations[5] and became a sleeper hit. The song, along with "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" and "Burnin' for You," is one of the band's best-known songs and has become a staple of its live performances. It has been covered by bands such as moe., Racer X, Fu Manchu, The Smashing Pumpkins, Sebastian Bach, Double Experience and Fighting Gravity.[6] It was the walk up song for New York Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui from 2003-2009.
| "Godzilla" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Japan single picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by Blue Öyster Cult | ||||
| from the album Spectres | ||||
| B-side | "Nosferatu" | |||
| Released |
| |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:41 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Donald Roeser a.k.a. Buck Dharma | |||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| Blue Öyster Cult singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Cash Box called it "a clever rocker tale of Godzilla...with a strong, catchy hook, excellent guitar and special effects."[7]
In 2019, a cover of the song, sung by Serj Tankian, was featured in the credits of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, marking the first usage of the song in a Godzilla film.
Parodies
editIn response to the song's absence from the 1998 Godzilla soundtrack, Blue Öyster Cult members Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma created their own parody called "NoZilla",[8] released only to radio stations.
Personnel
edit- Eric Bloom – co-lead vocals, stun guitar
- Buck Dharma – co-lead vocals, lead guitar
- Joe Bouchard – bass guitar, background vocals
- Albert Bouchard – drums, background vocals
- Allen Lanier – rhythm guitar, background vocals
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Godzilla at AllMusic
- ^ Milward, John (December 15, 1977). "Album Reviews: Blue Oyster Cult: Spectres". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Archived from the original on May 18, 2007.
- ^ Kelly Boyer Sagert (1 January 2007). The 1970s. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-313-33919-6.
Meanwhile, Blue Oyster Cult released two of the decade's hard rock favorites: "Don't Fear the Reaper" and "Godzilla.
- ^ Conte, Robert V. (August 2020). "Godzilla in the Good ol' U.S.A.". RetroFan (10). United States: TwoMorrows Publishing: 71.
- ^ "Blue Oyster Cult has longevity going for it (with Eric Bloom Interview)". Reno.com. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
- ^ "Blue Öyster Cult recorded & performed cover versions: Other Bands Cover BÖC". Blue Öyster Cult.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. March 4, 1978. p. 13. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
- ^ NoZilla By Blue Öyster Cult Lyrics on YouTube
- ^ "American single certifications – Blue Oyster Cult – Godzilla". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 7, 2024.