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"Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll" is the debut single by American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their eponymous debut album Blue Öyster Cult. Despite not charting, it has become a staple in the band's live show.[5][6] Its demo is credited with getting the band signed with Columbia Records.[7] Lead vocals were performed by drummer Albert Bouchard. The lyrics describe the devastation of nuclear war with metaphors likening the destruction to rock and roll music.
| "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Blue Öyster Cult | ||||
| from the album Blue Öyster Cult | ||||
| B-side | "Before the Kiss, a Redcap"[1] | |||
| Released | 21 April 1972 | |||
| Recorded | October 1971 | |||
| Studio | The Warehouse, New York City | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Blue Öyster Cult singles chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable)[4] |
Cash Box called it a "hard driving, heavy metal rocker will be immediately attractive to both AM and FMers looking to put some life into their playlists."[8]
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The song has been covered by Church of Misery (on Master of Brutality), Iced Earth (on Tribute to the Gods) and 3 Inches of Blood (as a bonus track on Here Waits Thy Doom).
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