Godzilla (Blue Öyster Cult song)

"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"
Japan single picture sleeve
Single by Blue Öyster Cult
from the album Spectres
B-side	"Nosferatu"
Released	November 1977 (1977-11) (album) February 1978 (single)
Recorded	1977
Genre	Heavy metal[1][2] hard rock[3]
Length	3:41
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Donald Roeser a.k.a. Buck Dharma
Producer(s)	Murray Krugman Sandy Pearlman David Lucas
Blue Öyster Cult singles chronology
"Goin' Through the Motions" (1977) "Godzilla" (1977) "We Gotta Get out of This Place" (1978)

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

In 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

• 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

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9]	Platinum	1,000,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Godzilla at AllMusic
2. Milward, John (December 15, 1977). "Album Reviews: Blue Oyster Cult: Spectres". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Archived from the original on May 18, 2007.
3. 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.
4. Conte, Robert V. (August 2020). "Godzilla in the Good ol' U.S.A.". RetroFan (10). United States: TwoMorrows Publishing: 71.
5. "Blue Oyster Cult has longevity going for it (with Eric Bloom Interview)". Reno.com. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
6. "Blue Öyster Cult recorded & performed cover versions: Other Bands Cover BÖC". Blue Öyster Cult.
7. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. March 4, 1978. p. 13. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
8. NoZilla By Blue Öyster Cult Lyrics on YouTube
9. "American single certifications – Blue Oyster Cult – Godzilla". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 7, 2024.