Blue Oyster Cult Quiz Questions and Answers
Q1. In what year was Blue Oyster Cult formed on Long Island, New York?
A. 1965
B. 1967
C. 1969
D. 1971
Answer: B. 1967
Q2. What was the original name of the band that became Blue Oyster Cult?
A. Soft White Underbelly
B. Stalk-Forrest Group
C. Oaxaca
D. Santos Sisters
Answer: A. Soft White Underbelly
Q3. What is the band’s famous hook-and-cross logo inspired by?
A. The astrological symbol for Saturn
B. The alchemical symbol for lead (heavy metal)
C. An ancient occult rune
D. A modified Christian cross
Answer: B. The alchemical symbol for lead (heavy metal)
Q4. Blue Oyster Cult’s debut studio album, released in 1972, shares its name with the band. What is it called?
A. Tyranny and Mutation
B. Secret Treaties
C. Blue Oyster Cult
D. Agents of Fortune
Answer: C. Blue Oyster Cult
Q5. Which song from the debut album features a riff inspired by Black Sabbath’s “The Wizard”?
A. Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll
B. Stairway to the Stars
C. Then Came the Last Days of May
D. She’s as Beautiful as a Foot
Answer: A. Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll
Q6. Which album, released in 1976, contains the band’s biggest hit “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”?
A. Spectres
B. Agents of Fortune
C. Fire of Unknown Origin
D. Secret Treaties
Answer: B. Agents of Fortune
Q7. Who wrote and sang lead vocals on “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”?
A. Eric Bloom
B. Albert Bouchard
C. Joe Bouchard
D. Donald Roeser
Answer: D. Donald Roeser
Q8. The famous Saturday Night Live sketch “More Cowbell” parodies the recording of which Blue Oyster Cult song?
A. Godzilla
B. Burnin’ for You
C. (Don’t Fear) The Reaper
D. Astronomy
Answer: C. (Don’t Fear) The Reaper
Q9. Which song from the 1977 album Spectres is about a giant monster attacking Japan?
A. Burnin’ for You
B. Godzilla
C. Nosferatu
D. Golden Age of Leather
Answer: B. Godzilla
Q10. “Burnin’ for You,” a Top 40 hit, appears on which 1981 album?
A. Cultosaurus Erectus
B. Mirrors
C. Fire of Unknown Origin
D. Club Ninja
Answer: C. Fire of Unknown Origin
Q11. Who was the band’s longtime manager and producer who created much of their mythological lyrics?
A. Richard Meltzer
B. Patti Smith
C. Murray Krugman
D. Sandy Pearlman
Answer: D. Sandy Pearlman
Q12. The band’s name “Blue Oyster Cult” originates from what, according to manager Sandy Pearlman?
A. A seafood restaurant menu
B. A poem imagining aliens guiding Earth’s history
C. A psychedelic drug experience
D. A Winston Churchill quote
Answer: B. A poem imagining aliens guiding Earth’s history
Q13. Which founding member played keyboards and rhythm guitar in the classic lineup?
A. Albert Bouchard
B. Joe Bouchard
C. Allen Lanier
D. Jon Rogers
Answer: C. Allen Lanier
Q14. The classic and most successful lineup included how many members, stable for over a decade?
A. 4
B. 5
C. 6
D. 7
Answer: B. 5
Q15. Which album, released in 1974, is often considered one of their heaviest and includes “Career of Evil”?
A. Secret Treaties
B. Tyranny and Mutation
C. Agents of Fortune
D. Spectres
Answer: A. Secret Treaties
Q16. “Astronomy” appears on which album, later re-recorded on Imaginos?
A. Secret Treaties
B. Agents of Fortune
C. Imaginos
D. Cultosaurus Erectus
Answer: A. Secret Treaties
Q17. Which live album from 1978 became one of their most popular, selling over 2 million copies?
A. On Your Feet or on Your Knees
B. Extraterrestrial Live
C. Some Enchanted Evening
D. A Long Day’s Night
Answer: C. Some Enchanted Evening
Q18. Blue Oyster Cult’s album Imaginos (1988) was originally conceived as what?
A. A double live album
B. A solo project by Albert Bouchard
C. A collaboration with Patti Smith
D. A soundtrack for a film
Answer: B. A solo project by Albert Bouchard
Q19. Which song features lyrics co-written by punk poet Patti Smith?
A. (Don’t Fear) The Reaper
B. Godzilla
C. Burnin’ for You
D. Career of Evil
Answer: D. Career of Evil
Q20. As of 2025, which two founding members remain in the band’s current lineup?
A. Albert Bouchard and Joe Bouchard
B. Allen Lanier and Albert Bouchard
C. Eric Bloom and Donald Roeser
D. Joe Bouchard and Allen Lanier
Answer: C. Eric Bloom and Donald Roeser
Q21. The band’s most recent studio album as of 2024, consisting of reimagined older tracks, is titled what?
A. Ghost Stories
B. 50th Anniversary Live
C. The Symbol Remains
D. Imaginos II
Answer: A. Ghost Stories
Q22. Which drummer has been with the band since 2004 in the current lineup?
A. Ron Riddle
B. Jules Radino
C. Rick Downey
D. Albert Bouchard
Answer: B. Jules Radino
Q23. “Veteran of the Psychic Wars” was co-written with which science fiction author?
A. Michael Moorcock
B. Jim Carroll
C. Richard Meltzer
D. John Shirley
Answer: A. Michael Moorcock
Q24. Which album from 1980 marked a return to harder rock sounds, produced by Martin Birch?
A. Mirrors
B. Cultosaurus Erectus
C. Fire of Unknown Origin
D. The Revolution by Night
Answer: B. Cultosaurus Erectus
Q25. Blue Oyster Cult has sold over how many records worldwide?
A. 10 million
B. 15 million
C. 24-25 million
D. 50 million
Answer: C. 24-25 million