American Songwriter

The 5 Best Songs to Feature Cowbell … Besides “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper”

For the rest of time, the cowbell will be associated less with cows than with Saturday Night Live. During a spoof of the Blue Oyster Cult’s hit, “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper,” actor Christopher Walken ...
Uproxx

There May Not Even Be Any Cowbell In Blue Öyster Cult’s ‘Don’t Fear The Reaper,’ Despite The Iconic ‘SNL’ Sketch

When it comes to the most famous use of a cowbell as a musical instrument, ever since the iconic “More Cowbell” sketch on Saturday Night Live, there’s really only one answer: Blue Öyster Cult’s “Don’t ...
American Songwriter

Forget About the Cowbell, These Songs Would Be Nothing Without a Tambourine

The Byrds helped pioneer folk rock with a cover of Bob Dylan’s song in 1965. Dylan’s original didn’t include a tambourine, and it opened the acoustic side of his album Bringing It All Back Home. But ...
Houston Press

Additional Cowbell: A Meditation on Rock and Roll’s Secret Weapon

The cowbell, modeled here by Swiss bovine Sophia, is, in many ways, rock and roll's secret weapon. Sometimes, it's just what a song needs to go from good to great. Credit: Photo by Maria Feofilova.
The New York Times

The Rebellious Instrument That Gave Latin Music Its Swing

When life gets loud, let the rhythm get louder. By Carina del Valle Schorske Ran-kan-kan: Long before I could name the source of my excitement, my body responded to the strident signature of Latin ...
KSL

Cowbells, Guitars & SNL: A history of cowbells in music with the help of long-running Utah rockers

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