Agents of Fortune

Agents of Fortune
Studio album by Blue Öyster Cult
Released 21 May 1976
Recorded The Record Plant, New York City, 1975–76
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal
Length 36:35
Label Columbia
Producer Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman, David Lucas
Blue Öyster Cult chronology

On Your Feet or on Your Knees
(1975)		 Agents of Fortune
(1976)		 Spectres
(1977)
Singles from Agents of Fortune
  1. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper / Tattoo Vampire"
    Released: June 1976
  2. "Debbie Denise / This Ain't the Summer of Love"
    Released: 1976
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [1]
Rolling Stone (very favorable)[2]
Robert Christgau (B+)[3]
Martin Popoff [4]

Agents of Fortune is the fourth studio album by American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, originally released in a gatefold sleeve LP in 1976 through Columbia Records.

The platinum-selling album peaked at No. 29 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart,[5] while the single "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" peaked at No. 12 on the Pop Singles chart,[6] making it Blue Öyster Cult's biggest hit.

The band also became a larger concert attraction at this time—largely based on not only their stageshow, but aided by the airplay of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," which to this day is a staple of FM rock station playlists. Concert venues became larger, the show became more intricate and BÖC was reaching its commercial peak on the tour circuit.

Track listing

Side one
No. TitleWriter(s)Lead vocals Length
1. "This Ain't the Summer of Love"  Albert Bouchard, Murray Krugman, Don WallerEric Bloom 2:21
2. "True Confessions"  Allen LanierAllen Lanier 2:57
3. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"  Donald RoeserDonald Roeser 5:08
4. "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)"  Roeser, Sandy PearlmanEric Bloom 3:43
5. "The Revenge of Vera Gemini"  Albert Bouchard, Patti SmithAlbert Bouchard, (with Patti Smith) 3:52
Side two
No. TitleWriter(s)Lead vocals Length
6. "Sinful Love"  Albert BouchardAlbert Bouchard 3:29
7. "Tattoo Vampire"  Albert BouchardEric Bloom 2:41
8. "Morning Final"  Joe BouchardJoe Bouchard 4:30
9. "Tenderloin"  LanierEric Bloom 3:40
10. "Debbie Denise"  Albert Bouchard, SmithAlbert Bouchard 4:13
Total length:
 36:35

Personnel

Band members
Additional musicians
Production

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1976 Billboard 200 (North America)[5] 29
UK Albums Chart[7] 26
RPM100 Albums (Canada)[8] 28
Swedish Albums Chart[9] 10

Singles

Year Title Chart Position
1976 "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" Billboard Hot 100 (North America)[6] 12
RPM Top 100 Singles (Canada)[10] 7
1978 UK Singles Chart[11] 16

Sales Certifications

Year Country Organization Sales
1977 Canada CRIA Gold (50,000+)[12]
1978 U.S. RIAA Platinum (1,000,000+)[13]

Accolades

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
The Village Voice U.S. The 1976 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll[14] 1976 10
NME UK Albums of the Year[15] 1976 6
Dave Marsh & Kevin Stein U.S. The Best of the Album Chartmakers by Year: 1976[16] 1981 12
Kerrang! UK The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time[15] 1989 62
Q UK The Greatest Classic Rock Albums Ever![17] 2004 No order

References

  1. ↑ Jurek, Thom. "Blue Öyster Cult Agents of Fortune review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-03-01.
  2. ↑ Tucker, Ken (15 July 1976). "Album Reviews: Blue Oyster Cult - Agents of Fortune". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2009-10-12. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  3. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Consumers Guide Reviews: Agents of Fortune". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2012-03-01.
  4. ↑ Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. ISBN 978-1894959025.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Agents of Fortune Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Agents of Fortune Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
  7. ↑ "Agents of Fortune Chart Stats". Chart Stats.com. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
  8. ↑ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 23, No. 5, October 30, 1976". Library and Archives Canada. 30 October 1976. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
  9. ↑ "Blue Öyster Cult – Agents of Fortune (Album)". Swedishcharts.com. Media Control Charts. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
  10. ↑ "Top Singles - Volume 26, No. 7, November 13, 1976". Library and Archives Canada. 13 November 1976. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
  11. ↑ "(Don't Fear) The Reaper Chart Stats". Chart Stats.com. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
  12. ↑ "Gold Platinum Database - Title: Fire of Unknown Origin". Music Canada. Retrieved 2012-03-01.
  13. ↑ "RIAA Searchable Database - search for Agents of Fortune". RIAA. Retrieved 2012-03-01.
  14. ↑ "The 1976 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Blue Öyster Cult - Agents of Fortune". Acclaimed Music.net. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  16. ↑ "The Dave Marsh Lists". Book Of Rock Lists - Albums Of The Year: 1976. Rocklist.net. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  17. ↑ "Q Lists: Q Special Edition – The Greatest Classic Rock Albums Ever !". Q. Rocklist.net. Retrieved 2012-03-30.