Today in rock history: On this date in 1976, American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult released its highest-charting and best-known single, “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” Hailing from the band’s fourth album, the platinum-selling Agents of Fortune, the single remained on Billboard’s pop singles chart for 20 weeks and peaked at No. 12. The single received heavy radio airplay and was named the song of the year in a 1976 poll by Rolling Stone magazine. In popular culture, the song also went on to become the inspiration for a familiar skit on sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live in 2000 that brought the phrase “more cowbell” into popular vernacular.

Today in rock history: On this date in 1960, guitarist, singer and songwriter Daniel Ash was born in Northampton, England. A founder of leading goth-rock pioneers Bauhaus, Ash has been cited as one of the most influential guitarists of his time and genre and has inspired dozens of other guitarists. After the demise of that beloved band, Ash formed other well-respected bands like Tones on Tail and Love & Rockets. Ash is still musically active and has recently toured as part of a new outfit called Poptone (which played Ybor in November) with former bandmate Kevin Haskins and his daughter Diva Dompe.

Today in rock history: On this date in 1976, jazz guitar virtuoso George Benson sailed into the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s pop albums chart with his blockbuster album, Breezin’. As Benson’s debut release for the Warner Brothers Records label, the album was an instant success and featured hits like the R&B smash “This Masquerade” as well as the title track which is known as a smooth-jazz standard. The album topped the pop charts for two consecutive weeks and also topped the R&B charts for four weeks in the summer of 1976.

Today in rock history: On this date in 1991, American posthardcore band Fugazi released its second full-length album, Steady Diet of Nothing. Released on leading Washington D.C.-based indie record label, Dischord Records, the album became another highly regarded release by this influential band. Led by Ian MacKaye (who also served as co-owner of the band’s record label), the album was widely anticipated thanks to the attention bestowed upon Fugazi’s 1990 debut album, Repeater. Advance orders for Steady Diet of Nothing exceeded over 100,000 copies months before its release and soon became a fan favorite. The politically motivated album is often cited as one of the band’s very best records.