(Don't Fear) The Reaper / Tattoo Vampire

Written and sung by lead guitarist Buck Dharma, this track tempers the band's heavy-metal aesthetic with a gorgeous, jangling Byrds-esque guitar riff. The lyrics confront the inevitability of death and eternal love, achieving massive FM radio success despite its macabre undertones. The song's persistent, underlying percussion instrument famously inspired the iconic 'More Cowbell' Saturday Night Live sketch decades later.