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The cowbell is quite simply the most important musical instrument ever to come out of a livestock herd.
While bells may used on various types of animals, and played in virtually all genres of music, and take on various shapes, they are typically referred to as "cowbells" due to their extensive use with --wait for it--cattle. Cowbells are commonly trapezoid, cylindrical or cup-shaped.
Greek herdsmen often use several bells attached to principal animals which produce a distinctive chord. The scale on which this chord is based is then reproduced in the herdsman's pipe - so he can play along with the herd. Similar bells have been used in Western European "Classical" music to evoke a pastoral mood.
Clapperless cowbells made of metal have been a musical force with a historical level of importance shared only by the likes of Beethoven, Mozart, The Beatles, The Lennon Sisters, Wing, Les Paul and Pee Wee Herman. These cowbells are struck with a stick - the tone being modulated by striking different parts of the bell and by damping with the hand holding the bell.
In several parts of the world (notably in West Africa) pairs or trios of clapperless bells are joined in such a way that they can be struck separately or clashed together. The Brazilian name for these is "agogo" bells. In Cuban music the cowbell is often played by the bongocero.
Especially popular recordings have featured the cowbell. Many of them are featured on this page. Unfortunately, video footage of many of the most important and entertaining have been lost over the ages and, of course, it was a bitch to get video cameras to power up in the 17th century.
Over recent decades,the Roland TR-808 drum machine was noted for its distinctive cowbell sound, which sounded almost nothing like an actual cowbell; the sound was highly electronic with a sharp, short decay. Regardless of its lack of realism, the TR-808 cowbell became a popular sound in 1980s R&B and hip hop music, popularized by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis-produced artists such as The SOS Band and Janet Jackson. Its distinctive sound (and possibly its notoriety for sounding so little like a real cowbell) ensured its continued use by hip hop and R&B artists well into the 1990s and 2000s, as well as by bands in other genres such as the Super Furry Animals ("Juxtaposed With U") and the Dismemberment Plan ("You Are Invited"). Cowbellicus does NOT recognize this bastardization, this cheap imitation.
Cowbells are sometimes popular noisemakers at sporting events, despite attempts to suppress them. In the United States, they are most closely identified with Mississippi State University, whose football fans smuggle in cowbells by the thousands despite a ban on artificial noisemakers by its conference, the Southeastern Conference. Cornell ice hockey fans who are also known for their zealous support of their team have cheers that feature use of a cowbell while in Lynah Rink. The San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League are also (in)famous for their fans' use of cowbells. In New Zealand, supporters of the Waikato Rugby Union invariably use cowbells at home matches; this has been carried over to home matches of the Chiefs, the Super 14 franchise centered on the Waikato region.
Fans of the Tampa Bay Rays of American League Baseball fame have taken up the cowbell rather than waste effort cheering.
But all of that is so much chaff. Listen to the wheat. Bang a bell. I got the fever. And I beg to differ with Chris Walken: there is really no cure. And who wants one anyway?
