"Grim Reaper of Love" is a single by the American rock band the Turtles, written by their lead guitarist Al Nichol and bassist Chuck Portz.

The use of drummer Don Murray's quintuple meter (54) drum beat was unique to rock and roll at the time, causing the song to be considered an early adapter of jazz fusion.

[3] According to band lead vocalist Howard Kaylan, the success of these singles "legitimized the Turtles" as they had become a "three-hit wonder" which had given them credibility, headlining shows together with acts such as the Yardbirds, the Animals, and the Lovin' Spoonful.

[11] Although Kaylan was their primary composer,[12] almost all band members contributed to the material in some capacity, including guitarists Al Nichol and Jim Tucker, and bassist Chuck Portz who would go on to write "Grim Reaper of Love".

[13][14] Coincidentally, Nichol was experimenting, playing with a newly purchased electric sitar when the duo realized they wanted to come up with something "really off the wall", and "by the next day we more or less had the song written" after finding a proper modal tuning.

[17] It is notable for drummer Don Murray's quintuple meter (54) drum beat which prevails throughout the verses,[18] which Nichol wrote as an experiment, since "something in a 5/4 time hadn't really been done in rock'n'roll".

[21] Other music critics note the song's clear raga rock style,[22][23][24] with Bronson stating that it was a "drone infested with an aura of doom".

[27] "Al [Nichol] and Chuck [Portz], cashing in on the Beatles' new interest in Indian music, had written an Eastern-sounding jazz raga in 5/4 time called "Grim Reaper of Love".

[30] As a result, all of the Turtles' members perform on the song, including Nichol, who in addition to his lead guitar duties also plays an electric sitar designed by Vinnie Bell.

[13] According to writer Ken Barnes, the release of "Grim Reaper of Love" as an A-side was "one of the most courageous or career-breaking" decisions committed by a band during the 1960s.

[15] Andrew Sandoval suggests that record buyers were "ill-prepared" for the single's release, whereas Nichol theorized that it was "weird enough" for White Whale to think it had a chance to chart.

Billboard magazine wrote that the single was an "unusual lyric" ballad rouser that had "all the ingredients" of the Turtles' previous hit "You Baby", noting Murray's drum performance by stating that it had a "strong beat backing".

[13][46] In Cash Box magazine, the staff reviewer wrote that "Grim Reaper of Love" is a "funky, hard-driving item" which "underscores the dangers of modern romance".

Bronson writes that it is an "interesting record" and possibly the "band's best composition at the time",[9] comparing it to the Byrds' more-publicized raga rock single "Eight Miles High", which had been released two months prior.

[27] Critic Mike Segretto highlights "Grim Reaper of Love" and the subsequent follow-up single "Outside Chance" as two of the coolest recordings the Turtles ever put to tape.

[21] Nichol has retrospectively stated that the Turtles' most likely tried achieving a "shock effect" with the release of "Grim Reaper of Love" to the point that he wanted them to go "hey, these guys are weird!

"[13][14] Nonetheless, "Grim Reaper of Love" and the adjacent April 1966 recording sessions became the final released songs by the Turtles' original line-up.

[50] In addition, starting with "Grim Reaper of Love", the Turtles' went through a brief period of commercial decline in popularity during the latter months of 1966,[28] before their fortunes were revived by their sole number 1 single "Happy Together" (1967).

[3][37] In an interview with The Desert Sun, Kaylan stated that the Turtles had to "put out several singles" including "Grim Reaper of Love", all of whom "had had no luck cracking the top 50".