3 of the Spookiest Alice Cooper Songs That Helped Pioneer Shock Rock

Blending camp horror and vaudeville with psychedelia, Alice Cooper helped pioneer shock rock in the late 60s and early 70s. First with his band of the same name, and later as a heavy metal solo artist, Cooper stirred controversy and paved the way for the likes of Kiss, White Zombie, and Marilyn Manson, to name a few.

So in the spirit of Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve if you wish, I’ve compiled a list of the spookiest tunes by the Godfather of Shock Rock.

“I’m Eighteen”

What’s more frightening than Alice Cooper’s macabre theatrics? Growing up. “I’m Eighteen” put the Alice Cooper band on the map with a glam-rock jam that describes the anxiety of the in-between. At 18, one becomes a legal adult yet remains a teen at the same time. It’s the threshold between responsibility and insouciance. Singer Vincent Furnier would later adopt Alice Cooper as his stage name following the band’s split. But here, Furnier howls a youth anthem that changed the trajectory of his own life.

Lines form on my face and hands,
Lines form from the ups and downs.
I’m in the middle without any plans,
I’m a boy and I’m a man.

“School’s Out”

I imagine in the early 1970s many parents tried desperately to keep Alice Cooper records from their children. Then the band released one of the great rebellion anthems in rock history: “School’s Out”. Perhaps terrifying for the olds but life-affirming for the youth. This is kicking open the doors, as students toss notebooks, pencils, and inhibitions like wild animals freed from cages. “We might not come back at all,” they threaten.

School’s out with fever,
School’s out completely.

No More Mr. Nice Guy

Alice Cooper released Billion Dollar Babies in 1973. It topped the charts and became the band’s best-seller. Backed by the single “No More Mr. Nice Guy”, in which Cooper announces that his friends have all disappeared thanks to his notorious reputation. His critics couldn’t distinguish performance art from the idea that this rock star must be utterly demonic. So he and his band responded with another classic rock staple.

I used to be such a sweet, sweet thing,
Till they got a hold of me.
I opened doors for little old ladies,
I helped the blind to see.

Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns