Alice Cooper would be a rock ‘n’ roll legend even if all he contributed to the pantheon was his celebrated theatrical concerts of the ‘70s, shocking displays of gore and violence that took the concept of rock shows to a whole other place. But Cooper and his band, which was originally called Alice Cooper before frontman Vincent Furnier took the name for himself, made some of the best, no-nonsense records of the early ‘70s. Coming out of Detroit, the Alice Cooper band blended old-school pop hooks with a metallic crunch that would foreshadow everything from glam, punk and metal. But Cooper was a showman foremost, jolting classic songs like ‘I’m Eighteen’ and ‘School’s Out’ with an onstage energy that wowed audiences back in the day. A whole generation of artists has been influenced by Cooper’s concerts, but he got there first. And nobody does it better.
- Birthdate: Feb. 4, 1948
- Selected Discography: ‘Love It to Death’ (1971), ‘Killer’ (1971), ‘School’s Out’ (1972)
- Further Reading: Top 10 Alice Cooper Songs, Most Shocking Album Covers