Alice Cooper 10 favourite albums of all time

Vincent Furnier, better known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is a heroic rock musician. He has stood the test of time with his unique raspy vocals and wild live shows that include crazy pyrotechnics, theatrical fake blood, electric chairs, and guillotines. It helped him earn the affectionate nickname ‘The Godfather of Shock Rock‘.

Cooper spoke with Rolling Stone a few years ago about some of his favorite albums of all time. His list includes several classic rock, blues, and also folk songs, implying the inspirations behind his music. However, the master of shock deviated from the records’ sonic textures.

Cooper described East-West by the Butterfield Blues Band, arguably the least well-known album on his list, as “one of those albums that nobody knows about. “Musicians are also aware of this.” Elvin Bishop and Michael Bloomfield, who played for Bob Dylan, performed on the 1966 album. Cooper went on to explain how he discussed the album with Elvin Bishop. “The thing that topped it off, I think, after I had worn the album out maybe five or six times. I still have it in my 1968 Mustang — was I talking to Elvin Bishop? He also mentioned that the majority of those tracks were done live in the studio.”

He elaborated, saying, “One or two takes, maybe, which made it even more astounding. Because there’s not a mistake, there’s nothing. The feel is magnificent on every song”. The band was led by the legendary Paul Butterfield, who played with the likes of Muddy Waters in his native Chicago hometown.

Cooper has a deep admiration for the greatest band of all time, The Beatles. He chose Meet the Beatles as his favorite Fab Four album. Only because it was the first one that completely floored me, because I had never heard anything like it before. We were listening to the Beach Boys and the Four Seasons. Then all of a sudden, here comes this band with all this hair and Beatle boots and these suits. They’re singing these songs that you’d heard once and knew.”

Meet the Beatles! is the band’s second album to be released in the United States, and its first with Capitol Records. Cooper particularly admires the simplicity of songwriting found on the album. “I’ve always said this, and people might disagree with me. But it’s easier to write something like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ than it is to write something like ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand,’” he said. “I’m still pretty sure they’re aliens. I don’t think they’re from this planet.”

Other classic records mentioned include those by The Beach Boys, The Yardbirds, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Love, and also Laura Nyro. Check out the full list of Alice Cooper’s favorite albums below.