Alice Cooper was mad, bad, and, as it turns out, a really smart guy. Originally an organically formed band, Alice Cooper introduced the idea of villains in a rock n’ roll world filled with plenty of heroes. But the great songs and influence piled up through the years, all helping to make the band and its singer one of the best in rock history.

There’s a mighty long and satisfying discography to choose from. But here’s what’s on top. These are the 10 best Alice Cooper songs.

The Greatest 10 Songs by Alice Cooper

10. “Elected”

Shocking, rocking and hilarious, Alice Cooper records must have sure been a thrill to the kids of the 1970s. Thankfully, their greatness is still evident.

On “Elected,” the villain-of-rock pleads to his crowd to support his candidacy for the White House. It would’ve never worked, but it could’ve happened.

9. “Hey Stoopid”

Alice Cooper enjoyed a 1980s career revival with a smooth hair-metal approach. Naturally, he tried more of the same for the 1989 “Hey Stoopid” record.

The title track works best, I think. Not much is as memorable or helped keep Cooper on the charts. But his singing on this track is some of his best.

8. “House of Fire”

Alice Cooper’s talent for much of the 1980s was criminally undervalued. For the “Trash” album, Cooper did what record execs wanted him to do.

This meant pairing with songwriter Desmond Child and delivering a pop-metal record. It sold. And “House of Fire” was the second-hookiest song here.

7. “Only Women Bleed”

Alice Cooper was a villain. But while the character was sinister, he was never purely evil. This meant that the real Alice could stamp some of his own ideas on him.

Turns out that Cooper is a family man and something of a feminist. “Only Women Bleed” is one of the great rock songs about the fairer and, often, much stronger sex.

6. “No More Mr. Nice Guy”

Alice Cooper wasn’t just a band. It was a weapon to shock and terrorize audiences. The likes of Frank Zappa, Salvador Dali or John Lennon were all fascinated by the original shock rocker.

“No More Mr. Nice Guy” allows the singer to play with the stage persona. He would soon adopt the name of the band as his own. But it’s also one of a great collection of songs, “Billion Dollar Babies,” that made Alice Cooper the biggest band in the U.S. for a while.

5. “Go to Hell”

Do you know who once called Alice Cooper an underrated songwriter? Bob Dylan!

My words hold less weight than the premier rock-poet. But, for the record, I think that “Go to Hell” showcases Cooper’s talents at their comedy-horror best. It’s a shame this era of his career gets overlooked.

4. “Poison”

Desmond Child sure had a golden touch back in the 1980s. His songs may be a little schmaltzy and even a tad similar to one another. But they are instantly memorable. And, generally, the songs played to the strengths of Child’s employers.

“Poison” allows Cooper to return to his villain persona. It’s a sinister but sexy performance that won the crowd over and gave Cooper one of the biggest hits of his career.

3. “Welcome to My Nightmare”

The character of Alice Cooper was always made for the theatre. On “Welcome to My Nightmare,” singer and producer Bob Ezrin brought the hard-rock spectacle to the theatre.

The title track is not just a strong introduction to Cooper’s extravaganza. But it is also one of the best songs that the singer delivered as a solo performer.

2. “I’m Eighteen”

Alice Cooper aka Vincent Furnier, was always a very bright guy. That fact would get overshadowed by the make-up, loud volume of the band and shock tactics.

“I’m Eighteen” captures the darker side of teenage angst the way few other songs can. It was the band’s first genuine hit. And it made Alice Cooper one of the most bizarre groups of the time.

And while the shock has died down, the thrill of hearing “I’m Eighteen” has not.

1. “School’s Out”

Alice Cooper introduced themselves to unfamiliar music listeners (the vast majority!) through a few first brilliant seconds. The first hook of the song is the incredible guitar riff played by Glen Buxton. The second is Cooper singing, “That’s a drag!” It’s pure brilliance.

A real winner and one of the most popular classic rock songs, “School’s Out” is Alice Cooper at the band, and the singer’s very best.