Best and Weakest releases by decade

[Agrophile in Texas]

Mine...

The 60s
Best: Pretties For You
Least: Nothing
Not a lot to choose from, there are the Spiders and Nazz singles from '65 to '67, and Live at the Whiskey '69 (actually '68) which wasn't released until 1992.

The 70s
Best: Schools Out
Least: Lace and Whiskey
Whiskey was the first time I was disappointed in an AC album (OG or solo). Also; I came in at the tail end of the OG, but was in the thick of it for Welcome To My Nightmare, and that was very significant, I was aware of the group and the singles, and School's my all-time favorite LP, but I bought that later, so when I look at the Cooper Time-line, it's Welcome that cemented my love for Alice - there was the album itself, plus you had the TV special with Vincent Price, and the concert with the memorable guitar battle between Dick and Steve - and it all got started, for me, on Jan 13th with an appearance on the Smothers Brothers show, where he performed Unfinished Sweet. I have many happy memories of 1975.

The 80s
Best: DaDa
Least: Constrictor
Though I did enjoy the concert in support of Constrictor, and the live version of the songs (Frankenstein, The World Needs Guts) were better than the studio release. I'd love to hear it remixed and remastered, replace the drums (or most of them), and boost the bass! I'm not sure anything can completely save Constrictor for me, but the tour songs make me think it could be improved. DaDa is a top 7 album in my Alice world, so an easy pick as his best of the 80s.

The 90s
Best: Last Temptation
Least: Nothing
Not much in this decade, and nothing I disliked (Hey Stoopid for a studio release was good, A Fistful of Alice for a live one, and the box set, The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper at the end). Last Temptation was a return to greatness IMHO.

2000s
Best: Brutal Planet
Least: Along Came a Spider
This is pretty cut and dried, though I liked Dirty Diamonds quite a bit, it's Planet that's in my top 10. Spider? I hated the production and the pedestrian songwriting, so not only the worst of the decade, but one of the worst overall. And going away from Alice, but staying in the Cooper-Verse, former original group member, Dennis Dunaway's Bones from the Yard was pretty special too.

2010s
Best: Welcome 2 My Nightmare
Least: The Hollywood Vampires, Rise
I enjoyed both studio releases, but W2MN was fantastic and would be my top dog - I haven't liked anything from the Vampires in total, so I tend to blot them out of my mind, but that's the only "least" I could think of. Aside from that there were several live albums/DVDs, and the Breadcrumbs EP - as well as limited releases for the Astroturf concert.

2020s
Best: Live From the Astroturf... but if that doesn't count, Detroit Stories
Least: Road
It's still early in decade so there are slim pickings. the Live from the Astroturf CD & BD; I loved it to death, but it was recorded in the previous decade with some limited releases... So, should it count? I had no access to the limited stuff, so 2022 was the first time I heard and saw it. And from the Cooper-Verse, former bandmate Orinathi's "Rock Candy" was a treat.

Your turn...

[lordcatfish]

70s
Best - School's Out
The four album run starting with Love It to Death was phenomenal of course. School's Out is my favourite - a very diverse yet cohesive album.

Worst - Easy Action
It was between this and Lace and Whiskey. Lace has some duds, but also some great songs such as It's Hot Tonight, the title track and (especially) My God. Easy Action is still rough around the edges, and loses me a bit after the first two songs.

80s
Best - Dada
A really unique and inspired album in the catalogue. The last three songs in particular are really good. I also have a soft spot for Zipper, and enjoy Trash a lot too.

Worst - Flush the Fashion
I wasn't sure where to go with the weakest. I tend to like this more as time passes, but I'd still say it ranks as my least favourite from this decade. I don't think there were any truly bad albums here though.

90s
Best - The Last Temptation
His best solo album in my opinion. It was a slow burner for me, but once it clicked, I fell in love with it. It has a wonderfully sinister atmosphere that is really effective.

Worst - Hey Stoopid
It's the weakest by virtue of not being The Last Temptation. Still a fantastic album, and floats around my personal top 10.

00s
Best - Dirty Diamonds
In my personal top 5. Just wall to wall great songs. Six Hours is one of my all time faves.

Worst - Along Came a Spider
An overhyped disappointment. Lyrically and musically a let down, although the last two songs are enjoyable.

10s
Best - Welcome 2 My Nightmare
A really fun album with tons of variety and strong songs. The only really clunker for me is the ballad, which is a surprise given who penned it.

Worst - Rise
I was only going to include Alice studio albums, but thought I'd throw this in because for me, it really is a poor effort.

20s
Best - Detroit Stories
Perhaps a little too long, with too many songs that had been previously released, but there's a lot of songs on here I really like (eg Wonderful World, Hail Mary, Go Man Go, Our Love Could Change the World).

Worst - Road
A fairly decent album with no real standouts other than the ballad towards the end. Ranks towards the bottom of the catalogue overall.

[concolz]

All choices are albums, unless stated otherwise.

60s
Best - Not a great deal of choice! However, Pretties For You is a great garage-psych album; whichever decade.

70s
Best - Killer. It's Alice Cooper DNA. Grand Guignol on steroids. The Coopers plug straight into death row, holding a dark mirror up to Middle America. It never got better than this.

Worst - The Alice Cooper Show Lace & Whiskey was lacklustre and lousy, but this bloodless anodyne stinker is beyond the pale. The '70s were all about mega live albums - often doubles - where acts were showcased at their barnstorming peak. Cooper's lone entry is years too late, half-cocked setlist-wise, with rotten medleys, and an artist who's too drunk to care anymore. A contractual con.

80s
Best - Dada Alice rises like a phoenix from the ashes of despair. It soars midst the wreckage of self-inflicted 'indulgences'. An accidental classic. Pass The Gun Around; a shocking full stop to a cathartic roller-coaster ride.

Worst - Trash Never has an record been so aptly titled. No wonder Alice hides his head in shame on the front cover. Cookie-cutter, hair-metal, bandwagon-jumping garbage. The worst album in the whole Cooper back catalogue.

90s
Best - The Last Temptation Alice's re-embracement of his Christian roots kickstarts a creative revival. It's a finger-pointing, rocktastic & rootsy, classic; with one of the best Cooper album covers ever.

Worst - Dirty Dreams (song) Puerile sexist crap.

00s
Best - Brutal Planet For me, Cooper's best solo album. A fire & brimstone masterpiece. Heavy, heavy, heavy.

Worst - The Eyes Of Alice jumps aboard The White Stripes bandwagon. Full of anonymous songs. Could be anyone.

10s
Best - I Am Made Of You (song) This and the equally excellent When Hell Comes Home, are completely out of place on the reheated rubbish that's W2MN. Alice sounds passionate; Steve Hunter's guitar soars to the heavens; a song that's finally allowed to stretch out.

Worst - Eleanor Rigby (cover) The Hollywood Vampires stuff is laughable guff, but solo-wise there are some real horrors. That less than funny back-to-back 'comedy' of errors Disco Bloodbath & Ghouls, for starters. Then there's Holy Water; plus the Pink Floyd & Peter and The Wolf nonsense. Yet his contribution to The Art Of McCartney stands out because - and that was also a complete stinker on the atrocious Sgt Pepper soundtrack - Alice turns aching loneliness & despair into something akin to reciting tomorrow's shopping list. Bloodless; perfunctory; dreadful.

20s
Best - Road It's a rollicking, cartoonish, in yer face, blitzkrieg bop.

Worst - Detroit City 2021 (song). Detroit Stories is a lukewarm album at best; and this rehash is the pits.

[dadascot]

70s best - killer. Hands down one of the greatest rock albums ever made.
Worst - the Alice cooper show. How can the greatest live act produce something so tepid?

80s
Best - Dada. Dark, sinister and complex.
Worst - raise your fist and yell! The worst album cover in history only matched by the music.
90s
Best- the last temptation. Alice's most intricate album for years.
Worst - hey stooped. A good album but with only 2 studio albums and a fist full of Alice I had to choose this.
2000s
Best - the eyes of Alice cooper. Great garage rocker. Diverse and fun.
Worst - Dragontown. ACAS is a close second but to me DT is the nadir in Alice career.
2010s
Best- paranormal. great album. Still gets dug out regularly. More consistent than W2MN.
Worst- the Hollywood vampires. I actually like the first album. Great rocking tracks and they were obviously having fun.
2020s
Best - Detroit stories. I love this album and play it all the time. The only week spot is Detroit city 2021 which is unnecessary and should have just stayed on breadcrumbs.
Worst - Road. Alice's worst for quite a while. Childish lyrics, generic solo's. A wasted opportunity.

[Si]

70s best - Billion Dollar Babies - It's tough though between that, Killer and WTMN, but B$B was my first so maybe has a special place.
Worst - the Alice cooper show. As others have said. Could have been MUCH better.

80s
Best - Dada. Easy choice. Honourable mention to side two especially of RYFaY.
Worst - Trash. Poison aside not really a proper AC style album and a big disappointment, regardless of the reasons for it being the way it is.

90s
Best- The Last Temptation.
Worst - Hey Stooped. As others have said... only really two studio albums to choose from so the placings are really by default. TLT is better than HS.

2000s
Best - Dragontown - Never worked out why so many seem to hate it. Was more diverse than the excellent BP and the one I likely play more then any other from the period.
Worst -Along Came A Spider by a country mile. Killed by production decisions and poor, repetitive arrangements more than anything else. When the tambourine is louder than the guitars you're in trouble.

2010s
Best- W2MN easily. Only two real AC albums to choose from which I assume is why people include the HV albums.
Worst- Hollywood vampires 1st. Too many covers but the two originals showed there was some promise ahead.

2020s
Best - Road. Again only two to choose from so far really but I think it's a pretty good album, especially compared to...
Worst - Detroit Stories. A few decent originals if I remember but also some truly awful horrible songs like 'Our Love Will Change the World' which should never have even been considered for and Alice Cooper album. Have to admit though I've not listened to it since the day it was released.. I was that disappointed in it.

[mr.barlow]

1960s: it had to start somewhere. I haven't listened to either in over 40 years. Thank God for Ezrin.

1970s:
Best: School's Out---from start to finish a perfect album. My Stars is Alice's best song ever.

Worst: Alice Cooper Show---contract requirement that should have been out of print after the first pressing to never see the light of day again!

1980s
Best: Dada----the man's masterpiece...nothing before or since comes close.

Worst: Trash---my thoughts on the album are well documented on this forum

1990s
Best: The Last Temptation--one of his top albums....Alice embracing his Christianity....had a major impact on me and countless others. The albums lyrics still make one think about what lurks among us.

Not so worst: Hey Stoopid--- better than Trash and gave us Might As Well Be On Mars. I wish he brought Wagner back.

2000s to present:
Best: Brutal Planet---- what an album...never expected that one. Incredible.

Worst: Along Came A Spider: everyone knows why this album sucks.

W2MN could be his greatest album but I can never get past the cover. He should have made it a stand alone and not a sequel and released it in a cardboard box like MOL. it would be an improvement over that embarrassing mess.

Paranormal I find to be a great album. I hated Holy Water at first...warmed up to it...then realized it must have been my meds affecting my judgment. That song sucks and ruins an otherwise stellar album.

The rest...hits and misses a few good songs here and there. The HV stuff ...I'll leave that or someone else to enjoy.

Road: to quote my Jewish friend "oy vey!"

[Spiner202]

Just doing studio records:

70s:
Best - Killer - tough call between this and WTMN though
Worst - Easy Action - this record is probably more consistent than Goes To Hell, but the good songs on that album are way better, so I can't put it at the bottom

80s:
Best - Trash - easy choice for me. Every single song rules. This is Alice beating the kids at their own game.
Worst - Special Forces. A couple of good tracks, but even though he was arguably more messed up on ZCS and DaDa, the outcomes were much better

90s:
Best - Hey Stoopid
Worst - The Last Temptation - only by default. This is a great album.

00s:
Best - Brutal Planet - this competes with anything in his discography
Worst - The Eyes of Alice Cooper - this is stylistically similar to Dirty Diamonds, but it's almost like Alice left all the good songs for that record

10s:
The two records from this decade are tied for me. W2MN is wacky and over the top; it has higher highs and lower lows. Paranormal is more consistent, but is just a super fun modern AC record. I'd easily pick the Hollywood Vampires stuff if it were released under Alice's name.

20s:
Best - Road - I really like this album. It gets better with everyone listen, and only has a couple of missteps. There's a lot of missed potential, but for a guy in his mid-70s, this album is great
Worst - Detroit Stories - Very disappointing record that has way too many covers. The original tracks aren't too bad, but they should have comprised the entirety of the record.

[Shoesalesman]

Dragontown - Never worked out why so many seem to hate it.

You know. Don't make me say its name.

[Daggers & Contracts]

Dragontown - Never worked out why so many seem to hate it.

You know. Don't make me say its name.

Beetlejuice??