Alice Cooper, "Elected"

"We hated politics, but the idea of Alice, the scourge of the entire world, being president was just too good," the former Vincent Furnier once said of "Elected."



Despite political leanings that would alienate many fans of his music (and a presence that would probably scare off most people he's voted for), Alice Cooper would make a great politician. He brought revolutionary ideas to the mainstream and kept them there. His business and leadership skills are unquestionable, and have kept him in the spotlight decades after his music stopped putting him there. Finally, no matter how much he asserts that he's a scourge and a party animal, we all know by now that he's actually charming and hard-working.

By Billion Dollar Babies, Alice had already written hits ("I'm Eighteen," "School's Out") but hadn't given up on his underground years, digging out a song from his undercooked debut ("Reflected," from Pretties for You) and drastically rewriting it for his new audience. "Elected" is funnier, sharper and catchier than the original, with the bombast of a stump speech and the bite of Detroit garage rock. Like any great presidential candidate, Cooper knew how to fire up his fan base ("And if I'm elected I promise the formation of a new party, a third party, the Wild Party!") and manipulate the media, filming a theatrical promotional video for "Elected" ten years before MTV launched. By the time the horns and piano kick in, I'm ready to put up signs and host phone banks.