"Department of Youth" is a song by rock musician Alice Cooper featured on his Welcome to My Nightmare album.[2] The song peaked at No. 67 on The Billboard Hot 100.
Reception
Creem said the song, "is a second cousin to "School's Out" with a chorus of child-things sounding like Cooper's dead babies resurrected to sing back-up vocals."[3] NME agreed it was, "School's Out" all over again, complete with demented kiddie choir and watered-down Clockwork Orange braggadoccio."[4]
Melody Maker wrote, "This is typical, a heavy metal Marc Bolan. It's gritty and gruesome, but underneath the yells and screaming arrangement, it's really just a simple, catchy pop song. Don't analyse it, just bop as Alice screeches his way up the chart."[5]
Record World said that "the supreme spokesman for angry young men everywhere is even more vital and exciting here."[6]
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] | 7 |
| U.S. (Billboard 100) | 67 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] | 35 |
Notable covers
Pretty Boy Floyd covered the song on their album, Porn Stars.[8]
References
- ^ "Great Rock Discography". p. 170.
- ^ Greg Prato. "Welcome to My Nightmare - Alice Cooper | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
- ^ Jaan Uhelsxki. "Alice Cooper: Welcome To My Nightmare". Rock's Backpages.(Subscription required.)
- ^ Charles Shaar Murray. "Alice Cooper: Welcome To My Nightmare". Rock's Backpages.(Subscription required.)
- ^ Colin Irwin. "Singles from Elton John, David Bowie et al". Rock's Backpages.(Subscription required.)
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. August 2, 1975. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
- ^ a b "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. December 29, 1975. Retrieved January 15, 2022 – via Imgur.
- ^ "Porn Stars - Pretty Boy Floyd | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. 1999-08-10. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
