April 1980: Alice Cooper Decides to FLUSH THE FASHION

For old-school Alice Cooper fans, Flush the Fashion might not be the first record that comes to mind when it comes to pivotal releases from Ol' Black Eyes. But for a younger generation of rock fans just discovering the legacy of Alice Cooper at the dawn of the 1980s, Flush the Fashion is essential.

Driving the Flush the Fashion bus was lead single, "Clones (We're All)." With Cars producer Roy Thomas Baker manning the boards, the song's sleek style and attention-grabbing melody drove it right up the Hot 100, parking at a high point of #40 for the week of July 5, 1980. The #1 song in America that week: Paul McCartney and Wings, "Coming Up (Live At Glasgow)." For the legions of young fans who snapped up copies of the single, they got an extra kick in the pants via the B-side, high-energy New Wave-rocker, "Model Citizen." It was a potent combination that sent many of those same listeners back to the record store for the full-length.

Flush the Fashion was also Alice Cooper's second album in a row to feature longtime Elton John guitarist, Davey Johnstone, by his side. Johnston was a co-writer on most of the tracks here, and plays lead guitar. His distinctive style lights up album tracks like "Headlines," a song that would prove to be an Easter egg: in 2020, Cooper revealed on his radio show that all of the song titles on the LP had been taken directly from the pages of the National Enquirer.

There was a second single from the album: "Talk Talk," a cover version of 1966 garage rock nugget by L.A. band The Music Machine. The track failed to chart.

Released on April 28, 1980, Alice Cooper's Flush the Fashion made a respectable chart run, peaking at #44 on the Billboard 200 for the week of July 5, 1980. The #1 album in America that week: Billy Joel's Glass Houses.