10 Greatest Hard Rock Concept Albums

Towards the end of the 70's, things had started to spiral out of control for Alice Cooper. While he had risen to prominence as one of the most shocking figures in hard rock, his relentless use of drugs and booze ending up taking its toll on his health and his live shows. So where do you go from there? Hospital? Rehab clinic? No...how about an insane asylum.

In a last ditch effort to get him to clean up, Alice's wife Sheryl and producer Bob Ezrin decided the best course of action was for Alice to dry out in a mental hospital, where he was surrounded by various forms of lunacy. His residence did get him clean, but it also yielded From the Inside, which detailed all the experiences he had while in confinement.

This is also a time when Alice started to reach beyond the traditional shock rock of his early days and teamed up with Bernie Taupin, who was known for writing some of Elton John's best work. Rather than just dealing with the macabre theatrics of before, there are songs like "How You Gonna See Me Now," which detail Cooper's apprehension at facing his marriage. Cooper may have been losing his luster, but sometimes it takes a trip to the edge to find yourself again.