Alice Cooper was too afraid to argue with Brian Wilson.

The 63-year-old rocker and his pal Iggy Pop were left bemused when they visited the former Beach Boys star at home and he played for them what he claimed was the greatest song of all time – ‘Shortnin’ Bread’, originally penned by poet James Whitcomb Riley in 1900.

Alice recalled: “It was about 1978 or something like that. Iggy and I were sitting there waiting- you know it was Brian Wilson one of the great writers of all time- and he sat down at the piano and start’s playing (sings) ‘mama’s little baby loves shortnin shortnin, mama’s little baby loves shortnin bread’.

“He goes, ‘No this is the greatest song ever written’, dead seriously.

“We were two little kids, we go, ‘Umm OK’. Why is that the best song?’ ‘I don’t know it’s just the best song ever written’.

“That’s like [Sir Paul] McCartney telling you that because you go, OK- I guess you’re right.”

Alice returns to the UK for his ‘Halloween Night of Fear’ tour in October.

Tickets for the six shows are available from www.livenation.co.uk.