On last night’s (May 1st) episode of Glee, the youthful crew proved that while it may be 2012, there’s still no better song to celebrate impending graduation than Alice Cooper‘s 1972 hit “School’s Out.”

Forty years after Cooper’s biggest hit was released, it’s synonymous with summer’s arrival and freedom from academic shackles in a way that no other song has been able to replicate. And since the students on Glee are almost ready to leave behind the fictional McKinley High, it’s the perfect fit. Watch the show’s resident bad boy, Puck (played by Mark Salling), channel Cooper’s creepy antics in his performance. Expect guitars engulfed in flames, motorcycle jaunts down school hallways, and cheerleaders in Alice Cooper eye makeup.

Did Glee achieve the best cover of “School’s Out” ever? Well, they’ve got competition, that’s certain. Cooper would likely say no, since he’s lent his talents to a number of “School’s Out” covers, including renditions from Rob Zombie and Slash, Foo Fighters, and pop star Ke$ha.

The only thing more prevalent than artists covering “School’s Out” is the use of the song in television shows and movies. It’s been used to soundtrack films like Dazed and Confused and Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, and on TV shows like The Simpsons. Cooper himself gave a classic performance of “School’s Out” on The Muppet Show in 1978, in which he dons a cap and gown and gets pushed around by some pretty intimidating-looking Muppets.

–Jillian Mapes, CBS Local