KISS Appreciation Thread






The Band
Kiss (often styled as KISS) is an American hard rock band formed in New York City in January 1973 by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. Well known for its members' face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s with their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits and pyrotechnics. The band has gone through multiple lineup changes, with Stanley and Simmons the only remaining members of the original lineup. Counting the 1978 solo albums, Kiss has been awarded 28 gold albums to date, the most of any American rock band. The band has sold more than 40 million albums in the United States, of which 34 million have been certified by the RIAA and their worldwide sales exceed 100 million records, making them one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time. The original and arguably best known lineup consisted of Stanley (vocals and rhythm guitar), Simmons (vocals and bass guitar), Ace Frehley (lead guitar and vocals) and Peter Criss (drums and vocals).

With their makeup and costumes, they took on the personas of comic book-style characters: The Starchild (Stanley), The Demon (Simmons), The Spaceman or Space Ace (Frehley) and The Catman (Criss). Stanley became the "Starchild" because of his tendency to be referred to as a "starry-eyed lover" and "hopeless romantic". The "Demon" makeup reflected Simmons' cynicism and dark sense of humor, as well as his affection for comic books. Frehley's "Spaceman" makeup was a reflection of his fondness for science fiction and his supposedly being from another planet. Criss' "Catman" makeup was in accordance with the belief that he had nine lives, because of his rough childhood in Brooklyn. Due to creative differences, both Criss and Frehley were out of the group by 1982. The band's commercial fortunes had waned considerably by that point.

Buoyed by a wave of Kiss nostalgia in the 1990s, the band announced a reunion of the original lineup in 1996. The resulting Kiss Alive/Worldwide/Reunion Tour was the top-grossing act of 1996 and 1997. Criss and Frehley have both since left the band again, and have been replaced by Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, respectively. Kiss has been named in many "Top" lists. These include Number 10 on VH1's '100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock', 9th on 'The Greatest Metal Bands' list by MTV, number one on Hit Paraders's "Top 100 Live Bands", 56th on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists Of All Time", and 26th on Gibson's "50 Greatest American Rock Bands". On April 10, 2014, Kiss was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, nearly 15 years after becoming eligible.

Previous Threads

Kiss Appreciation #1 - Lick It Up!
Kiss Appreciation #2 - Because they are Gods of thunder
Kiss Appreciation #3 - Because Heaven's On Fire!!
Kiss Appreciation #4 - They Thrill Us In The Night!!
Kiss Appreciation #5: Shout It Out Loud, Kiss Is Here to Stay!!
Kiss Appreciation #6: They Still Are Rocking Music For Us!!
Kiss Appreciation #7: They Give Us Great Shows!!
Kiss Appreciation #8: They Keep Rocking For Us!!
Kiss Appreciation #9: God Gave Rock & Roll To Us!!
Kiss Appreciation #10: They Will Always Be The Greatest Band Ever!!
Kiss Appreciation #11: They Are Always So Great With Their Music!!
Kiss Appreciation #12: They're Still Rockin' For Us!!

26. KISS Much of the rock genre and live concert industry wouldn’t be what it is today if not for KISS. Forming in 1973 in New York City, band members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss pioneered many of the theatrics and explosive live performances that bands have adopted to this today. From pyrotechnics to levitating drums and a lore surrounding the band and its members, KISS were masters of branding and cultivating a loyal fanbase. Combined with their Anthemic stadium stompers “Detroit Rock City,” “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “Love Gun” it’s no wonder KISS have had one of the most successful careers within rock. The band only recently played their final show in December 2023, at New York’s own Madison Square Garden. However, they’ve since announce they’ll continue performing but in the form of digital avatars