“YOU WANTED THE BEST! YOU GOT THE BEST! THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD! KISS!!!” The near iconic announcement that has foretold audiences all over the world, about the impending arrival of one of the biggest bands in the history of Rock Music: Kiss!
Formed in 1973 by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss: Kiss were an American rock band, known for their face paint, glam rock outfits, and shock-rock style of live performances, that included antics such as: Fire Breathing, Blood Spitting, and Pyrotechnics amongst many others. After the release of the 1975 live album Alive!, they became one of America’s most successful acts, claiming to have sold over 75 million albums worldwide, and earning 30 Gold albums (more than any other band from the United States) over their 50 year career!
Kiss were strongly influenced by acts like Alice Cooper, and New York Dolls; whilst their ‘musical heart‘ was inspired by British bands like The Beatles, The Yardbirds, and Slade. The band got it’s name after drummer Peter Criss mentioned that he was previously in a band called ‘Lips’. Over the years the band’s name has frequently been alleged to have a hidden meaning, which Simmons has frequently denied.
Behind the scenes, their early history has been ocassionally tumultuous. They were the first band signed Casablanca Records, but their first few albums sold so poorly, that Casablanca nearly went bankrupt. However, thier live performances were gaining a large following, so they eventually released Alive!, which turned their fortunes around. Then in the 1980’s, their commercial success began to decline. So in response, they removed their make-up and costumes, a move that introduced them to a new generation of fans. Then after a wave of Kiss nostalgia in the 1990’s, they re-adopted their costumes and face paint, which they carried from 1996, to their last show in 2023.
The band has also gone through a number of line-up changes over the years too, with the only two consistant members throughout their 50 year run being Stanley and Simmons. Other members of the band over the years have included: Eric Carr, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John, and Bruce Kulick; with Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer in the band’s concluding line-up.
Kiss’s style has been classified under several different genres. From looks alone they have been considered under the genre’s of Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Shock Rock, Glam Metal, and Glam Rock. But when you listen to their music, many other genre’s come into the fold. Some tracks can be Sweet and Melodic like Beth, where as tracks found in Dynasty, and Unmasked; feature a more Disco like sound, before then dabbling in Progressive Rock with Music from “The Elder”.
I have been a fan of Kiss since 2011, where for about four months I listened to nothing but Kiss. And whereas to me personally they are not the absolute “Best”, they are pretty close. And when I want to listen to something that isn’t heavy metal, Kiss are always a good option.
So, as it’s about 12 years since I last posted which Kiss Songs are my personal favourites, I thought it was about time to do a revised list for my new blog. But as usual, there are so many good songs, too many for a Top 5. Which is why when I looked through them, I decided to be a bit of a maverick, and do 7 instead (as out of all their songs, seven stuck out to me more than most). But even after this switch, there are several others of note. So as is the norm, here are the other excellent songs worthy of a mention:
Heaven’s On Fire, Hell Or Hallelujah, Rock and Roll All Nite, God Gave Rock and Roll to You, Shout It Out Loud, Unholy, and I Love It Loud.
And so, without further ado, here are My Top 7 Favourite Kiss Songs; Enjoy!
7. I Was Made For Lovin’ You – This Classic, sounds more like Disco than Hard Rock…but that was intentional. Paul Stanley stated ‘that it was a conscious effort on his part to prove how easy it was to write and record a hit disco song’. I Was Made For Lovin’ You is a very infectious song. The Disco approach just somehow grabs and pulls you in, even if Disco isn’t your thing. But underneath the sound, you can hear the true rock essence of the band. And the lyrics are so simple, it’s one you can instantly fall in love with, and the song’s title even features the perfect line for bride’s and grooms to write in their wedding vows!
6. Lick It Up – Possibly inspired by the love Gene Simmons has for his own tongue (given how much he brings it out during live performances), Lick It Up is a pretty cool song, but also a very simple on too. The song features such an easy bass riff, as it’s virtually the same note all the way through, except for the chorus and solo. Essentially, It’s a quick rock fix, as it just gets to the point, but is still hard and heavy enough to get a good time with!
5. Detroit Rock City – Detroit Rock City’s build-up is practically the perfect way to start the show. That build-up is small, but still creates a buzz of energy, but doesn’t delay the start indefinetely. Then once it starts, you don’t want it to stop. But then the song evolves, whilst still carrying the riff. It’s a song with a great heavy, but serious sound, which then continually builds to that epic solo, which sounds so pressing and consequential. It may sound like a serious way to start a show, like bad news is about to be announced, not good, light, or energetic, but somehow it doesn’t feel like that; it kind of feels, well, Awesome!
4. Modern Day Delilah – This is a very recent discovery for me, but one that I instantly fell in love with. That heavy sound, which isn’t delivered smoothly, but jumpy, like they can’t figure out how it’s supposed to go. It’s also not a positive, or joyful energy driven song. It sounds like a break-up song. But that sound is so different to many of their other songs, it stands out so well. It’s a song you don’t forget in a hurry, rather one you want to re-listen to, just so you can understand it more, and as a result, just digs deep into your memory banks, and remains there. It’s a song which sinks it’s hooks into you; but weirdly, that’s not a negative thing in this instance, as it features a really cool sound!
3. God Of Thunder – Quite Possibly, Gene Simmons’s signature song from the entire discography of Kiss, as it’s one of the few he leads in vocals, whilst also amplifying his thunderous bass skills, and exemplifying his Demon character within the band. God Of Thunder features a near horrific bass riff; which like Lick It Up above just keeps on going, but in a less pleasant way. The lyrics are dark, near menacing, and the solo is just as twisted. It’s not a nice sounding piece, it sounds more like an immoral song, the song used for a great movie villain, but every now and then, it can feel great to lean into the bad guy’s point of view!
2. Crazy Crazy Nights – From the almost glamourously dark, to one of the most up-beat songs you’re ever likely to hear. One of the most iconic anthemic, fist pounding songs in history, featuring a chorus you can’t help but sing out loud with. It’s not Hard Rock, more Pop Rock, featuring a real positive buzz about it, which builds up so naturally, that you know what’s coming, and can’t help but shout it out to the stars. It does sound very different to most of their harder earlier work, but it’s so Fantastic as a result. It’s a real feel-good song, one that you wish would just go on, and on, forever, and ever…and ever!
1. Psycho Circus – Another one of those songs, you’ll fall in love with the first time you hear it. An almost uniquely un-heard-of rock classic, that while it may not be as well remembered as many of the band’s other pieces, doesn’t mean that it’s necesarilly bad…it’s just simply underated. That heavy rock sound just reels you in, and the show begins. Not the full Kiss concert, but the show that is just this song, one which all the band gets a solo in. From Stanleys ear catching, visual inducing lyrics, to Simmons ever present thundering bass riff, to Frehleys epic solo, to Criss’s menacingly slow drum beat at the end. It’s a real performance piece, a concert hidden in an entire song. One that carries the energy of their other more well known classics, whilst still carrying it’s own unique identity..A Masterpiece if you will!
Things I Like 
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