KISS (music)
KISS is a rock-and-roll band formed in 1972 by rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley and bass guitarist Gene Simmons, later joined by drummer Peter Criss and lead guitarist Ace Frehley. The band made its debut in New York City in 1973 and quickly secured a recording contract with Casablanca Records. KISS became renowned for their elaborate black-and-white character makeup, flamboyant costumes, and extravagant stage production. Their early albums, including "KISS," "Hotter than Hell," and "Dressed to Kill," garnered moderate success, but it was their fourth album, "Alive," released in 1975, that propelled them to fame with hit singles like "Rock and Roll All Nite."
Throughout the late 1970s, KISS solidified their status as rock icons with a series of platinum albums and a massive fanbase known as the "KISS Army." Their energetic live performances, characterized by pyrotechnics and theatrical elements, set new standards for concert experiences. KISS also ventured into merchandising, with products ranging from makeup kits to board games, and even starred in a 1978 science-fiction film. The group's cultural impact was profound, influencing the heavy metal genre and transforming how musicians marketed their image. Overall, KISS became a defining force in rock music during the 1970s, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to resonate in popular culture.
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Subject Terms
KISS (music)
Identification American hard-rock band
Date Formed in 1972
KISS was one of the most influential rock-and-roll bands of the 1970’s, as the group’s music and performance style had a significant impact on the development of popular music in the United States.
Key Figures
Paul Stanley (1952- ), guitaristGene Simmons (1949- ), bass guitaristPeter Criss (1947- ), drummerAce Frehley (1951- ), guitarist
In 1972, rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley and bass guitarist Gene Simmons recruited drummer Peter Criss and lead guitarist Ace Frehley to form the rock-and-roll band KISS. The band made its first appearance in August, 1973, in New York City. Shortly thereafter, following its second performance in Manhattan, the group was offered a management contract. Within two weeks, KISS had signed a recording contract with Casablanca Records. The group would become known for wearing elaborate black-and-white character makeup and costumes and for using ornate stage sets.
In 1974, the band released three albums, KISS, Hotter than Hell, and Dressed to Kill, all of which were moderately successful. The group’s fourth album, Alive (1975), went platinum and included its first U.S. hit single, “Rock and Roll All Nite.” The next album, Destroyer (1976), was equally successful and earned the group its first Top 10 single on the music charts. In 1976 and 1977, KISS produced three more albums, Rock and Roll Over, Love Gun, and Alive II, all of which turned platinum and catapulted the group to major recording-artist status in the music industry. In 1979, the band released its final album of the decade, Dynasty, which featured the worldwide hit single “I Was Made for Lovin’ You.”
KISS’s appeal to audiences lay in its bigger-than-life stage sets with pyrotechnic displays, its glitzy costumes, and its rock anthems. Throughout the 1970’s, the group’s popularity continued to multiply, and by the end of the decade, the group’s fans—known as the “KISS Army”—had grown to hundreds of thousands of people. In 1977, KISS was named the most popular band in the United States in a Gallup poll. Taking advantage of this popularity, the group also launched an enormous marketing campaign, selling countless consumer items such as makeup kits, masks, and board games. The members even starred in a science-fiction film, KISS Meet the Phantom of the Park (1978), and Marvel Comics published two superhero cartoon books about the band.
Impact
During the 1970’s, KISS rose to superstar status, in large part because of its explosive live shows, outrageous costumes, and hard-rock anthems. The group’s legions of fans became almost cultlike. Enthusiasts formed KISS-like bands, complete with costumes and flashy stage shows. Attendance records at stadium concerts were consistently broken as millions of people attended KISS shows. In essence, the group became a cultural phenomenon of the 1970’s that defined rock-and-roll music for a generation of teenagers. Equally important, the band’s influence on music and the music industry was far-reaching. Its music had a significant impact on the development of heavy-metal music, its stage shows redefined concert standards, and the selling of its image created a whole new marketing industry for musicians.
Bibliography
Abbott, Waring, Gene Simmons, and Paul Stanley. KISS: The Early Years. New York: Crown, 2002.
Elliott, Paul. KISS—Hotter than Hell: The Stories Behind Every Song. New York: Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2002.