The American band Kiss was formed in New York around 1973. Kiss, which was easily identified with excessive face makeup and paint, stage outfits and elaborate performances in concerts, has sold over 19 million records in the U.S. alone and a whopping 80 million records worldwide. The band was awarded with 22 gold records since its formation, despite a history of different band members.
Kiss is well-known for their live performances, having gimmicks like fire-breathing, smoking guitars; blood-spitting; pyrotechnics; and other extraordinary tricks. Because of their entertaining performances and great glam music, Kiss quickly developed a fan base worldwide.
Of all American rock and roll artists, Kiss has proved their appealing image for all ages and has successfully promoted itself to a point that exceeds even Elvis Presley's promotion.
The People Behind the Music of Kiss
The original members of Kiss were Gene Simmons, a schoolteacher and bass player, and Paul Stanley, a singer and guitarist, who were both members of a band called Wicked Lester.
When Simmons and Stanley decided to leave Wicked Lester, they brought with them their bad boy image and formed the band Kiss, which later became dubbed as one of the greatest rock and roll bands in the world of popular music.
Kiss became a complete band after recruiting Paul "Ace" Frehley (vocals and lead guitar) and Peter Criss (vocals and drums) through a newspaper advertisement that Stanley and Simmons set out.
The band Kiss produced a series of successful albums throughout the 1970s. With their donning elaborate face make-up and black leather outfits, Kiss instantly became a hit and even adopted their own personas and stage names: Stanley "The Star Child," Simmons "The Demon," Criss "The Cat" and Frehley "The Space Man."
Unfortunately, because of creative differences and substance abuse, Frehley and Criss were both out of the band by 1982. As a result, the band's commercial fortune and fan base decreased during this time.
Without the make-up, Kiss made a major comeback in 1983 and enjoyed a successful resurgence all through the early 1990s. Kiss' original lineup reunited in 1996 and performed in 210 cities for the "Kiss Alive Worldwide Tour." After the tour, Criss was replaced by Eric Singer and Frehley by Tommy Thayer.
The Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum Albums of Kiss
When the original members of Kiss first performed with their raw music in local bars, they eventually impressed a manager named Bill Aucoin and signed a deal with Casablanca Records in 1973.
In 1974 Kiss' self-titled debut album came out, which was filled with crushing, raw music. However, the band's commercial stardom began with their 1975 album "Dressed to Kill," which gave Kiss their signature tune from timeless songs like "Rock and Roll All Nite."
Around 1976 Kiss released "Love Gun" and "Rock and Roll Over," which both went platinum. "Creatures of the Night," their final album with Casablanca Records, was a major success in 1982. In the next year, Kiss dropped their infamous make-up, signed with Mercury Records and reinvented their sound to produce another platinum album called "Lick It Up."
In 1992 the band released the "Revenge" album, which automatically went gold. Then an official Kiss reunion of "The Star Child," "The Demon," "The Cat" and "The Space Man" was filmed by MTV's Unplugged, which was internationally released both on record and on video.
Kiss continued playing their music until 2001. However, through their evolving music, elaborate live acts, outlandish costumes and millions of fans and worldwide, Kiss remains one of the greatest rock and roll bands in the world.
