On Saturday, December 2nd 2024, in their home city of New York, rock legends Kiss brought the curtain down on a remarkable career spanning fifty years of rock ‘n’ roll, and already the world feels an emptier place. While the band may continue one way or another as avatars, the live entity that has so entertained legions of fans over the years has finally come to an end.
While Kiss attracted almost as much mockery as they did praise, no band could have achieved the level of success, and the longevity, that Kiss did, without having the songs to back it up and, while the band may have faltered over the course of their twenty albums, only the most fervent Kiss detractors could deny the band the remarkable ability to pull together hard rock riffs, pop melodies, and catchy choruses demonstrated in their best songs. It was these songs, combined of course with a stage show of explosive proportions, that served to make Kiss one of the rock’s most enduring bands and, at their peak, their larger-than-life image simply dominated the world.
Part of Kiss’ rare ability to defy their critics was their remarkable ability to successfully reinvent themselves, aligning with prevailing musical trends and, in some cases, even getting out in front, while their influence on the rock world has been incalculable, with the likes of Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Melvins, Anthrax, and Pantera regularly citing Kiss as one of their primary motivations to rock. Put simply, whatever you think of Kiss, they played a unique and invaluable role in shaping hard rock and meta as we know it today.
To celebrate Kiss’ remarkable career, SonicAbuse has compiled twenty of the very best Kiss songs that serve to showcase the best of this remarkable band. Whether you’re a long-time fan, or a newcomer wondering what all the fuss was about, here are some of the band’s greatest anthems and heaviest hitters, – you wanted the best, you got the best – dial it in and turn it up LOUD.
War Machine
Kiss forever sat on the fringes of metal, often looking more metallic than they sounded. However, when they did decide to wander into heavier territory, it was always with impressive results. War Machine, taken from the fantastic Creatures Of The Night album, has one hell of a riff, and it kicks a whole lot of arse. With a typically catchy chorus, a snarling vocal from Gene, and the image of a tank looming over live performances, War Machine is kiss at their metallic best and I dare you to say it does not rock.
God Of Thunder
The demo of this track was delivered at twice the speed and thank goodness they were dissuaded from that idea. A showstopper that sees Gene spitting blood before flying up to the rafters, God Of Thunder is proto-doom of the highest order and, with its simple, hammer blow bass line and crunchy riff, it really laid a template for heavier bands to follow. With producer Bob Erin adding the eerie sound of children to the mix, you can almost hear a young Slayer taking notes – and the track provides a perfect early example of Kiss’ dark side. Taken from the immensely popular Destroyer (arguably Kiss’ finest single album), it’s a stellar track bolstered by great production.
Detroit Rock City
The riff that almost every rock ‘n’ roll fan knows – who can deny the surge of excitement that comes from the song’s opening salvo. With lyrics capturing the hedonism of the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, all leading to its car crash finale, Detroit Rock City is a genuine anthem, showcasing Kiss at their hard rock best, and the band deployed it just as effectively as a show opener as they did a show closer.
I Love It Loud
I love it loud might be a silly song boasting lines such as “whiplash – heavy metal accident”, but it perfectly captures the (exceptionally long) tongue the band kept firmly in their collective cheek. Yet, for all the foolishness, I Love It Loud really delivers the hard rock goods. Based around the drum beat of the gods, and with an arena-threatening singalong intro, I Love It Loud perfectly exemplifies Spinal Tap’s fine line between stupid and clever.
Psycho Circus
The album may not be perfect, but the title track is an absolute belter. From its simple, scene-stealing chorus to the melodies that form the bridge, it’s just great melodic hard rock, delivered with style, and it should comes as no surprise that Kiss kept it in the set despite their disdain for its parent album. It’s classic kiss through and through (and the comic book series, penned by Tod McFarlane of Spawn fame, ruled too)
Do You Love Me
It’s a silly, silly song, but Do You Love Me is a hell of a lot of fun. With its instantly recognisable drum beat, arched-eyebrow lyrics, and attention seeking chorus, it pretty much epitomises mid-70s Kiss, and it never fails to raise a smile – especially the hilariously overblown outro Ezrin added to the piece. Nirvana even covered it, with Krist on vocals, making for an “interesting” version of a classic song.
Cold Gin
Kiss’ debut album was packed with amazing songs, and Cold Gin is a blazing example of the band’s songcraft. While the production is rather rough and ready (it would not be until Alive that fans really heard the song as intended), this ode to alcoholism is a dazzling example of the band’s early prowess.
Black Diamond
A genuine team effort, Black Diamond neatly wrong foots the listener, as Stanley kicks things off over a 12-string refrain, only for Criss to take the lead (and with surprising vigour) when the main song detonates. With Criss delivering a solid performance from behind the kit, it showcases his gritty vocal skill, and it remained a much loved song in the band’s live sets.
Domino (unplugged)
While the original (found on Revenge) is enjoyable enough, the unplugged version, delivered as a blues pastiche, absolutely rules, even if Gene does fluff the intro. With the Demon really getting into the spirit of the track and Bruce Kulick delivering the goods on lead guitar, this is a great example of Kiss rocking even without the amplifiers – and the damn thing will lodge itself in your head for weeks.
Deuce
Gene may not have a clue what the song’s lyrics mean, but by god he gives it everything when the band storm into this one live. Built around Criss’ pummelling drums, and boasting some epic lead work, Deuce just keeps getting bigger, from its over-the-top introduction to the choregraphed riffing at its conclusion. As Stanley would say – “do it!”
Rock ‘n’ roll All Nite
No Kiss playlist would be complete without this anthem to youth gone wild. Known the world over, and oft-quoted, even by people who hate Kiss, it’s a cultural phenomenon, and familiarity has never dulled its impact. A kiss show without this faultless, sub-three-minute blast would be a sad affair indeed. Play it loud and sing until your throat bleeds – it’s what Kiss would want.
Shock Me
Ace had to be convinced to take to the mic for Shock Me, but it was worth the effort, because Shock Me is a strangely ramshackle track that sees Kiss go all Rolling Stones over a woozy riff. Ace may not have the best voice, but he has a presence that works perfectly in the context of the song’s libidinous ambitions, and it laid the ground for him to front a cover of the Stones’ own 2,000 Man on Dynasty.
Strutter
It’s a testament to the remarkable power of the band’s debut that no fewer than four songs are included on this list, with another pair at least in the running. Strutter is one of those songs that sounds exactly as its name suggests, boasting an up-tempo rhythm and some gritty bass work. Sadly, it was not included on the setlist of the band’s final tour, but with so many great songs from which to choose, they must have had a rough time narrowing it down. Nevertheless, Strutter is a fantastic song, with a wired riff and a great, multipart vocal from a band who, in the early days, were firmly united in their desire to rock.
Heaven’s On Fire
A hard rock anthem with a chorus that most bands would kill for, Heaven’s On Fire ruled the hair metal roost on its release. Co-written by Paul Stanley and Desmond Child, the latter helping out in the absence of Gene (who was off trying to kickstart his acting career), Heaven’s On Fire went supernova, keeping the band’s flame alight at a time when received wisdom was that they were on their way out.
Uh! All Night
Yeah, OK, I am fully aware that it’s one of the most ludicrous titles in the band’s canon (and it has a fair few contenders), and the lyrics are just… awful. But hear me out. Asylum is a solid album pretty much from start to finish, and the band really nailed the hair metal formula here, with tracks like Tears Are Falling sublimely catchy examples of radio rock. Similarly, as much as the lyric may make your teeth shake, Uh! All Night has a chorus that just elbows its way into your mind, and it’s a strong closer to the record.
Unholy
Revenge is an underrated album, and Unholy is a hell of an opener, once again showcasing the band’s metallic credentials. With Gene Simmons going full demon, even in the absence of his make up, it’s a dark rocker that sets a high bar for the ensuing album. While Revenge may not quite reach such heights again, Unholy is surely an explosive way to start things off.
Tears Are Falling
A great pop-rock anthem from Asylum, Tears Are Falling is one of those anthems from the 80s that just defines that era. It showed that, even when compromised by line up changes, Kiss could still deliver the odd classic and it’s remained an enduring live staple for the band ever since.
Rain
The last breath for the Revenge line up of Kiss was Carnival Of Souls, a divisive offering that saw Kiss taking on the trappings of grunge. However, while it might lack the neon-lit fun factor of earlier releases, it has some great riffs, and Rain is particularly potent among them. Boasting a gnarly AiC grind, Rain is an oft-overlooked track, but had it been released by anyone other than Kiss, it would surely have been feted. As it is, for fans of the band’s heavier side, both the track and the parent album are well worth checking out.
Doctor Love
Who else but Kiss could wheel out a track like Doctor Love and have the crowd from front to back singing along? Another example of Kiss’ self-aware ability to combine a ludicrous idea with a soaring melody that just works, Doctor Love is a highlight from Rock And Roll Over and it always garnered a huge cheer whenever Stanley teased its intro.
Modern Day Delilah
Sonic Boom is a surprisingly excellent album that saw Ace and Paul, ably backed by Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, reasserting their legacy with an album that legitimately deserved the epithet “all killer, no filler”. With Paul arguing at the time that it was recorded as much to ensure that the last album wasn’t the last album, Sonic Boom not only showed that kiss still had it, even after a line up shuffle and an eleven year break between records, but it turned out to be a latter-day classic in the band’s canon.
There are so many great songs in Kiss’ storied catalogue, that this list only scratches the surface. Whatever Kiss’ future may hold, their legacy is a remarkable one, while their absence from the stage is a genuine loss. Kiss – we salute you.
See Kiss reborn as avatars:
