Artist Spotlight: Kiss
You wanted the best?! You got the best! Kiss has been playing loud, blood-spitting, fire-breathing rock n roll since 1973. Drawing largely from the theatrics of acts like Alice Cooper, it was Kiss’ live show that helped propel them from local New York City rockers to one of the biggest bands of all time.
Kiss has 24 gold albums and has sold over 19 million records, but are more known for their face paint, elaborate costumes, and huge pyro filled live performances. While huge stage productions, from bands like Motley Crue, Marilyn Manson, and Rob Zombie are commonplace today, KISS was one of the first to make the show a real experience with exploding guitars, elevating drumsets, blood, fire, and any other rock cliché you know. They were also one of the first music groups to mass market, creating KISS dolls, comic books, lunchboxes, movies, and more.
Hip hop artists like Ludacris, Jay-Z, Ace Hood, and others with large cross-market empires might want to thank KISS for this. Even nearly 40 years later, KISS is still going strong, touring and releasing their first album in 11 years earlier this month called Sonic Boom. They remain to be a force in popular culture as well, appearing in The Simpsons, and being referenced by pop rockers Weezer and hip hop artists Slaughterhouse.





