Kiss
Formed in New York in 1973, Kiss released more than 60 albums between 1974 and 1999. Kiss was formed by Gene Simmons (bass/vocals) and Paul Stanley (rhythm guitar/vocals). They recruited Peter Criss (drummer), who placed an ad in Rolling Stone, and Ace Frehley (guitar) answered their ad in The Village Voice. Together, the band put together a theatrical stage show when they played their music, including wild costumes and makeup, lots of elaborate lighting and smoke/dry ice, smoke bombs, even blood spitting and fire breathing that appealed to teens throughout America. The band played a blend of heavy metal/pop rock that, according to allmusic.com “laid the groundwork for both arena rock and the pop/metal that dominated rock in the late '80s.” In February, 1974, Kiss released its first self-titled debut. One year later, they had released three additional albums and toured extensively, establishing a solid, significant fan base. In the Fall of 1975, Kiss released Alive!, a compilation of songs from their live performances, and an album which made Kiss superstars. It contained the hit single, “Rock'N'Roll All Night,” and the album hit the top 10.
In March 1976, they released Destroyer, which contained the hit single, “Beth.” The album went platinum. A 1977 Gallup poll named Kiss “the most popular band in America.” Kiss merchandise became popular—comic books, games, a movie, Kiss make-up, and the like. The members of Kiss were never seen in public without their makeup, making them even more popular. In 1978, each of the members of Kiss released a solo album which achieved varying degrees of success. The group released 1979's Dynasty, another multi-platinum album. In 1980, drummer Criss left. He was eventually replaced with Eric Carr. Kiss Unmasked, released in 1980 was the first Kiss album since their rise in popularity that didn't go platinum. 1981's Music From the Elder, didn't go gold. Ace Frehley was then replaced by Vinnie Vincent and the band released 1982's Creatures of the Night, another album that failed to sell.
That led the band to a big change in 1983: the took off their make up and then released Lick It Up, the first album to go platinum in four year. The change and its accompanying publicity worked. More band changes followed and more released albums that achieved high sales. In 1996, the original members of Kiss: Simmons, Stanley, Frehley, and Criss reunited for a national tour, with makeup and special effects back. According to allmusic.com the “tour was one of the most successful of 1996.”
Mike Ward's favorite band while growing up was Kiss. He said in an MTV Fanatic episode, “I just liked KISS a lot when I was little. They were my favorite band so I started playing music." (July 1998)
