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Favorite KISS Songs


Time ago someone asked in the shoutbox: "what's the best KISS song?". This question had me scratching my head. I didn't really remember KISS, even though it was one of the very first bands I ever listened too, when I my appetite for music started ten years ago. So I decided to check the whole band's discography.

Most albums are weak, with only one or two hit songs. But I'm glad to come back to them, KISS is actually a very special band, with nice vibes, nice rock'n'roll riffs and some other inspirations. The mixes are alweays neat, from the raw punchy 70s sounds to the polished 80s and later's. I found myself loving Paul Stanley's voice, whose technique is strange because he hits really high notes while seemingly keeping a low first bridge chest voice...

There's also some awesome shreddy leads through the 80s era, very impressive with the speed, technique, and colorful choice of notes. Generally speaking KISS proved themselves able to craft interesting rhythms, harmonies or melodies, that's quite refreshing.

Created by: Ansercanagicus | 08.12.2019



1. KISS - Destroyer
Detroit Rock City - extremely efficient intro and satisfying powerchords. Great guitars, bass, drums, vocals, everything, on every section of the song.
2. KISS - Kiss
Black Diamond - woo-hoo..! Great riff and vocal line. Great rhythm and melody too, really cool to sing along. And the cowbell! If you don't mind the stupid slomo ending
3. Death - Human
God Of Thunder - Death's version is way better than the original, of course it's not the same sound at all, but I love the crushing heavy downtuned riff, and Chuck's evil singing suits it perfectly. The death metal drums are also better. - I also like the demo version sung by Paul, with an upbeat tempo, very cool too
4. KISS - Creatures Of The Night
Creatures Of The Night - good guitarwork, and the song really grooves with a mesmerizing beat. I like the texture they made with delay
5. KISS - Crazy Nights
I'll Fight Hell To Hold You - sexy harmony with rich chords, same as "After, In The Dark" in Macross. The hook before the chorus is also great: 1 2 3 4 5! 1 2 3 I'll fight... The high notes for the vocals are impressive.
6. KISS - Love Gun
I Stole Your Love - Simple but awesome riff.
7. KISS - Crazy Nights
Turn On The Night - Major/minor/major/minor.... interesting. But this one reminds me of another song ('Every Breath You Take', nah, something else... 'The Deeper The Love' by Whitesnake? maybe.. yet something else, idk damn, with a catchy verse as well)
8. KISS - Animalize
I've Had Enough (Into The Fire) - everything perfect, energy, solo, singing, drums
9. KISS - Asylum
I'm Alive - mean speed metal riff, Racer X like, great choirs during the chorus. I can't enough of the F#5 Paul reaches there. The drummer keeps the kick drum on running
10. KISS - Dynasty
I Was Made For Loving You - Awesome bass, check! Nasty riff, check! Punchy drums, check! Oooh-ooh-ooh-Ooooh-ooh... The harmonic variations through the verse and bridge are interesting too
11. KISS - Animalize
Thrills In The Night - decent too, great dark glamour verse. Palmuted verse riff, sense of suspens, stupid prechorus but great chorus, with the gentle kick on every time, incredible liquid solo from Eric Carr
12. KISS - Crazy Nights
Good Girl Gone Bad - Is that the 'Beds Are Burning' bassline? Anyway the guitar riffs are sexy, Van Halen like
13. KISS - Crazy Nights
Crazy Nights - choirs and whole tone transpositions.
14. KISS - Asylum
Anyway You Slice It - I like simons' singing for once. They also didn't miss their prechorus. And the way he chromaticly raises to a high note on "slice it" is fun
15. KISS - Kiss - Paul Stanley
It's Alright - good old use of major 6th in the bluesy/rocky riff. I like the chorus especially ("girl if you want me to stay for the night")
16. KISS - Kiss - Paul Stanley
Wouldn't You Like To Know Me - ok I really dig Paul's solo album. Major feast.
17. KISS - Kiss - Paul Stanley
Love In Chains - those muted half notes make an awesome guitar riff
18. KISS - Rock And Roll Over
I Want You - great surprise effect with the first chorus.
19. KISS - Kiss - Peter Criss
Rock Me, Baby - funky groove, nice honky piano, and that minor third of a jump in the bassline is fun
20. KISS - Kiss
Strutter -
21. KISS - Asylum
Trial By Fire - nice to sing along
22. KISS - Crazy Nights
No No No - Van Halen inspired song it seems
23. KISS - Asylum
Who Wants To Be Lonely - suspens bass again, explosive chorus, choirs
24. KISS - Crazy Nights
Reason To Live - once again a sexy harmony from the 'glam-soup" album, great choirs, nice transposition. The verse with synths is somewhat haunting (reminding me of some Van Halen or 80s Sabbath's song). The solo is neat too, with a bit of shiny shred
25. KISS - Kiss - Paul Stanley
Tonight You Belong To Me - minor harmony and Paul's voice is all I need. Very similar to Love Gun, but more tender.
26. KISS - Kiss
Deuce - that riff with a bit of tremolo in it is fun, and the punchy drums too.
27. KISS - Destroyer
Shout It Out Loud - nice feel good song
28. KISS - Asylum
Love's A Deadly Weapon - holy solo
29. KISS - Hot In The Shade
Silver Spoon - those 2 chords for intro - those pedal arpeggios over the dumb VI-V-vi progression that gives a sexy color to it - the transposition when the chorus starts - wo ho-o wo ho-o - and transposing back into the verse ("So what's so special 'bout a girl like you?". Wow, that's much efficient stuff.
30. KISS - Love Gun
Love Gun
31. KISS - Kiss - Paul Stanley
Ain't Quite Right - really beautiful mix, and the acoustic guitar is mesmerizing, how simple that music is.
32. KISS - Crazy Nights
When Your Walls Come Down - for the nice transposition at the beginning. The chorus is shit though
33. KISS - Creatures Of The Night
Rock'n'Roll Hell - funny main riff
34. KISS - Dynasty
Dirty Livin' - simple harmony, but the drums and bass feel funky AF. Where is the sax solo?
35. KISS - Kiss - Peter Criss
Hooked On Rock'n'Roll
36. KISS - Kiss
Nothin' To Lose - pretty bluesy/boogie/rocky nice guitar and bass and non-obvious song structure.
37. KISS - Dynasty
Sure Know Something
38. KISS - Asylum
King Of The Mountain - nice bass and drums, chorus is too repetitive
39. KISS - Asylum
Tears Are Falling
40. KISS - Psycho Circus
Psycho Circus - holy tonic chord held for the whole chorus. You're in the saaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
41. KISS - Hot In The Shade
You Love Me To Hate You - Ozzy Osbourne on vocals ? nah? the chorus is so strainly high
42. KISS - Hot In The Shade
King Of Hearts - Panama by Van Halen. wow much transpositions
43. KISS - Hot In The Shade
Prisoner Of Love - all those songs are correct, I really like the switches between minor and major.
44. KISS - Hot In The Shade
Forever - ^even though the mix is a bit too clean
45. KISS - Hot In The Shade
Rise To It - ^even though they sound uninspired
46. KISS - Hot In The Shade
Betrayed - ^even though the songs are a bit bland, idk there's some appeal to them...
47. KISS - Creatures Of The Night
Keep Me Comin' - A bit of a Robert Plant impersonation on some lines. The riff gets old quickly unfortunately
48. KISS - Dressed To Kill
Rock'n'Roll All Nite - It rocks and swings, thanks to the bass notably. But the chorus is a bit flawed with missed stop'n'go effect and repetitive choirs.
49. KISS - Dressed To Kill
Love Her All I Can - I'm really weak and the cowbell gets me. The unusual turns in harmony are also nice, even the song is a bit boring.
50. KISS - Kiss - Ace Frehley
Ozone
51. KISS - Rock And Roll Over
Take Me
52. KISS - Kiss - Peter Criss
I'm Gonna Love You - so funky. Forgetable but nice
53. KISS - Rock And Roll Over
Makin' Love - the chorus is a bit off but the bassline is heavy on this song. Sounds like a LedZep song
54. KISS - Animalize
Burn Bitch Burn
55. KISS - Kiss - Ace Frehley
Rip It Out
56. KISS - Hotter Than Hell
Parasite - heavy riff, that blue note in the singing totally crushes. The chorus that's on a softer touch is surprising too. And the solo or at lest its introduction is standing out.
57. KISS - Revenge
Paralyzed - I hate the 90s sound this album has, but this one song makes it, very powerful, good intro, good multiple vocals
58. KISS - Animalize
Lonely Is The Hunter - funny riff with odd rhythm
59. KISS - Unmasked
Shandi - interesting chord progression and nice ballad
60. KISS - Kiss - Ace Frehley
What's On Your Mind
61. KISS - (Music From) The Elder
The Oath - I mean no pun with The Oath, but this song has somewhat of a Mercyful Fate one, with the raw guitars, raw drums, and falsetto singing. A bit of early Manowar too
62. KISS - Psycho Circus
Within - nice choirs, really heavy mix
63. KISS - Kiss
Firehouse - the song feels a bit generic but those stop'and'go on the first verse are very efficent and clever.
64. KISS - Rock And Roll Over
Calling Dr. Love - stupid lyrics but the verse riff is fine
65. KISS - Rock And Roll Over
Love'Em And Leave'Em - I like the choirs on the chorus, but I'm a tad disappointed because it's sounds like a rip-off of "I Can't Explain" by the Who.



Disclaimer: All top lists are unofficial and do not represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
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Comments

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Comments: 6   Visited by: 20 users
21.09.2020 - 07:14
Lord Slothrop
Kiss was the very first hard rock band I got into and for a time I was obsessed. I remember thinking Gene Simmons was so fucking cool; now just the sight of him makes me throw up in my mouth, but just a little. And while they do have some great songs, to say their albums are inconsistent is an understatement. Still, Stanley has a great voice and there will always be a handful of songs I'll go back and listen to. And sometimes when I'm not drunk.
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21.09.2020 - 10:27
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Staff
You definitely like late 80s Kiss and the solo albums more than I do. But plenty of good choices for the others. Surprised not to see "War Machine", "King Of The Night Time World" or "Goin' Blind".
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21.09.2020 - 10:32
John doe
Nice list.

I wouldn't have chosen I Was Made for Loving You from Dynasty, Sure Know Something and Magic Touch are my favorites from that album.
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21.09.2020 - 18:59
Ansercanagicus
endangered bird
Written by RaduP on 21.09.2020 at 10:27

Surprised not to see "War Machine", "King Of The Night Time World" or "Goin' Blind".

Written by John doe on 21.09.2020 at 10:32

I wouldn't have chosen I Was Made for Loving You from Dynasty, Sure Know Something and Magic Touch are my favorites from that album.

King Of The Night Time World has a fun riff and solo, but the chorus is too repetitive.
Going Blind : I don't really like Gene's voice, nor the prod of Hotter Than Hell. Also this song is the ballad type, and I'm more into power songs.
War Machine has a cool vibe indeed.
Magic Touch has the same characteristic minor harmony which is already widely represented in the list. And I prefered the other songs. Magic Touch sounds a bit like Love Gun, slower, and the words "magic touch" are repeated a lot.

As for I Was Made For Loving You, I just think it's a great fusion of hard rock and disco. Very few disco songs are this good. And as you can see I'm not reluctant to the early funky side of Kiss.

Thanks for checking my list, it was just meant so I don't have to go through the whole discography again.
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01.10.2020 - 21:44
Maco
Pvt Funderground
For me it' either Black Diamond, Parasite or Strutter.
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15.11.2021 - 23:23
Blackcrowe
Great choice, Love Kiss and I love those songs , I missed Lick It Up and Exciter or Hotter than Hell… anyway great list
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