ConceptQ124179· pop 86· linked from 3,133 articles

Kiss (band)

Also known as KIϟϟ

Kiss was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973 by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. Known for their face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid-1970s with shock rock–style live performances that featured fire-breathing, blood-spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits and pyrotechnics. The band went through several lineup changes, starting with drummer Eric Carr replacing original drummer Peter Criss in 1980, with only Stanley and Simmons remaining the only consistent members. The final lineup consisted of Stanley, Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer.

AI overview

Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973 that became famous for their distinctive face paint, elaborate stage costumes, and theatrical live performances featuring pyrotechnics and shocking visual effects like fire-breathing and blood-spitting. The band, which maintained core members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons throughout various lineup changes since its formation, played a significant role in popularizing shock rock performances in the mid-1970s and beyond.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikipedia views (30d)

117,978 total

via Wikimedia Pageviews API

Wikidata facts

Official website: kissonline.com
Image: Kiss original lineup (1976).jpg

Show 8 more facts

Commons category: Kiss (musical group)
inception: 1973-00-00
start of work period: 1973-00-00
social media followers: 1764964
official shop URL: shopkissonline.com
hashtag: kiss

~40 min read

Article

Kiss (commonly styled in all caps as KISS) was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973 by Paul Stanley (vocals, rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals, bass guitar), Ace Frehley (lead guitar, vocals) and Peter Criss (drums, vocals). Known for their face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid-1970s with shock rock–style live performances that featured fire-breathing, blood-spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits and pyrotechnics. The band went through several lineup changes, starting with drummer Eric Carr replacing original drummer Peter Criss in 1980, with Stanley and Simmons remaining the only consistent members. The final lineup consisted of Stanley, Simmons, Tommy Thayer (lead guitar, vocals) and Eric Singer (drums, vocals).

With their makeup and costumes, the band members took on the personas of comic book-style characters: the Starchild (Stanley), the Demon (Simmons), the Spaceman or Space Ace (Frehley), and the Catman (Criss). During the second half of the 1970s, Kiss became one of America's most successful rock bands and a pop culture phenomenon. The band's commercial success declined during the early 1980s; however, it experienced a resurgence in 1983 when the band members began performing without makeup and costumes, marking the beginning of the band's "unmasked" era that would last until 1996. The first album of this era, 1983's platinum-certified Lick It Up, successfully introduced the band to a new generation of fans, and its music videos received regular airplay on MTV. In response to a wave of Kiss nostalgia in the mid-1990s, the original lineup reunited in 1996; at this time, the band resumed using makeup and stage costumes. The resulting 1996–1997 reunion tour was the band's most successful, grossing $143.7 million. In January 2019, Kiss began its final worldwide tour, and the band retired after performing its final show in New York City in December 2023. They have since reunited occasionally to attend Kiss-related events and record new music.