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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_kiss-band_8580_4969.jpg]]
2[-[[caption-width-right:350:The current line-up since March 2004. From left to right: Gene Simmons, Eric Singer, Paul Stanley and Tommy Thayer.]]-]
3
4->''"Alright, Website/TVTropes! You wanted the best, you got the best! The hottest band in the world, KISS!"''
5
6[floatboxright:
7Influences:
8+Music/AliceCooper, Music/NewYorkDolls, Music/TheBeatles, Music/TheYardbirds, Music/EricClapton, Music/JeffBeck, Music/{{Slade}}
9
10Influenced:
11+Music/MotleyCrue, Music/GhostBand, Music/{{Anthrax}}, Music/{{Pantera}}, Music/{{Turbonegro}}, Music/WhiteZombie, Music/RobZombie, Music/MarilynManson, Music/AliceInChains, Music/BlackVeilBrides, Music/{{Venom}}, Music/SystemOfADown, Music/{{Weezer}}, Music/YoshikiHayashi, Music/GarthBrooks, Music/{{Melvins}}, Music/{{Slipknot}}, Music/RageAgainstTheMachine, Music/LimpBizkit, Music/{{Twiztid}}
12]
13
14Kiss (usually stylized in all caps as KISS) is an American rock band, formed in [[TheSeventies 1973]] in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity. It is well known for the face paint and complex costumes worn by the band-members, and its [[GreatBallsOfFire theatrical concerts]], which involve, among other things, fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, and [[ImpressivePyrotechnics lots of pyrotechnics]]. The most well-known members are front-man Paul Stanley (rhythm guitar; his stage persona is "Starchild", due to being a "starry-eyed lover" and "hopeless romantic", a little ironic as he's now HappilyMarried) and of course Gene Simmons (bass; the "Demon", cynical and fan of dark elements, and also known for [[OverlyLongTongue his enormous tongue]]). The two other founding members are the guitarist Ace Frehley (the "Spaceman", a reflection of his fondness for science fiction and [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} supposedly being from another planet]]) and drummer Peter Criss (the "Catman", in accordance with the belief that [[CatsHaveNineLives he had nine lives]] because of his rough childhood in Brooklyn.), whose make-ups are still worn by their current replacements, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer (respectively).
15
16The band also made movies: first, a made-for-TV flick, ''Film/KissMeetsThePhantomOfThePark'' (1978). [[OldShame They don't like to talk about it, or at least two still don't like to.]] Two decades later, they tried again with ''Film/DetroitRockCity,'' a nostalgia film about TheSeventies sometimes compared to ''Film/DazedAndConfused''. In ''DRC'', the band is simultaneously the focus of the action and limited in appearance to one song in concert (guess which). It was initially a bigger flop than the 1978 picture, but has found a niche as a CultClassic. All of the original four have written biographies giving their perspectives on their time with the band, as well. Gene (of course) goes even further, having written three ''self-help'' books based on his own success: ''Me, Inc.,'' ''On Power,'' and ''Sex Money Kiss.''
17
18Not to be confused with {{kissing|Tropes}}, a song by ''Music/{{Prince}}'', the book ''Literature/Kiss2007'', or the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle KISS principle]].
19----
20!!Principal members (founding members in '''bold''', current members in ''italic''):
21* Paul Caravello (Eric Carr) – drums, percussion, guitar, backing and lead vocals, bass (1980–1991, died 1991)
22* '''George Criscuola (Peter Criss)''' – drums, percussion, backing and lead vocals (1972–1980, 1996–2001, 2002–2004)
23* Vincent Cusano (Vinnie Vincent) – guitar, vocals (1982–1984)
24* '''''Stanley Eisen (Paul Stanley)''''' – lead and backing vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard (1972–Present)
25* '''Paul "Ace" Frehley''' – guitar, bass, backing and lead vocals (1972–1982, 1996–2002)
26* Bruce Kulick – guitar, bass, backing and lead vocals (1984–1996)
27* ''Eric Mensinger (Eric Singer)'' – drums, backing and lead vocals (1991–1996, 2001–2002, 2004–Present)
28* Mark Norton (Mark St. John) – guitar (1984, died 2007)
29* ''Tommy Thayer'' – guitar, backing and lead vocals (2002–Present)
30* '''''Chaim Witz/Eugene Klein (Gene Simmons)''''' – lead and backing vocals, bass, guitar (1972–Present)
31----
32!!Discography:
33[[index]]
34[[AC:Studio albums]]
35* 1974 – ''[[Music/KISSAlbum KISS]]''
36* 1974 – ''Music/HotterThanHell''
37* 1975 – ''Music/DressedToKill''
38* 1976 – ''Music/{{Destroyer|Album}}''
39* 1976 – ''Music/RockAndRollOver''
40* 1977 – ''Music/LoveGun''
41* 1978 – Music/KISSSoloAlbums
42* 1979 – ''Music/{{Dynasty|Album}}''
43* 1980 – ''Music/{{Unmasked}}''
44* 1981 – ''Music/MusicFromTheElder''
45* 1982 – ''Music/CreaturesOfTheNight''
46* 1983 – ''Music/LickItUp''
47* 1984 – ''Music/{{Animalize}}''
48* 1985 – ''Music/{{Asylum|KissAlbum}}''
49* 1987 – ''Music/CrazyNights''
50* 1989 – ''Music/HotInTheShade''
51* 1992 – ''[[Music/RevengeKISSAlbum Revenge]]''
52* 1997 – ''Music/CarnivalOfSoulsTheFinalSessions''
53* 1998 – ''Music/PsychoCircus''
54* 2009 – ''Music/SonicBoom''
55* 2012 – ''[[Music/MonsterKISSAlbum Monster]]''
56
57[[AC:Live albums]]
58* 1975 – ''[[Music/KISSAlive Alive]]''
59* 1977 – ''[[Music/KISSAliveII Alive II]]''
60* 1993 – ''Alive III''
61* 1996 – ''KISS Unplugged''
62* 1996 – ''You Wanted The Best, You Got The Best !!''
63* 2003 – ''Kiss Symphony: Alive IV''
64* 2004 – ''Kiss Instant Live''
65* 2006 – ''Alive! The Millennium Concert''
66* 2008 – ''KISS Alive 35''
67* 2010 – ''Kiss Sonic Boom Over Europe''
68* 2016 - ''KISS Rocks Vegas''
69[[/index]]
70----
71!!"SO LET'S ROCK N ROLL ALL NITE, AND TROPE EVERY DAY!":
72
73[[foldercontrol]]
74
75[[folder:#-D]]
76* AllDrummersAreAnimals: In a more literal sense, with the Catman (Criss, then Singer) and the Fox (Carr).
77** Both would be subversions, though, as Criss is pretty jazzy; after all, he's the man behind "Beth", and Carr was always known to be a sweet natured, down-to-earth guy...
78* TheAlcoholic:
79** Ace is known for this. Just (re)watch the infamous Tom Snyder interview.
80** During the ''Hotter Than Hell'' photo session, everyone but Gene got drunk. Paul was drunk enough that he got ''locked inside his own car''!
81** Gene, who is TheTeetotaler, is an aversion.
82* ArchEnemy: Pretty much every music critic of the last 40 years, especially at ''Rolling Stone''. [[note]]The magazine still hasn't included Eric Carr when listing or memorializing dead musicians, which is a particular sore spot for Paul Stanley.[[/note]]
83** Also, various incarnations of MoralGuardians.
84** Also, the Music/InsaneClownPosse, who dissed them on "Everybody Rise" for ''Psycho Circus'':
85-->"Fuck Gene Simmons, you make me sick\
86''Psycho Circus'', you stole my shit!"
87* AskAStupidQuestion: On their infamous 1979 appearance on Tom Snyder, we have [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He6t9JkDUMY this]]:
88-->'''Tom Snyder''': ''(to Ace)'' But you're kind of like a spaceman, huh?\
89'''Ace''': No, actually I'm a plumber. ''(laughs)''
90* AudienceParticipationSong: Several, but especially "Rock and Roll All Nite". In a live show, the chorus can stretch the song out by several minutes from loops of the band and the crowd taking turns.
91* BadassBoast: See the page quote, from the opening of ''Alive II''.
92* BasedOnAGreatBigLie:
93** It's widely accepted that their breakthrough live album ''Alive!'' was overdubbed in studio; to ''what'' extent, exactly, is unknown because all the band members have told different stories.\
94In his autobiography, Gene Simmons claimed that the album's budget was too low to afford overdubs, as the band was in poor shape financially and Casablanca Records was in dire straits because their ''Series/TheTonightShow'' compilation ''Here's Johnny'' had flopped; Peter Criss (in ''his'' autobiography) claimed that his drums were the only thing remaining from the original live recordings; Paul Stanley said on the ''[[Wrestling/ChrisJericho Talk Is Jericho]]'' podcast that overdubs were only used to correct live mistakes and sound levels; and producer Eddie Kramer has agreed with Criss ''and'' Stanley's stories at different points.
95** Peter Criss was credited with drums, percussion, and vocals across ''Dynasty'' and ''Unmasked'', while also appearing on the albums' cover art and music videos. In reality, he only played drums on his ''Dynasty'' track "Dirty Livin'", and the rest of the drum parts were recorded by longtime [[Series/TheLateShowWithDavidLetterman David Letterman]] house drummer Anton Fig.
96** ''Creatures of the Night'' put Ace Frehley in a similar situation to Criss above: he was credited for lead guitar and appeared on the cover art and the "I Love It Loud" video, but ''all'' of his guitar parts were recorded by Robben Ford, Steve Ferris of Mr. Mister, and Vinnie Vincent — the last of whom officially replaced Frehley on the album's tour.
97** ''Psycho Circus'' was widely hyped as the first studio album recorded by the original KISS lineup in over a decade. In reality, "Into the Void" was the only song recorded with all four band members with Criss on drums; "You Wanted the Best" had the four sharing lead vocals but Criss did not drum, while Frehley played lead guitar on three songs and vocals on three others. The rest of the album was recorded with session drummer Kevin Valentine and guitarist Tommy Thayer, who would later inherit the Spaceman make-up.
98* BerserkButton: If this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWd-OJbcbgs video is anything to go by]], lasers are one for Paul Stanley.
99** In later years, Ace's substance problems have become this for him, especially when it's Gene or Paul passing judgement on him, since he's been over a decade sober at this point.
100* BigGuyLittleGuy: Eric Singer (5'6") as the little guy and Tommy Thayer (6'2"), Gene Simmons (6'2") and Paul Stanley (6') as the big guys.
101** In the 80s Eric Carr (5'7") was the smallest guy in the band, and shared the title with Vinnie Vincent (also 5'7") for a while.
102* BigApplesauce: The band was formed in Brooklyn, and at times their Noo Yawk accents are a bit obvious.
103** Gene told ''Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine'' that he was heavily inspired by the channel in New York City that always played ''Film/KingKong1933''.
104** Ace has said that, as a kid growing up in New York, the best moment of his career was playing at the Madison Square Garden.
105** Also the song "New York Groove" from Ace's solo album.
106* BrilliantButLazy: Ace, so very much. For all bad things Gene and Paul have said about him, both have admitted that he was an incredibly talented musician, despite apparently skipping practice, drinking constantly and his refusal to help with out with the gear, or anything not related to the stage show.
107* BiggerIsBetter: '''EVERYTHING'''. ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap'' may have been the Trope Namer for up to eleven, but KISS got there a decade early. Gene told ''Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine'' that he was inspired by how much bigger everything in America was compared to Israel. He mentioned "the abundance of food, the idea of markets being ''supermarkets.'' In other countries, you have Charlemagne or someone like that, but in America you have ''Franchise/{{Superman}}''. And he's from another planet. How perfect." He also compared the idea of Kiss performing only in small clubs to having an elephant in your kitchen.
108** That said, the ''MTV Unplugged'' show worked surprisingly well.
109* BlankWhiteEyes: Gene does them in "Unholy".
110* CampStraight: Do not be fooled by Paul Stanley's campy poses and outfits. He's actually pretty much a [[TheCasanova ladies' man]].
111* TheComicallySerious: Gene. He's basically made it his mission in life to be taken seriously as a business man, while dressed as a kabuki demon and spitting blood in platform boots.
112* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Dear god, Ace! That Spaceman concept is probably half truth.
113* CarpetOfVirility: Simmons, Criss, Thayer, and '''especially''' Stanley.
114* ColourCodedCharacters: Since the solo albums: Red - Gene, Green - Peter/Eric, Blue - Ace/Tommy, Purple - Paul.
115* ConceptAlbum: ''Music from "The Elder"'', a big and ambitious project that even involved ''a big-budget movie'' and a world-wide tour for a while, but...
116* '''CostumePorn'''/'''ImpossiblyCoolClothes'''/'''UnlimitedWardrobe''': The band is ''infamous'' for this.
117** BadassInANiceSuit: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dressed_to_Kill_%28album%29_cover.jpg As seen in the cover of]] ''Dressed to Kill''.
118** '''[[FacialMarkings FACIAL MARKINGS]]'''': You have to ask?
119** FluffyFashionFeathers: Paul's feathered gloves in ''Love Gun'', as well as his jacket in ''Unmasked''.
120*** FeatherMotif: Peacock feathers as in ''Dynasty''.
121** FormFittingWardrobe[=/=]SensualSpandex:
122*** [[CampStraight Stanley]], [[MrFanservice Stanley]], '''[[StupidSexyFlanders Stanley]]'''.
123*** Ace[=/=][[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute Tommy]] does too, but aren't as bad as Stanley.
124** PimpedOutCape: Everyone during the ''Dynasty'' period, though Paul and Ace take the cake.
125** PrettyInMink: Carr during the ''Unmasked'' and ''Creatures of the Night'' tours.
126** RummageSaleReject: Most of their outfits in the unmasked days, when they looked like a lot of other HairMetal bands. ''Asylum'' is perhaps the worst offender: purple gloves, a yellow coat with shoulders covered in gems of every colour. Yellow gloves and a purple coat. Gene Simmons in a pink satin bathrobe.
127** SpikesOfVillainy: Part of Gene's costumes, especially the armour from ''Destroyer''.
128** TwentyFourHourArmor: Gene, when not in a borderline ChainmailBikini.
129** WalkingShirtlessScene:
130*** Stanley, with the exception of ''Elder'' and ''Creatures'' (where it happens to Simmons instead).
131*** Criss in ''Love Gun''.
132** {{Zipperiffic}}: Carr in ''Music from "The Elder"''.
133* ConsummateLiar: According to Paul in his autobiography, Gene was like this throughout the 1980s, sometimes bordering towards compulsive liar.
134* ContagiousLaughter: If Ace laughs, everyone around laughs (sometimes even Gene).
135%% CoverAlbum:.
136* CoverVersion:
137** "Kissin' Time" by Bobby Rydell on their self-titled debut album.
138** "Then She Kissed Me" (a GenderFlip version of the original song by The Crystals) on ''Love Gun''.
139** "Any Way You Want It" by the Dave Clark Five on ''Alive II''.
140** "2000 Man" by Music/{{The Rolling Stones|Band}} on ''Dynasty''. It was even played by the band on the New Years' Eve concert leading to 2000.
141** "Odyssey" by Tony Powers on ''Music from "The Elder"''.
142** "Hide Your Heart" (written by Paul Stanley, but originally performed by Bonnie Tyler) on ''Hot In The Shade''.
143** "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll To You II" (a remake of the original from Argent) on the ''Bill And Ted's Bogus Journey'' soundtrack.
144** "New York Groove" by Hello on the Ace Frehley solo album.
145** "Tossin' and Turnin'" by Bobby Lewis on the Peter Criss solo album.
146** "When You Wish Upon A Star" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'' on the Gene Simmons solo album.
147* DarkerAndEdgier:
148** ''Creatures of the Night'' is pretty much their heaviest album at this time, especially compared with the pop-oriented ''Dynasty'' and ''Unmasked''. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools This isn't a bad thing, though, as this album (and the two following) are well received.]]
149** ''Revenge'' includes not just a heavier sound, but also "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You II", a PowerBallad that doubles as a tribute for Eric Carr.
150** ''Monster'' is heavier as well.
151* {{Dedication}}: Each guy dedicated his solo album to the other three guys (e.g., Ace's to Gene, Paul and Peter, etc.)
152* DirtyOldMan: Gene Simmons
153* DoubleEntendre: Used frequently, with Ace's "Shock Me" and "Rocket Ride" being good examples.
154* DressRehearsalVideo: "I Love It Loud".
155* DualMeaningChorus: "Detroit Rock City"'s chorus has a second meaning with its downer ending.
156[[/folder]]
157
158[[folder:E-N]]
159* EchoingAcoustics: "Detroit Rock City." Khazad-dûm, meet Motown.
160* EpicInstrumentalOpener: The intro to "Rock Bottom" from ''Dressed To Kill'', which lasts 1 minute 57 seconds.
161* EpicRocking: As a general rule, they don't ''usually'' delve into this trope, but "Jungle" from ''Carnival of Souls'' is a rare exception, clocking in at 6:50.
162* FaceOnTheCover: Their self-titled debut album (notably, Peter's makeup was different from the usual one), ''Dynasty'', ''Creatures Of The Night'', and ''Asylum'' are notable examples of this. ''Rock And Roll Over'' combines this with DesignStudentsOrgasm.
163* FakeOutFadeOut: Again, "I Love It Loud". Then it fades out again...
164* {{Fanservice}}: Stanley's costumes are designed around this trope, showcasing his CarpetOfVirility. Simmons' and Criss' also, to lesser extents. [[TokenWholesome Frehley is rather modest in comparison.]]
165* ForgottenFallenFriend: Mark St. John (who died in 2007) is starting to become this.
166* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Paul - phlegmatic, Gene - choleric, Ace - sanguine, and Peter - melancholic.
167* FunWithAcronyms: Subverted. KISS is often spelled in all-caps, and has been rumoured to be an acronym (which it isn't), with meanings such as "Knights In Satan's Service" or "Kids In your Sister's Skirt", but was proven by the members to be false.
168* GenreShift: KISS has been known to alter their sound and image in response to popular trends, and over the years they've changed quite a bit.
169** ''Kiss'', ''Hotter Than Hell'', and ''Dressed to Kill'' were a mix of Hard Rock, and the Glam Rock that was all the rage back then. Compared to their later songs, there is a definite, almost 50's Rock N' Roll vibe to the music.
170** ''Destroyer'', ''Rock and Roll Over'' and ''Love Gun'' were straight 1970's hard rock, occasionally dipping into traditional heavy metal. They also started using sound effects, and went further outside the mold they made for themselves.
171** ''Dynasty'' and ''Unmasked'' were significantly more pop-oriented as shown by ''I Was Made for Lovin' You'', a ''disco'' song by a hard rock band... it wasn't welcomed by everyone, it's easy to say.
172** ''Music From the Elder'' was their attempt at a Progressive Rock album... years after the genre had lost it's mainstream appeal. They also cut their hair and changed their outfits, hoping to piggyback off the "New Romantic" trend popular at the time. It didn't work, and their new look, along with all but one song from ''The Elder'' were swiftly forgotten.
173** ''Creatures of the Night'' was a return to the heavy rock of the mid-70's, though it would occasionally go in a heavier direction. Considered to be one of their most beloved, and musically heaviest eras, despite dwindling public interest.
174** ''Lick It Up'' saw the band remove their trademark makeup, and fully embrace the Hair Metal they in large part helped inspire. They continued this approach, from ''Lick It Up'' to ''Hot in the Shade''.
175** ''Revenge'' and ''Carnival of Souls'' represented their heaviest era musically, with songs like ''Unholy'' being straight up Heavy Metal, and most of their glam rock and pop sensibilities discarded. ''Carnival'' went even heavier, as Kiss jumped on the Grunge trend.
176** ''Psycho Circus'', ''Sonic Boom'' and ''Monster'' all harken back to classic makeup-era Kiss, riding the wave of 70's nostalgia in the 1990's. You wouldn't be judged for mistaking the albums from ''being'' from the 70's, since they went the extra mile and used period-appropriate technology and gear for the recording.
177* GoldDigger: "Do You Love Me" asks whether the singer's (in this case, Paul) girlfriend is with him just because he is a big-shot rockstar who can give her all kinds of luxuries through his lifestyle or if she really does like him.
178* GoshDangItToHeck: "Spit":
179-->"It don't mean spit to me."
180* GratuitousJapanese: The cover of ''Hotter Than Hell'' had these.
181** BilingualBonus: The Japanese in the top-right corner (地獄のさけび, or ''Jigoku no Sakebi'') translates as "Hell's shout" or "The shout of hell".
182** BlindIdiotTranslation: On the other hand, the members' names are a little... ''off''. In particular, Frehley's name being rendered as エイス フューリ ([[TheAce Ace Fury]]) instead of エースフレーリー.
183** The album of rerecordings they released alongside ''Sonic Boom'' is titled ''Jigoku Retsuden'' (Hellish Transmission). Fittingly enough, it was released straight for the Japanese market.
184* GreatBallsOfFire: {{Spectacle}} is their motto.
185* HarshVocals: Both Peter Criss and Gene Simmons quite often. Evidence A: "God of Thunder".
186* HeavyMeta: "Rock and Roll All Nite", "Detroit Rock City", "Let Me Go, Rock n' Roll", "Rock and Roll Hell"...
187* HeavyMithril: "God of Thunder".
188* HesBack: Much of the hype surrounding ''Psycho Circus'' came from Ace and Peter returning to the band, at the same time the band returned to the makeup and theatrics that made them famous in the '70s.
189* HeterosexualLifePartners: Gene and Paul are the only two members of KISS who have been there from the start, and they've always been close friends and allies. The other members of KISS have remarked that when important decisions needed to be made regarding the band, Gene and Paul would *always* side with each other, which meant the other members got their opinions overruled.
190* HiddenDepths:
191** Though he may seem like a boastful, womanizing egomaniac; Gene Simmons is actually a very shrewd businessman and investor, as well as a former schoolteacher and an avid comic book fan.
192** Ace Frehley, for all his past issues, and self-admitted laziness, was for a time one of America's premier guitarists, pioneering techniques that were later used by the likes of Eddie Van Halen and others. He's also a skilled graphic artist, and both Gene and Paul have admitted Ace is exceptionally gifted, despite their other, less kind words.
193** Paul Stanley starred in the titular role of ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' in Toronto in 1999 and was praised for his performance in the role. He's also been involved with charities aimed at helping people with deformities (having been one himself; he was born with a deformed right ear, which impaired his hearing on that side, but has since undergone reconstructive surgery)
194** Mark St John was a respected guitar teacher before joining Kiss.
195** Vinnie Vincent was an accomplished session musician, writing tracks for television shows like Happy Days and doing session recordings before joining Kiss.
196* HomesicknessHymn: Oddly for a band whose image is so deeply centered on partying and sex, "Beth" is a disarmingly earnest song where the narrator entreaties his lover to wait for him, hoping she'll be all right while he's gone.
197* IAmSong: Fittingly titled "I"
198* ImportantHaircut: All members cut their hair for ''Music from "The Elder"'' era... It didn't stick.
199* IWantSong: "I Just Wanna", "I Want You"
200** "I!! WANNA ROCK AND ROLL ALL NI-I-IGHT! AND PARTY E-VE-RY DAY!!"
201* IconicItem:
202** Ace Frehley isn't Ace Frehley without his three-pickup orange sunburst Gibson Les Paul.
203** Gene Simmons' Axe bass.
204** Paul Stanley's Iceman guitars, particularly his signature "cracked mirror" models.
205** Vinnie Vincent's Jackson Rhoads, especially the pink "double winged" custom one.
206* IconicOutfit: The make-up and costumes. The distinctive face paint patterns have become symbols for individual band members in later years.
207* InventionPretension: Gene Simmons has claimed that he invented the "heavy metal horns" hand gesture, even though Music/RonnieJamesDio was using it for years before Gene.
208** Not only that, but Simmons didn't start using it until after he was shown making the gesture on the cover of ''Love Gun''.
209* InsufferableGenius: Vinnie Vincent, according to a fair few sources. He's an exceptionally talented musician, no doubt about it, but few people had nice things to say about him as a person back in the 80's.
210** Gene Simmons too. He's a shrewd businessman, a decent bassist and a good singer, but is also known as one of the biggest assholes in the music business.
211* {{Instrumentals}}:
212** "Love Theme From KISS" from their self-titled debut album.
213** "Fractured Mirror" from Ace Frehley's 1978 solo album.
214** "Fanfare" and "Escape From The Island" from ''Music from "The Elder"''.
215** "Carr Jam 1981" from ''Revenge''.
216* InsultBackfire:
217** Calling them sell-outs.
218** Back when the ''Knights in Satan's Service'' rumour was all the rage, seeing religious fanatics and the like shouting and screaming quotes from the Old Testament at the group wasn't unheard of. Neither was seeing Gene Simmons (a theology major) quoting them back.
219** Gene Simmons' most recent solo album was titled ''Asshole''.
220* IntercourseWithYou: A ''huge'' portion of their catalogue. Notable examples: "Christeen Sixteen" (about a guy lusting after a sixteen year old) to "Hotter Than Hell" (about a guy lusting after a married woman) to "Heaven's On Fire" (about a guy having sex, and may or may not have inspired a large amount of the sex dialogue seen in all kinds of fandoms' fanfic sex scenes).
221* ItsAllAboutMe: According to Paul Stanley's book, this would be Simmons' personal trope.
222* JailbaitTaboo: "Christine Sixteen" is about an older man who becomes obsessed with a sixteen year old girl after he sees her walking out of her school. When the song was released, many radio stations refused to play it because of its subject.
223* {{Jerkass}}: Gene Simmons is somewhat infamous for being a huge asshole and is completely unrepentant about it. When a roast was held in his honor, Ace took note that no friends or colleagues took part (particularly current or former members of KISS) and the dais was mostly made up of professional comedians hired for the event.
224** JerkWithAHeartOfGold: In Frehley's biography, he claims that Simmons, despite there being no love lost between them, saved him from drowning on two separate occasions, the second time spending the entire night watching over Frehley.
225* KavorkaMan: Gene Simmons is anything but handsome and is known for being a raging egomaniac and asshole, but he [[TheCasanova claims to have bedded over a thousand women]].
226* KneelBeforeZod: In "God of Thunder"
227-->I am the lord of the wastelands\
228A modern-day man of steel[[note]]No reference to Franchise/{{Superman}} intended[[/note]].\
229I gather darkness to please me\
230And I command you to kneel before the...\
231God of Thunder, and rock n' roll!
232* LampshadedDoubleEntendre: Paul Stanley's stage banter until the reunion was mostly innuendo. He's toned it down somewhat since long-time fans began bringing their kids, but it's still there.
233* LargeHam: Paul and Gene, for the most part.... and most of that most part is Gene, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnWd7KGqemo bordering]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo63Oh770Zk on]] FunPersonified.
234* LastNoteNightmare: The album version of "Detroit Rock City" from ''Destroyer'' ends with a car skidding, crashing and '''[[EveryCarIsAPinto exploding]]'''. Then the record segues into "King of the Night Time World".
235* LastSecondWordSwap: "I Just Wanna":
236-->Time to take my chances, find somebody new\
237I just wanna fu-\
238I just wanna fu-\
239I just wanna forget you
240* LaterInstallmentWeirdness: Although they had started to drift toward HairMetal as early as their fifth studio album, ''Rock and Roll Over'', in 1976, in the 1980s Kiss fully embraced it, and their albums from the "non-makeup" years (1983-1992) sound drastically different from the "classic" Kiss sound, with fast (occasionally ''very'' fast) Music/VanHalen-like solos. In part this was due to new guitarists - Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John, Bruce Kulick - who sounded nothing like Ace Frehley. But it was also due to the band having to adopt a grittier and more "controversial" image in order to keep pace with the bands they'd inspired. Thus, along with the usual goofy anthems about [[IntercourseWithYou sex]], there are a number of DarkerAndEdgier tunes with more of a "punk" attitude and even some [[PrecisionFStrike Precision F-Strikes]] very much at odds with their former (relatively) kid-friendly image. The makeover was only partially successful, with Kiss having fallen into semi-obscurity by the late '80s and enjoying only scattered success until they put their makeup back on in 1996.
241* LeadBassist: Gene is type B and C.
242* TheLeader: Paul since the mid 80s, after Gene attempts to launch a movie career. Before and after that, Gene and Paul ran the show together, being the original members and all.
243* LegacyCharacter: The current guitarist and drummer wearing the founding members' make-up. [[BrokenBase It divides fans on whether it's fair]].
244** Simmons and Stanley have demonstrated their willingness in the past to replace band members, but it's a little known fact that they have also planned for their own replacement when they get too old or die. Simmons wants Kiss to live on long after all the original members are dead and buried.
245* LicensedPinballTable: Two of them:
246** Creator/{{Bally}} released a KISS pinball game in 1979, and it became one of pinball's top ten tables ever made. [[Pinball/KissBally Click here for details.]]
247** In May 2015, Creator/SternPinball announced plans to release a new KISS pinball game, complete with a ball-spitting Gene Simmons' head and a Paul Stanley-inspired levitating stage.
248** Though he would later disavow this viewpoint.
249* LiteraryAllusionTitle: The songs "Thou Shalt Not" from ''Revenge'' (Exodus 20 or Deuteronomy 5) and "The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away" from ''Hot in the Shade'' (playing off of Job 1:21)
250* LongRunnerLineUp: The original formation played for 13 non-consecutive years: first from 1972-80, then a reunion from 1996 to 2001 (although as BlatantLies shows, the reunion was more live than on studio).
251** The current line-up of Stanley-Simmons-Thayer-Singer has been going for 14 years, having been together since 2004.
252* LoveItOrHateIt: Actively invoked and encouraged (!) by the band.
253-->'''Paul Stanley:''' "If you want to hate us, God bless you! If you love us, that's great too. If you're in the middle... get out!"
254* LyricalColdOpen: "I Just Wanna".
255* MadeOfIron:
256** Arguably Frehley, as he was badly shocked during an early concert but recovered well enough to finish the show. Since then, the band use wireless guitars (one of the first bands to do so!), and Ace wrote a song about this accident, "Shock Me", which became his vocal debut. [[FridgeBrilliance Which is fitting, considering that iron conducts electricity...]]
257** When KISS was starting and some of their (now famous) concert's antics hadn't been perfected yet, there was one occasion were Simmons accidentally swallowed the (highly toxic) kerosene of his fire breathing stunt. Gene ignored the excruciating abdominal pain and finished the show instead of stopping the concert there and rushing to the hospital. Gene's also set his hair on fire at least once doing his firebreathing stunt.
258* MasterOfDisguise: "Man Of 1,000 Faces" from Gene Simmons' 1978 solo album: "I can put on any face; you won't know me, but it's no disgrace."
259* MayDecemberRomance: "Goin' Blind" details a doomed romance between a 93-year-old and an underage girl.
260* MetalScream: Gene and less-frequently Paul both did this, especially in the 80s with probably the ''Lick It Up'' album featuring the most in a singular work.
261* MonsterClown: The cover of ''Psycho Circus''.
262* NaughtyByNight: "Thrills in the Night" from ''Animalize'' tells the story of a woman who works a 9-to-5 job but moonlights as a hooker.
263* NewSoundAlbum: Several, most of which were not well received by the fanbase and [[BrokenBase are still divisive]] to this day[[note]]''Asylum'' and ''Revenge'' being the exceptions[[/note]]:
264** ''Dynasty'' was heavily disco-influenced, especially "I Was Made for Loving You".
265** ''Music from "The Elder"'' was an attempt at a ProgressiveRock ConceptAlbum (described by Simmons later as sounding like a bad {{Music/Genesis|Band}} record).
266** ''Asylum'' was pure GlamRock and had the band wearing androgynous make-up and outfits.
267** ''Crazy Nights'' was a keyboard-heavy AOR album.
268** ''Revenge'' was more hard rock and featured darker lyrics than their mid-eighties HairMetal / GlamRock output.
269** ''Carnival of Souls'' was a Grunge-inspired, very heavy, metal album.
270* NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity: Invoked by Gene in the [[http://guitarinternational.com/2010/08/20/kiss-alive-again-simmons-stanley-plan-a-family-reunion/ April 1996 issue]] of ''Guitar Magazine'':
271-->'''Gene Simmons''': "There's no such thing as bad press, there's only press. If you don't get press, that's bad."
272* NoSwastikas: Due to German law, the band's normal logo cannot be used in Germany[[note]]and in several other countries where the use of Nazi iconography is restricted, such as Austria, Switzerland, Lithuania, Hungary and Israel[[/note]], due to the lightning bolt-styled S's resembling the [[StateSec Schutzstaffel]] logo. While the band has been accused of being Nazis, it seems unlikely that Simmons and Stanley (both being ''Jewish descendants of concentration camp survivors'') intended the logo that way. Hence, the alternate logo with two backwards Z's in place of the S's.
273* NobodyLovesTheBassist: Easily one of the greatest aversions, due to Gene being the most famous member of the group.
274[[/folder]]
275
276[[folder:O-Z]]
277* ObligatoryBondageSong: "Sweet Pain" from ''Destroyer''.
278* OneCastMemberPerCover: When the members of Kiss decided to record [[Music/KISSSoloAlbums solo albums]] in 1978, it was arranged to have all four albums released on the same day (September 18, 1978), with each of the four covers featuring a solo illustration of its respective band member.
279* [[OneSteveLimit One Paul Limit]]: Stanley Eisen took the stage name Paul Stanley. When guitarist Paul Frehley joined up, he used his nickname 'Ace' as a first name to avoid confusion.
280** When Paul Caravello took Peter Criss' place as the drummer, he took on the name Eric Carr.
281* OnlyOneFemaleMold: In the cover of ''Love Gun'', as seen [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Love_gun_cover.jpg here]]. 'They' are based of the wife of Ken Kelly (the painter of this cover, as well as ''Destroyer'''s), who served as a model for all the poses.
282* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Gene wears face paint, spits fake blood, real fire, plays the bass, sings and rolls out his long tongue.
283* OverlyLongTongue: Gene Simmons, infamously. During an interview with Creator/OprahWinfrey, when she asked him how long his tongue was, he replied, "Enough to make you happy, baby."
284* PerformanceVideo: Most of their videos.
285* PhallicWeapon: "Love Gun".
286* PowerBallad: Generally written by Stanley or Criss. "Beth", "Shandi", "I Still Love You", "Forever" (which had even input from Music/MichaelBolton in the songwriting), "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II"...
287* ProfessionalWrestling: In summer 1999, Kiss and Wrestling/{{WCW}} set up a deal to introduce a wrestling character based on Gene's Demon persona. The August 23rd episode of ''Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro'' ended with Kiss faking "God of Thunder," with wrestler Wrestling/BrianAdams emerging from a sarcophagus as the Demon. This was supposed to lead to a feud with Canadian wrestler [[Characters/WCWFinalYears El Vampiro]] that would culminate in a special New Year's Eve[[note]]New Year's fell on a Friday night that year, and, since the rise of the Wrestling/MondayNightWars in 1995, wrestling [=PPV=]s are almost always held on Sundays.[[/note]] [=PPV=]. The storyline would have involved Vampiro attempting to straighten out the Demon, who would have been revealed at some point to be the son of {{Satan}}. These plans were abandoned when then-boss Wrestling/EricBischoff was canned for poor TV ratings and wasting the company's money on guests such as KISS. Adams never wrestled a single match in the gimmick. Instead, the gimmick was given to {{Jobber}} [[Characters/WCWFinalYears Dale Torborg]], who would feud with Vampiro in June-July 2000 before joining his juggalo {{Heel}} PowerStable the Dark Carnival, which included Kiss-haters (see ArchEnemy above) the Insane Clown Posse. The gimmick never really got over, and, as part of Wrestling/{{Sting}}'s feud with Vampiro, Sting {{Squash|Match}}ed the Demon in 53 seconds at the abysmal ''New Blood Rising'' [=PPV=] on August 13th. Things went FromBadToWorse when he was wheeled out in a sarcophagus for a match at a February 15 (aired February 26), 2000 taping of WCW's weekend {{B Show}} ''WCW Worldwide.'' To quote the February 21st edition of ''Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter.''
288--->"In Philadelphia, apparently the [[Film/ThisIsSpinalTap hydraulics didn't work and The Demon was stuck in his coffin for about three minutes before they could get him out]]."
289* PunctuatedForEmphasis: From "Tough Love": "Gimme...TOUGH!...LOVE!"
290* RagsToRiches: The band was ''very'' broke before ''Alive!'' made them superstars, in spite of their successful tours. Despite quickly gaining a sponsorship with Gibson guitars, Paul Stanley said at one point they were so broke that he pawned a couple of them just to pay his rent.
291* TheRashomon: See if you can find a straight answer for how much overdubbing was applied to ''Alive!''.
292%%* RatedMForManly: ...Besides the informed ballads.
293* RealityShow: ''Series/GeneSimmonsFamilyJewels''.
294* ReallyGetsAround: All of the band members had their groupies, but Gene Simmons was the most promiscuous of the lot.[[note]]At least, that's what Gene says.[[/note]]
295** In Frehley's autobiography, he speculates that Gene may be a sex addict.
296* RealMenWearPink: Paul got purple as his main colour (look at his jacket in ''Dynasty''!). His CampStraight behaviour, and the fact he wrote several pop oriented songs ("I Was Made For Lovin' You"...) doesn't help.
297** Their outfits in the mid-80s were androgynous at best.
298* RearrangeTheSong: Like many other live rock albums with orchestras, ''Alive IV'' (although the orchestra is only present for about two-thirds of the album). ''Jigoku Retsuden'' is also this in a fashion, as it's the band playing their classics with Tommy and Eric Singer.
299* RevolvingDoorBand: And "revolving" is especially true as the members other than Gene and Paul come and go and back.
300* RobotOrSpacemanAlterEgo: Ace Frehley ''originated'' the Spaceman. Later, Tommy Thayer took this identity.
301* RockBottom: They have a song with this title.
302* RockMeAsmodeus: "Unholy":
303-->"I was created by man, yeah I'm the Lord of the flies, you know I'm"
304** In addition the {{Backronym}} by unhappy parents that [=KISS=] stood for "Knights In Satan's Service".
305* RockTrio: KISS has performed as a trio on a couple of occasions - in January 1982 when the band played "I" without Ace, and in 2007 when Paul suffered an irregular heartbeat and elected to not perform.
306* RockersSmashGuitars: Paul at the end of "Black Diamond".
307* ScaryMusicianHarmlessMusic: They stomp around on stage in crazy costumes, their bass player breathes fire, spits blood, and looks like a demon, the lead guitarist is fond of putting fireworks in his guitar... and some of their biggest hits are [[TearJerker "Beth"]], [[UnpluggedVersion "Hard Luck Woman"]], and [[GratuitousDiscoSequence "I Was Made For Lovin' You"]], which sounds like it belongs on an "easy-listening" station.
308** The best example of this trope is from the Simmons solo album: Gene Simmons sings a heartfelt version of [[{{WesternAnimation/Pinocchio}} "When You Wish Upon A Star"]].
309* {{Scatting}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNGNLo8K6Fk DO do do do DO do do do do DO do do do DO DO do...]]
310* SelfTitledAlbum: For the band (1974) and each of its members (1978).
311* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: This trope is seen when you compare the lyrics of songs written by Paul with the lyrics of songs written by Gene. Paul spent decades searching for the woman of his dreams and had his heart famously broken by actress Donna Dixon, while Gene spent decades having sex with every willing woman in his path and denouncing monogamy. Some of the more famous songs written by Paul include "I Want You", "Strutter", "Anything for My Baby", and "Shandi", which are all songs about Paul longing for a woman he can't have. Meanwhile, Gene wrote songs like "Calling Dr. Love", "Christine Sixteen", and "Nothing to Lose" which all have very sexual lyrics. It even reflects on their own singing deliveries: Paul's voice is smoother and higher, while Gene sings with a low, growling voice.
312** Gene also was one of the writers on "War Machine" and "Unholy," neither of which have any kind of sexual contact, being anthems of destruction and Satan, respectively.
313* SesameStreetCred:
314** One of the hosts of the original version of ''Series/ThreeTwoOneContact'' had a backstage look at the intricate preparation and management of a concert of the band.
315** Late-[=2000s=] Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} had a penchant for having KISS guest star in their cartoons.
316*** The ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode [[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS5E17 "20,000 Patties Under the Sea"]] has Gene Simmons play a sea monster at the bottom of an abyss, while his wife, Shannon Tweed, voices a kid's mother who lashes out at Plankton.
317*** In ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' [[WesternAnimation/{{Wishology}} "Wishology"]] three-parter, the original four members of KISS all play a major role as the band itself, with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley guest starring [[AsHimself as themselves]].
318* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll:
319** Peter and Ace's issues with drugs and booze contributed heavily to their eventually leaving the band.
320** Gene claims that he has never been drunk or done drugs, claim echoed by Ace (and said during a time period when they were ''seriously'' on the outs, so Ace would have had no reason to lie). On the other hand, he is one of rock and roll's most notorious womanisers and has reportedly had sex with thousands of women.
321** Paul's only indulgence over the years (again according to Ace) was red wine with dinner.
322* SexyStewardess: "Room Service" invokes this.
323-->My plane's delayed and I'm afraid
324-->They're gonna keep me waiting here till nine
325-->Then a stewardess in a tight blue dress says
326-->"I got the time"
327* ShoutOut:
328** Gene said that "Calling Dr. Love" was inspired by the "Calling Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard" announcements in Film/TheThreeStooges' short ''Men In Black.''
329** Gene Simmons' own costume and stage persona of The Demon has several comic book references, not the least of which is Black Bolt from Marvel's Inhumans.
330* SoloSideProject: Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter did this by releasing solo albums at the same time in 1978.
331* SpinOff: All KISS members, both former and current, released albums and formed bands at one point or another with varying degrees of success. Simmons' ''A**hole'', Stanley's ''Live to Win'', Ace Frehley's Frehley's Comet, Peter Criss' Criss, Mark St. John's White Tiger, the Vinnie Vincent Invasion, the Eric Singer Project (with Bruce Kulick), Thayer's former group Black n' Blue...
332** Frehley's "New York Groove" became one of many anthems for UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity.
333* StageNames: The only members to use their birth names are Tommy Thayer and Bruce Kulick (for starters, the original four all used stage names; Simmons was born Chaim Witz, Paul Stanley is Stanley Harvey Eisen, Ace Frehley's first name is really Paul, and Peter Criss' real name is George Peter John Criscuola, though he's always gone by his middle name). Many members went ahead and used at least one of their birth names for their stage names, though (for example, Vinnie Vincent is Vincent Cusano, and Mark St. John is Mark Norton).
334* StepUpToTheMicrophone: Most members (except Vinnie Vincent and Mark St. John) got some songs:
335** On first album, Peter Criss sang in "Nothin' to Lose" (shared with Gene), "Black Diamond" (shared with Paul), "Kissin' Time" (shared with [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs both Gene and Paul]]). His first solo vocal credits came in ''Hotter Than Hell'', with "Mainline" and "Strange Ways", followed by "Getaway" (''Dressed to Kill''), "Beth" (''Destroyer'', the best-known example), "Baby Driver", "Hard Luck Woman" (''Rock and Roll Over''), the aforementioned "Dirty Livin'" and "I Finally Found My Way" (''Psycho Circus''). Ace, meanwhile, debuted with "Shock Me" from ''Love Gun''. Subsequently he followed with "Rocket Ride" from ''Alive II'', "2,000 Man" (a Music/{{The Rolling Stones|Band}} cover), "Hard Times", "Save Your Love" (all three from ''Dynasty''), "Talk to Me", "Two Sides of the Coin", "Torpedo Girl" (all three from ''Unmasked''), "Dark Light" (''Music from The Elder'') and "Into the Void" and "In Your Face" (both from ''Psycho Circus'', although the latter is only a japan edition bonus). Both of them also shared vocals with Stanley and Simmons on another ''Psycho Circus'' track, "You Wanted the Best", this being the only song to feature all then-current four members on lead vocals.
336** While "Beth" is traditionally more a Peter Criss song than one for the whole band (after all, he wrote it for his wife), Eric Carr covered it on the 1988 ''Smashes, Thrashes, And Hits'' album. He also sang "Little Caesar" in ''Hot in the Shade'', the following year.
337** Eric Singer and Peter share "Nothin' to Lose" in the band's ''MTV Unplugged''.
338** Bruce Kulick gets a moment as the lead vocalist in "I Walk Alone" from ''Carnival Of Souls''.
339** Eric Singer's studio debut was on a re-recorded version of "Black Diamond", that appears on ''Jigoku-Retsuden''.
340** Eric Singer does the lead in "All For The Glory" and Tommy Thayer does it in "When Lightning Strikes" from ''Sonic Boom''.
341** Eric in "All For The Love Of Rock & Roll" and Tommy in "Outta This World" from ''Monster''.
342** "You Wanted the Best", from ''Psycho Circus'', is the only one where all four members are officially credited with vocal duties. Earlier, the break section of "Shout It Out Loud" had all four members takingturns each singing a phrase, while Paul sang the first verse and Gene the second.
343* StrictlyFormula: After the craptastic result of the experimental ''Music From the Elder'', this became their mantra music-wise. This is why ''Sonic Boom'' and ''Monster'' ended up working out well. For the latter, they didn't even use anything digital, resulting in the decidedly old-school sound of the record.
344* SopranoAndGravel: Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley's cleaner vocal style was the "Soprano", with Gene Simmons and Peter Criss' harsher, raspier style being the "Gravel".
345** This is the case with all the Kiss drummers. Since Peter Criss had such a distinctive raspy voice, they selected the following drummers, Eric Carr and Eric Singer at least partially because they could convincingly pull off Criss' vocal lines.
346* SuddenDownerEnding: The character in "Detroit Rock City" dies in a car crash.
347* SurprisinglyGentleSong: "Beth", “We Are One”, “I Finally Found My Way” and "Forever".
348* SurrealMusicVideo: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWIW6Ti0PbE The clip for "Psycho Circus".]]
349** What's even more surreal is watching it with the 3D glasses that the VHS version came with.
350* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute:
351** Eric Carr replaced Peter Criss in 1980 with a similar animal motif make up (Compare Carr's ''Fox'' persona to Criss' ''Catman'') and was also the shortest member in the line-up.
352*** After Carr's death, he was replaced by another Eric, Eric Singer. Singer had drummed for Paul Stanley on his 1989 solo tour, and Stanley introduced him during shows as "One of the two best drummers I know named Eric."
353** Vinnie Vincent (''The Ankh Warrior'') replaced Ace Frehley (''The Space Ace'') in 1982 with a similarly cosmic character, and they were both the skinniest of their respective line-ups.
354** Tommy Thayer wears Ace Frehley's make-up, has a similar costume, sings his old songs (notably "Shock Me") in concert, and has a similar guitar solo set-piece, complete with fireworks. Although not as pronounced (due to his being behind a drum-kit) Eric Singer wears Peter Criss's original make-up and sings his vocal parts (such as the lead on "Black Diamond") as well.
355* TakeThat: Simmons wrote "I" as a TakeThat to Frehley - hence the line:
356--> ''I don't need to get wasted - it only holds me back''
357** On the 1992 VHS release ''KISS: X-treme Close Up'', Paul talks about how back in the 1970s people were trying to get him to listen to Music/EmersonLakeAndPalmer.
358-->"No, ''you'' listen to Emerson, Lake and Palmer, not me."
359* TallDarkAndHandsome: Paul Stanley.
360** Depending on who you ask, Tommy Thayer as well.
361* TemporarySubstitute: Before a 1997 concert, Peter Criss refused to go out on stage unless he was paid more. The band's solution? Put Criss' make-up on drum tech Ed Canon, introduce him at the beginning of the show, and rock on! Nobody in the audience asked for a refund, and Criss never missed another concert during his tenure with the group.
362* TechnicianVsPerformer: Ace Frehley, a unique but unorthodox guitarist that, according to accounts from the time only practice when he felt like it, compared to Vinnie Vincent, a super technical "shredder", Bruce Kulick, also (to a lesser extreme) a shredder, and Tommy Thayer, who based his entire style on copying Ace note-for-note.
363* ThrowbackThreads: They returned to their iconic makeup and costumes in 1996, after over a decade without wearing them. They've performed in them ever since.
364* ThrowTheDogABone: In the mid-90s, during the height of the ill feelings between Simmons and Frehley, a ''Guitar World'' interviewer asked Gene the somewhat loaded question of if he was bitter about most KISS fans thinking Ace's solo album was the best one. Gene proceeded to surprise the interviewer by saying he thought Ace's album ''was'' the best one, and when Ace was later told of this, he joked "Maybe there's hope for Gene yet!"
365* TrustMeImADoctor: Gene's slogan in commercials for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJVuxpYeKqM Dr. Pepper Cherry soda]], where he plays "Calling Dr. Love" in full KISS costume.
366** The song itself may qualify:
367---> So as you please get on your knees\
368There are no bills, there are no fees\
369Baby, I know what your problem is\
370The first step of the cure is... a kiss
371* {{Unperson}}: A subversion in terms of their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. When only the original four members of the band were inducted in 2014, many suspected that leaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley had arranged for the exclusion of well-liked replacements such as Bruce Kulick, Eric Singer and the late Eric Carr. Then news came out that it was actually quite the opposite: Simmons and Stanley had actually fought with the Hall to include those members and [[http://ultimateclassicrock.com/kiss-hall-of-fame-wont-perform/ when they were rebuffed, the band refused to perform]].
372* UnpluggedVersion: "Hard Luck Woman" is one of the band's few acoustic guitar songs.
373* VerbalTic: Watch/listen to any interview with Ace Frehley, and take a drink any time he says "y'know." Let's just say you better own one of them Kiss Kaskets, because you'll be needing it very shortly.
374* VocalEvolution: Vocal ''devolution'' in Paul's case. His voice has seemingly been getting worse and worse over the last few years, which hasn't gone unnoticed by the fans. A particularly bad example of his singing these days occured during his performance of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5R4AogKJoU Love Gun]] at a 2018 concert in Barcelona.
375* VocalTagTeam: Usually between Paul and Gene, but the rest is given a chance. Well, except for Vinnie Vincent and Mark St. John.
376** Specific song examples [[note]]All sung by Stanley & Simmons, unless stated otherwise[[/note]]: "Nothin' to Lose" (Simmons and Criss), "Let Me Know", "Kissin' Time" (Simmons, Stanley and Criss), "She", "Shout It Out Loud", "Only You", "I", "Spit", "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II", "You Wanted the Best" (Simmons, Stanley, Criss and Frehley), "Stand" and "Take Me Down Below".
377** Their MTV Unplugged performance has the following: "Nothin' to Lose" (Singer and Criss) and "Rock and Roll All Nite" (Simmons, Frehley and Criss).
378* TheVoiceless: Vinnie Vincent and Mark St. John have the dubious honour of being the only two KISS ex-members to never [[VocalTagTeam sing lead vocals]] on at least one song; St. John being the only member to not even sing ''backing'' vocals.
379* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: A rather tragic case is former guitarist Vinnie Vincent. He'd fallen on ''very'' hard times in recent years due to his drug and alcohol addiction, the death of his wife, being scammed out of thousands of dollars by someone who claimed they wanted to mass produce his Flying 'V' guitar and had been arrested because some rather crazy fans decided to plant [[http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/05/23/vinnie-vincent-assault-dead-dogs-kiss-guitarist/ containers with dead dogs in them on his property.]] After this, his home was found to be abandoned and in [[http://www.metalsucks.net/2014/09/24/photos-former-kiss-guitarists-abandoned-home-depressing/ terrible condition]] (these pictures were apparently taken ''after'' the realtor had the house cleaned out.) He hasn't been seen or heard from since then and many fans fear he may be dead....until January of 2018 when he appeared at Atlanta KISS Expo! He ended up being interviewed by Eddie Trunk, explaining that he had actually been undergoing "20 years of year" due to ongoing legal battles with KISS (who he holds no ill will towards), went through a "bad marriage" and has stated that he will share the stage with Gene possibly in the future. He also explained that his departure from KISS was more or less business wise, not any tension or anger from the members, and also stated he's not a fan of the internet, hence the lack of any information of his whereabouts (although he did joke that because of this, he missed a lot of emails from Gene). A prime example of an amazing HesBack.
380* YourCostumeNeedsWork: In his memoir, Paul told a story about the band driving back from a show on the Psycho Circus tour that just so happened to be on Halloween. Their van got stuck in a costume parade, so they got out and walked the last few blocks to their hotel. Everyone complimented their costumes and didn't realize it was the ''real'' KISS coming back from a show.
381[[/folder]]
382----
383'''''"THANK YOU, WE LOVE YOU! GOOD NIGHT!"'''''

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