Kiss discography

The following is the discography of the American hard rock band Kiss. The group, formed in 1973, first consisted of bassist Gene Simmons, rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley, lead guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss. It is the most recognizable and successful line-up, which lasted until Criss' departure in 1980. The band is known for its make-up and stage antics, which influenced many artists who later used similar effects in their concerts.

The band's eponymous debut album was released in 1974. Despite the constant touring and promotions, the album peaked at 87 on Billboard, without the benefit of a hit-single. The follow-up album, Hotter Than Hell (1974), was a bigger disappointment, peaking at 100 and quickly dropping off the charts. Dressed to Kill, released in 1975, was a much bigger success, breaking into Top-40, but the band's record label, Casablanca Records, was close to bankruptcy and needed a commercial breakthrough. This would later be achieved with both Kiss' and Casablanca's first Top-10 album, the double-live album Alive!, which featured the number 12 hit "Rock and Roll All Nite". The next three albums, Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over and Love Gun were a success, achieving Platinum status and spawning Top-20 singles (including the number 7 ballad "Beth", the band's highest charting single in the US).

Their seventh studio release, Dynasty, while being a musical departure, was a global success, thanks largely to the worldwide hit, "I Was Made for Lovin' You". The next three albums, Unmasked, Music from "The Elder" and Creatures of the Night, were domestic commercial failures, even as the band maintained popularity in many other parts of the world. Lick It Up was the first album featuring the band without make-up and was certified gold. Their next studio releases (Animalize, Asylum, Crazy Nights, Smashes, Thrashes & Hits) were more successful and Kiss recaptured some of their earlier glory (though not to the level of their '70s heyday). Hot in the Shade was the lowest charting album of the unmasked era in the US, despite the success of the top 10 power ballad "Forever".

With their 16th studio release, Revenge, Kiss attempted to modernize their sound for the 1990s with heavier songs. The album initially charted at #6 on the Billboard 200, and quickly reached Gold status in the US. 1997's Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions was released after the reunion tour and did not receive much promotion. It has yet to be certified Gold in the US despite the album's lone single "Jungle" reaching number 8 on the US Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. Followed by a highly successful reunion, in 1998 Psycho Circus was released and was a moderate success. Their first album in 11 years, Sonic Boom, was released in 2009. The band released their 20th studio album, Monster, on October 9, 2012. According to some sources, Kiss have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. To date, Kiss have had 21 million copies certified by the RIAA in the United States. The band has 30 gold albums as of July 2015.

Singles

 * A The single was first released with "Dirty Livin'" as the A-side and "Sure Know Something" as the B-side when it reached no. 25, and later released with "Sure Know Something" as the A-side and "Dirty Livin'" as the B-side.

The singles "Beth" and "I Was Made for Lovin' You" have been certified Gold by the RIAA and CRIA. The single "Psycho Circus" has been certified Gold by the IFPI Sweden.


 * B The single reached number 2 in Japan.

Movie soundtracks

 * 1981: Endless Love – "I Was Made for Lovin' You"
 * 1991: Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey – "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You II"
 * 1993: Dazed and Confused – "Rock and Roll All Nite"
 * 1994: Speed – "Mr. Speed"
 * 1996: Beautiful Girls – "Beth"
 * 1999: Detroit Rock City – "Shout It Out Loud", "Detroit Rock City", "Nothing Can Keep Me from You"
 * 2000: Lucky Numbers – "Heaven's on Fire"
 * 2001: Rock Star – "Lick It Up"
 * 2007: Halloween – "God of Thunder"
 * 2009: I Love You, Beth Cooper – "Beth"
 * 2011: The Dilemma – "Detroit Rock City"

Other appearances

 * 2003: We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to Ramones – "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?"
 * 2014: The Art of McCartney - "Venus and Mars/Rock Show"
 * 2015: Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery - "Don't Touch My Ascot"