The other day Eddie Trunk on VH1 Classic was going on and on about how much of a joke the rock HOF is for not having inducted KISS yet. He listed a couple of other omissions I agree with (Deep Purple for one), but even though I am former KISS Army member, I just don’t believe they were that good of a band. Do they have massive popularity over a long period? Sure, but so will Clay Aiken in ten years. Do they have rabid fans who dress like them and purchase anything with KISS on it- including coffins and toilets? Yes, but so does Insane Clown Posse. Massive concert sales? Yep, same as John Tesh. Aside from one or two “classics” (Detroit Rock City, Rock and Roll all Nite) do they have any really good songs, with really good musicianship? No. Any really deep meaningful lyrics with good rhymes? No. The bulk of their songs are pretty simplistic junior high poetry class type rhymes (I like the way you talk/I like the way you walk). Any studio albums that “hold up” well? Not even close.
Compare them to about the only one of their peers in the theatrical rock/make-up/scare the parents genre, Alice Cooper, and they really look bad.
They absolutely should be in the HOF. Sure, they might have made more of an impact with style and theatricality than with pure musical chops, but if that’s a problem you’re probably taking rock and roll too seriously. It isn’t just about the music.
They’re the one rock band your grandmother can probably identify by sight. They’re emblematic of the sort of excess that ruled live rock until Kurt Cobain came along and rock stars started staring at the floor.
And, aside from all that, they wrote and performed a metric shitload of catchy songs.
I meant to add- other than the gimmick of the make-up, would they have succeded? In other words, compare them to some of their long forgotten contemporaries: Play a KISS album followed by a Starz album followed by Angel album- would KISS stand out? I say no.
The difference between Kiss and the Monkees is that I bet a lot more people remember a lot more of the Monkees’ songs. I honestly can’t hum a single Kiss tune from memory – I don’t think the chorus to “God Made Rock’n’Roll” counts as a tune.
Put KISS in, don’t put KISS in, it doesn’t particularly matter. The primary criteria appears to be “did critics suck up to you when you were a relevant band?”
Let’s assume the criteria for the Rock HOF is quality artists who put out quality music- like the football HOF is for for great football players with great careers. Politics aside, would they be worthy of this hypothetical HOF?
Lisa, hanging her head in shame
To answer the question: yes. They changed the culture of r&r. And I say this very reluctantly because, I, too, cannot stand Gene Simmons.
The [url=http://encarta.msn.com/media_461551014/table_of_inductees.html]list of inductees
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seems to me, overall, to be of a bit higher caliber than Kiss.
Wee Bairn, the criteria you list could probably knock half the acts out of the HOF. And comparing the Rock HOF with the Football HOF is apples and oranges. There are few equivalents for rock stars when it comes to breaking records or winning a big game. KISS was an act that lasted more than one hit, they made multi-platinum selling records, and sold out shows all over the world. I think that trumps whether they were “good” or not.
“Lick 'em Up” gets far more radio air play that deserved on the rock radio stations that I’m familiar with. I hate that song. When I was a teenager my hometown public library had KISSAlive! on LP. I checked it out as a joke. I got together with some friends and dusted off one of our parents’ record players. I never expected that the music would actually rock. There is hardly a weak spot on the entire double-live record. I don’t find it hard to say that it’s one of my favorite records.
I later found out that the studio albums the music was culled from were of far lesser quality. I found that true with the majority of the rest of their already extensive library. There is a good song here and there but not a single solidly well-done recording. Some are absolute garbage (Music from the Elder anyone?). I think they should be in the hall of fame for the strength of Alive!, their longevity, overall showmanship, and cultural impact
Kiss was almost the consensus winner of my thread about “The biggest coaster in rock”, meaning that they made the most money off albums for suckers and pointless tours. I saw a Kiss concert on VH1 that had Gene banging on his bass in a way that implied he’d owned it for a total of 3 days. What a hack, and I say that as a band, or certainly as songwriters.
It’s not terribly clear to me just what the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s standards are, so it’s impossible to tell whether or not any given band should be in.
A Hall of Fame seems antithetical to the very concept of rock and roll. Rock and roll is supposed to challenge the establishment. This would seem to be the creation of an establishment.