October 24, 201411 yr So in your mind KISS is the best rock band of all time? They are my favorite and it is my mountain. I get where you are coming from but to my knowledge they are the only band mentioned with their own action figures.
October 24, 201411 yr Author KISS is sub par as musicians and their entire success and popularity is based on their look. No way they belong You are wrong. Go back and listen to their first album, Alive and Alive2 that's some pure american rock and roll. If their music sucked it wouldn't have mattered what they looked like. KISS was HUGE way before MTV...they were a Hit because of their music coming across the radio. People get hung up on their look and too easily dismiss their musicianship and sing writing.
October 24, 201411 yr You are wrong. Go back and listen to their first album, Alive and Alive2 that's some pure american rock and roll. If their music sucked it wouldn't have mattered what they looked like. KISS was HUGE way before MTV...they were a Hit because of their music coming across the radio. People get hung up on their look and too easily dismiss their musicianship and sing writing. I got news for you — KISS got almost zero radio airplay during their prime, until "Beth" came out. Even then, it wasn't much. KISS' popularity was almost solely based on touring incessantly to drive album and merchandise sales. Don't get me wrong, you won't find many bigger KISS fans out there than me. Their songwriting wasn't all that great from a technical standpoint, and their musicianship really wasn't that great either, at least in the '70s. Musically, they knew what they were good at — writing simplistic, memorable, anthem-type songs — and they rode that to riches. When I went to see them on the makeup reunion tour in '96, it was a great experience because it was like walking back in time to '76, only with better musicianship than what could be found on Alive and Alive II. Again, I love KISS. But let's not try to make Gene and Paul out to be some super-creative music force the way Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards, Pete Townshend or Brian Wilson were. Without the makeup/image, there's no way in hell they grow as popular as they did if all they had to lean on was their songwriting and musicianship.
October 24, 201411 yr Author I got news for you — KISS got almost zero radio airplay during their prime, until "Beth" came out. Even then, it wasn't much. KISS' popularity was almost solely based on touring incessantly to drive album and merchandise sales. Don't get me wrong, you won't find many bigger KISS fans out there than me. Their songwriting wasn't all that great from a technical standpoint, and their musicianship really wasn't that great either, at least in the '70s. Musically, they knew what they were good at — writing simplistic, memorable, anthem-type songs — and they rode that to riches. When I went to see them on the makeup reunion tour in '96, it was a great experience because it was like walking back in time to '76, only with better musicianship than what could be found on Alive and Alive II. Again, I love KISS. But let's not try to make Gene and Paul out to be some super-creative music force the way Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards, Pete Townshend or Brian Wilson were. Without the makeup/image, there's no way in hell they grow as popular as they did if all they had to lean on was their songwriting and musicianship. I got news for you. While they didn't get "Mainstream" radio play, Radio and Live shows were how they built their fan base...before "Beth". You being so Mainstream and all you probably didn't know much about them until "I was made for loving you" got heavy rotation at the local skating rink!!! You know I'm messing with you! But to say their popularity was only because of the make up is crazy. BTW I never said they were McCartney and the other fellow or Brian Wilson, but those first albums were well written.
October 24, 201411 yr KISS played good, hard 3 chord rock with some awesome guitar riffs and some catchy lyrics on many of their tunes. Though I have never seen them live, I have heard they may vary well have put on one of it not the best live show of any of the rock acts. I think that has to count for something as well. There's a reason they caught my attention when I was in middle school, and it wasn't the makeup. I had never seen them before I heard their music, which came by way of Rock and Roll Over, my first rock album. Dr. Love has been one of my favorite rock songs ever since, and they hooked me.
October 24, 201411 yr "You pulled the trigger of my love gun" speaks for it's self and I don't remember one person in my grade school having a Ramone's lunch box. Seriously, KISS is awesome. I understand they didn't have the musical impact of The Who or the Rolling Stones but for pure entertainment they are at the absolute top of the food chain.
October 24, 201411 yr While in the 8th grade everyday after school we'd head over to my friend David's house because his mother would still be at work, and jam out on KISS and smoke cigarettes. David was pretty talented at face painting so his ego wouldn't let anyone else play Gene (he really had all the moves down), then Marty had the right face and hair for Paul (He was so in to it I was certain that he really believed that he was Paul when he'd strike the facial pose in full makeup), Brian would make a decent Ace, and then because nobody else wanted it, I always ended up Peter. At least they gave me one song to sing lead.
October 24, 201411 yr These may not be the most influential, but they're my favorites and it's my mountain. Aerosmith Led Zepplin Queen Eagles
October 24, 201411 yr and I don't remember one person in my grade school having a Ramone's lunch box.. :thumb: Speaks voulmes.:lol2:
October 24, 201411 yr I never really thought about it before but there are a lot of hugely historically popular bands that are just TERRIBLE. This isn't anything new. If Aerosmith is on a Mount Rushmore of American bands, then the death of rock music in this country has been a great mercy to it as a musical form.
October 24, 201411 yr These are my 4 Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band-I don't care what anyone says...this band had and still has incredible magic. The energy, the incredible talent, the songwriting R.E.M.-some don't like their genre, but there's nary a song in their repertoire that I don't consider a "must have' for my playlist. Blondie-I was introduced to her by my uncle, and she remains one of my top "go to's" . Those that count her as an influence include Annie Lennox (The Eurythmics) and Madonna. She changed the role of females in Rock (IMO). Chris Stein's guitar....Just listen to "Atomic". The Talking Heads-On the surface the music is fluff. But listen carefully to the words, and the result is a pretty deep message, glossed over with catchy tunes. And, how can you not count them when they influenced some of (arguably) the others who could be considered for "greatest" lists, like R.E.M., Radiohead Just my take...I'll sit back and watch the dethroning of my four, forthwith. :lol2:
October 24, 201411 yr These are my 4 Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band-I don't care what anyone says...this band had and still has incredible magic. The energy, the incredible talent, the songwriting R.E.M.-some don't like their genre, but there's nary a song in their repertoire that I don't consider a "must have' for my playlist. Blondie-I was introduced to her by my uncle, and she remains one of my top "go to's" . Those that count her as an influence include Annie Lennox (The Eurythmics) and Madonna. She changed the role of females in Rock (IMO). Chris Stein's guitar....Just listen to "Atomic". The Talking Heads-On the surface the music is fluff. But listen carefully to the words, and the result is a pretty deep message, glossed over with catchy tunes. And, how can you not count them when they influenced some of (arguably) the others who could be considered for "greatest" lists, like R.E.M., Radiohead Just my take...I'll sit back and watch the dethroning of my four, forthwith. :lol2: This poster hung in my room as a kid. Loved her. vintage poster of blondi, - Bing Images
October 24, 201411 yr These are my 4 Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band-I don't care what anyone says...this band had and still has incredible magic. The energy, the incredible talent, the songwriting R.E.M.-some don't like their genre, but there's nary a song in their repertoire that I don't consider a "must have' for my playlist. Blondie-I was introduced to her by my uncle, and she remains one of my top "go to's" . Those that count her as an influence include Annie Lennox (The Eurythmics) and Madonna. She changed the role of females in Rock (IMO). Chris Stein's guitar....Just listen to "Atomic". The Talking Heads-On the surface the music is fluff. But listen carefully to the words, and the result is a pretty deep message, glossed over with catchy tunes. And, how can you not count them when they influenced some of (arguably) the others who could be considered for "greatest" lists, like R.E.M., Radiohead Just my take...I'll sit back and watch the dethroning of my four, forthwith. :lol2: I didn't include Springsteen but if he is eligible then he is an automatic in my book. Just didn't consider him and the E Street band a "band".
October 26, 201411 yr Very tough call for me; I like lots of rock music. Over the lifespan, my top four are: The Eagles Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band The Doors Metallica Two others that I really like are Bruce Springsteen and Tool.
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