Kiss

KISS is a rock band formed in New York in 1973.

The band is among the most successful in popular music, known primarily for their stage appearance and concert performances. The faces of the four founding members – Paul Stanley (vocals and rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals and bass guitar), Ace Frehley (lead guitar and vocals), and Peter Criss (drums, percussion, and vocals) are fully covered with makeup, embodying various fictional characters, complemented by stage costumes – chains, leather, spikes, high-heeled boots, and more.

KISS's popularity is mainly due to extensive publicity, music videos, various merchandise (toys, comics, and animations with their image), and concerts relying on massive showmanship. From 1975, the band's fans formed a movement that accompanied them during concert appearances, called the "Kiss Army" – young people under 20 who imitated the look of their favorite band.

KISS achieved its greatest popularity in the 1970s, although the band did not achieve success in the music charts (highest position #7 for the song "Beth" from 1976). At the end of the decade, they adapted their style to the new "disco" wave and released a concept album. The early 1980s saw a change in the lineup: Criss was fired due to drug problems. Frehley left for a solo career. In 1983, the lineup removed their "masks" and joined the then-popular genre "glam metal," which also led to a decline in their popularity. In the 1990s, KISS was ready to record a grunge-influenced album, but in 1995, a reunion of the band with Frehley and Criss took place for an episode of the "MTV Unplugged" acoustic concerts. The new changes led to a tour with the original lineup and a return to the heavy makeup. Despite the success, Frehley and Criss again left the band and were replaced respectively by Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer. The band continues to perform with makeup, and Stanley and Simmons remain the only constant members.

KISS has 25 gold albums to date and has sold more than 40 million albums in the USA and more than 100 million worldwide. They are ranked 10th in VH1's "100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists" list and 9th in MTV's "Greatest Metal Bands" list. On April 10, 2014, KISS was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.