Kiss – The Albums Ranked Worst to First

We are finally to the end of the Kiss Review Series. And like I like to do at the end of each series is Rank the Studio Albums from Worst to First and we aren’t going to do it any differently here. There are 24 Studio albums and since there are so many, I am keeping the summaries brief and no videos as I usually like to post a video with each album, but just way too many to do this time around.

Kiss began in 1973 and are still around today, but the last studio album was in 2012. It started with the original four – Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley. Then came Eric Carr who replaced Peter Criss; then Vinnie Vincent who replaced Ace Frehley; then Mark St. John to replace Vinnie and then Bruce Kulick replaced Mark; and it continues with Eric Singer replacing Eric Carr after his death and then Peter & Ace came back in and out after the reunion and then finally Tommy Thayer replaced Ace for good. Lots of changes, but Gene and Paul are always the consistent formula that has kept Kiss “Alive” all these years. For the diehard fan, remember, this is my opinion and your favorites are probably going to be different, but it is okay as we both love Kiss. For the newbie, this is a good guideline on where to focus.

Now, if the band ever decides to do another Studio album, I will gladly come back and update this, but it doesn’t look like that will ever happen. If you want to check out the review of each album in detail, there are links at the bottom to all the reviews in the series and there were only 72 of them!! It took me almost 14 months to get through them all and it is still the most fun I have had on the site.

Thanks for spending all this time with me going through the Kiss catalog and my Kiss collection. I hope you enjoyed it. Enough chit chat as there is a lot to get through so sit back, grab a coffee or a beer and enjoy!!

WORST – ‘PETER CRISS’ (1978):

Peter Criss loved his R&B and Soul so that is why his Kiss Solo album gravitated towards those genres, but it is not what the Kiss fans wanted to hear and not this fan in particular. Back in the day I would’ve given this a big fat 0, but there are some moments on this album that are decent although few and far between. In my review I gave it a 2.0 out of 5.0 Stars.  Peter’s direction makes sense for who he is and I get that now, but the songs here are too weak and not memorable or catchy for me. I don’t think I could tell you how any of them actually go. It is the one Kiss album I listen to the least so “the Worst” makes sense for me.

#23 – ‘HOT IN THE SHADE’ (1989):

An album full of demos and the band couldn’t even spare the time to re-record them says a lot about this album. Some of these songs could’ve been so much better if they would’ve re-recorded. I felt Paul’s songs were mostly garbage as he was trying to be Bon Jovi instead of Kiss. They do get points for finally letting Eric sing his own songs and that is about it. I have to say, I was pretty disappointed in this album from the moment I heard it back in 1989 and it holds up even less today. Overall, I only gave this album a 2.0 out of 5.0 Stars as well because this is not an album for them to be proud of at all. I read somewhere that this is the “Music From the Elder” for the Non-makeup era and I think that is an insult to “The Elder”.

#22 – ‘CARNIVAL OF SOULS: THE FINAL SESSIONS’ (1997):

I will be honest, I liked more tracks than I remembered as I hadn’t listened to this in a while. But let’s also be honest with that fact even if there are some tracks I like, this is still a horrid album. Kiss is not grunge, ever!! To make an album that follows the trend is always a recipe for disaster and that is what this is. I also only gave this album a 2.0 out of 5.0 Stars which is 1 star more than I expected from what I remembered. If I spent another week or two with it, maybe I could get up to a 2.5, but for now, the 2.0 is the best I can do. The first half of the album is pretty good, but the back half is awful with the exception of “I Walk Alone” whichhas Bruce singing for the first time. The only cool thing about it is that so many demos of this album were on ‘The Vault’ and which was so much fun to explore.

#21 – ‘CRAZY NIGHTS’ (1987):

The producer was Ron Nevison and I think he overproduced it. The keyboards were a little too much for me for a historically guitar driven band. Kiss were chasing trends and not making them at this time. They wanted to be Bon Jovi when they should’ve concentrated on being Kiss which has been their problem for about a decade at this point. Overall, it is a weaker album and I only gave it a 2.5 out of 5.0 Stars. I preferred Gene’s songs more on this one than Paul’s and Gene was only part time in the band with his movie star dreams. One of the big highlights though was Bruce’s opening solo on “No, No, No”…one of his best ever!

#20 – ‘PSYCHO CIRCUS’ (1998):

The real disappointment of this album is the fact it is not a full Kiss “Band” album. When I found that out, it deflated my feelings towards this album. I am not sure why I was surprised, but still it flattened it for me. The production on the album is great and there are some stand out tracks especially from Gene. I think he batted a thousand on this one. His tracks were by far the more stellar tracks. But we did get a couple great songs from Paul with “Psycho Circus” and the rock anthem from the band with “You Wanted the Best”, but outside of that it fell a little flat. It is not anywhere near their worst album, but not near the top either. I think there are more great moments than not, so I will gave it a passing grade of 3.0 out of 5.0 Stars. Regardless of the score, the make-up era Kiss was back and I was thrilled.

#19 – ‘ANIMALIZE’ (1984):

I like to consider this a mini Paul Stanley solo album as he had to be the captain and steer the ship while his First Mate, Gene Simmons, had lost his way and his attentions were elsewhere. Overall, it was a good 80’s, non make-up era album and so-so Kiss album. For me though at the time of its release, I loved it but I loved all things Kiss, my perspective has changed and I realized it wasn’t the best representation of the band. I still still gave it a 3.0 out of 5.0 Stars as it was cool that it is the only representation of Kiss with Mark St. John and it is overall interesting as I know what was going on behind the scenes and that makes the songs a little more interesting to me as an overall grouping. I did have to knock points off for the horrendous Gene songs such as “Burn Bitch Burn” with some of the worst lyrics EVER!!! But it is still a fun record.

#18 – ‘UNMASKED’ (1980):

Kiss balls were chopped off for this album as they dove further in to the pop world despite the rock world getting heavier and it hurt their sales, their image and everything about them. They lost all credibility with the Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park movie, Dynasty and now this. The kid band’s fans had grown up and moved on. Despite the disdain from the public, it isn’t a bad pop album at all. I actually enjoy this album and will pull it out to spin on occasion. I gave the album a 3.0 out of 5.0 Stars. It definitely has some shining moments with Ace’s tracks, Gene’s “Naked City” (a personal favorite) and Paul’s “Tomorrow”. I guess you can say “Shandi” was a big hit for the band thanks to Australia and the song does have it merits. I appreciate this one more and more.

#17 – ‘MUSIC FROM THE ELDER’ (1981):

After reading a book on the album and living with it for 40 years now, I will be honest, this album isn’t half bad. I definitely like it better in the in the correct, storyline sequence and I think they need to do a deluxe edition that includes all the spoken word parts that were meant to tie the story together in the original concept. That would be cool. There were more songs I like then I remembered and I don’t think it is as bad as everyone says or thinks. I gave this an overall score of 3.0 out of 5.0 Stars. I give them kudos for trying to do something different as I think all bands need to shake it up a bit. If you haven’t heard it in awhile, check it out and spend some time with it and I think you might change your mind. It isn’t their worst album or anywhere close to it. I really love Ace’s “Dark Light” and you can’t go wrong with “A World Without Heroes” or “Under the Rose” or even “Mr. Blackwell.

#16 – ‘GENE SIMMONS’ (1978):

I think there are some great Demon-type songs on here and then some great songs that show a different side of Gene that are well worth listening to as well.  I did find the album a little disjointed and a little all over the place with not the best musical flow.  He did have some great guest on here including then girlfriend Cher which the others didn’t do which is a plus, but it still didn’t take the songs to the next level.  Overall, I gave it a 3.5 out of 5.0 Stars as I do like Gene and will pull this out to hear on occasion.  Some highlights for me were “Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide” and “Mr. Make Believe” which is the softer side of Gene. His addition of “When You Wish Upon A Star” is too much. Yes, we know he loves Disney and those old movies, but damn. Now, I do love having all the demos on ‘The Vault’ from this album as it lets you see where a lot of the thoughts were on the earlier versions. Some great history to own.

#15 – ‘DRESSED TO KILL’ (1975):

I would say that out of the original first three albums, this one is the weakest of the bunch and I know a lot of people like this one, me, not so much. The overall feel of the album is little light and not enough hard rock plus I don’t like the production much at all.  It also had a couple songs that felt like filler to me.  You take those 3 things and the score got knocked down a little.  There were some classic Kiss songs on here and a few little gems, but like I said, not my favorite of the original 3 albums.  For all that, I did give it a decent 3.5 out of 5.0 Stars because with songs to hear like “Rock Bottom”, “C’mon And Love Me”, “She” and “Love Her All I Can” as well as “Getaway” , it means the album gets pulled out a good bit. For all its faults, it is still pretty dang good.

#14 – ‘MONSTER’ (2012):

I don’t know if it is a step up from ‘Sonic Boom’, but it is at least its equal. This one is a little heavier sounding, but I think I liked more songs on ‘Sonic Boom’. However, there are some songs on here I like more than the last album. I am really torn. I do know that the fact they kept it a band album is a plus. Tommy seems more comfortable in his role and Gene was way more involved and one of my favorite Gene songs is on here, “The Devil Is Me”. I still feel this is a very solid effort and I am digging this era of Kiss, I just wish they did more albums. I gave it a score equal to ‘Sonic Boom’ of 4.0 out 5.0 Stars. However, ‘Sonic Boom’ just edged it out. With only two real clunkers, you can’t go wrong with this release. It is modern day Kiss and it is great!! For this to probably be there very last Studio album, it is nice way to go out. They went out on their terms and doing it their own way. What more could you want.

#13 – ‘SONIC BOOM’ (2009):

Now does the album rank as one of the best Kiss albums, no it doesn’t. Is it great for what it is, absolutely but it will never be a classic Kiss album I’m afraid.  I hadn’t heard this one in awhile and I daresay it is way better than I remembered.  I like the old 70’s vibe, I love they attacked it like a band like back in the old days, I think it is great Tommy and Eric got a lead vocal and think they put their hearts and minds in to this record. Kiss was a band again. Overall, it is a solid 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars and they are hanging with the big boys with this album.  If you want some fresh, old Kiss sounding songs, then look no further.

#12 – ‘DYNASTY’ (1979):

The album is not the Kiss we had grown used to hearing up to this point in time. The Disco sound and influences on some songs hurt the image. The songs were softer and more pop and a lot of the heavy rock sound was gone. Which is really crazy if you think about the time with AC/DC and Van Halen tearing things up for them to go soft is nuts. They were chasing the chart success and nothing else. Regardless of that, it is still a very solid album and one I enjoy a lot. The Disco label is unfair as there is so little of it. I gave it a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars because if you are in the mood for something that still rocks out, albeit a little softer, this is still a great one to throw on. Ace’s “Hard Times” and “2,000 Man” do kick ass though. The only thing is I am so tired of “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” and I could do without that one. 

#11 – ‘ASYLUM’ (1985):

The problem with this album is that it is such a cliched 80’s era rock album and the great thing about this album is that it is such a cliched 80’s era rock album. Crazy right! I still dig this album as much today as I did back then. This tour was great and everything about it is great. I am not stupid to think this is anywhere near their best albums, but I like it just the same. Bruce’s playing was stellar on this album (especially “I’m Alive”) and I quickly became a fan. Between him and Eric Carr, they made Kiss cool again for me. I gave this one a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars as it is still so much fun, it is an absolutely mindless listen and sometimes that really is all you need.

#10 – ‘LICK IT UP’ (1983):

The album could have used a little more Paul then Gene and we will get that on future 80’s album as Gene became a little less than involved (a story for another time). The overall album was fantastic. It wasn’t as perfect as ‘Creatures of the Night”, but it is still one of the upper echelon of albums they have done. I gave the album a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars as the songs that are on here that are good are really good and “A Million to One” might be one of my all time favorite tracks. Gene had a really good one with “Fits Like a Glove” and it was great to have Eric Carr contributing on song writings. Vinnie’s playing is perfect for the songs and his song writing skills helped a ton, but it is too bad his ego couldn’t say in check. The first of the Non Make-up era album is a complete and utter smash!!

#9 – ‘HOTTER THAN HELL’ (1974):

There are some issues with this album.  The sonics are terrible.  It has a very muddied sound and the drums don’t even sound right.  Overall a very poor production. It does detract from the album at times, but I still love this album as well.  Production aside, this is still a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars.  Solid!! I mean look at Side One alone…”Got to Choose”, “Parasite”, “Goin’ Blind”, “Hotter Than Hell” and “Let Me Go, Rock and Roll”…does it get much better than that…NO!! And Side Two ain’t half bad either.

#8 – ‘KISS’ (1974):

A lot has been said about how the sound on this album is awful.  And it is really not that bad.  The songs are still amazing songs and look how many of them on this album are considered Classic Kiss songs and are still played live today.  This is nothing short of brilliant in my book and says a lot about the quality of the songs.  Kiss wouldn’t have been around for almost 50 years if they didn’t have the songs.  When you look at it based on the songs only, this is easily a 4.25 out of 5.0 Stars in my book. Again, look at Side One – “Strutter”, “Nothin’ To Lose”, “Firehouse”, “Cold Gin” and “Let Me Know”. Side Two has “Deuce”, “100,000 Years” and “Black Diamond”. This is some seriously great stuff.

#7 – ‘PAUL STANLEY’ (1978):

Overall, this is a solid album and I think shows who Paul really is and is exactly what I would’ve expected.  I like pop and rock and a little R&B so all that mixed together is a match made in heaven.  A whole album of Paul is fine with me as I have a Paul playlist on my phone so nothing new for me. Paul went for it and delivered an album that had the songs, had an accessible sound and pure quality all around.  I can see why a lot of people consider this the best of the four, but not for me.  I gave it a 4.5 Out of 5.0 Stars as it does end a little flat, but the rest is pure solid gold.

#6 – ‘REVENGE’ (1992):

The album was a much heavier, darker Kiss and an incredible step in the right direction after losing their way most of the late 80’s. They brought Bob Ezrin back in to helm the boards, they brought Vinnie back to help and it might be their best album since Vinnie was in the band. Like ‘Creatures of the Night’, it was the best album the band had done at a time no one cared. Which is a shame. Overall the score on this album is a stellar 4.5 out of 5.0 Stars. Gene Simmons was back in form with this album and actually topping the production of Paul’s work which was actually some of the best he had done lately as well. All-in-all, this is a must have Kiss album and what a way to rebound after ‘Hot in the Shade’. Kiss were back in my book, but sadly, not for every other person out there.

#5 – ‘ROCK AND ROLL OVER’ (1976):

The overall album was the most consistent quality album they have had and it did take me back to the rawness of the first few albums which is a welcomed sound always.  I did think it was a small step backwards from ‘Destroyer’, but it was still a kick in the pants, feel good, rock & roll album.  And what more could you want.  I really like this album and I gave it a 4.5 out of 5.0 Stars.  If you want to sit back and rock out, this is the album to pull out and give it a spin.  In fact, go do that now.

#4 – ‘LOVE GUN’ (1977):

This album kept Kiss going strong in the same manner of ‘Rock And Roll Over’ and took them even high into the stratosphere with popularity.  Overall, the album is a strong 4.75 out of 5.0 Stars.  This is the last of the “Classic” Kiss albums and I never tire of this one.  I like the simplicity of the album in that it is just a plain rock album.  Nothing fancy and it doesn’t need to be.  It is the one thing I love…it is Kiss!!  Kiss at their prime and Kiss at their best! With songs like “I Stole Your Love”, “Christine Sixteen, “Love Gun” and “Shock Me” it is simply magical.

#3 – ‘ACE FREHLEY’ (1978):

There is nothing wrong with any one of these songs, won’t skip, delete or anything other than listen to them.  Ace was lucky enough to score Eddie Kramer before any one else could grab him and Eddie sculpted and molded Ace in to a Rock God with this album.  If you weren’t an Ace fan before this album, you definitely were after.  This is why Ace influenced so many guitarists that came after him.  Everyone wanted to be Ace.  Ace delivered the best solo album of the bunch, with Paul a very close second, then Gene and sadly Peter (someone had to come in last).  Ace stayed true to the rock sound and the Kiss sound and that is what people want is that Kiss sound as the top left corner does say KISS!!  I easily gave this one a 5.0 out of 5.0 Stars as if there was any doubt!!

#2 – ‘CREATURES OF THE NIGHT’ (1982):

It don’t get much better than this!! There is not a bad song on this album. Kiss wanted to re-capture their metal and hard rock roots and they did that in spades. I gave this a 5.0 out of 5.0 Stars as it is still one of my favorite Kiss albums and over the years it stands the test of time. It sounds just as relevant today as it did back then. Just listen to the immense drum sound of Eric Carr and you know Kiss meant business. Thre are two songs that seem to always be played off this album and that is “War Machine” and “I Love it Loud” both Gene songs. Gene was menacing and Paul actually never sounded better either. Vinnie’s hep on guitar and songwriting along with many, many more helped push this album to be perfect. And despite all the musicians and writers, for us as kids, it was still Kiss because we didn’t know any better. For me, Kiss was back and better than ever after I heard this. It cemented my lifelong fandom!!

#1 – ‘DESTROYER’ (1976):

I am sure a lot of people will disagree with me, but I think this is their best albums. They brought in the great Bob Ezrin to man the boards and I love how they took so many chances with this record.  They tried new sounds and really were forced to dig deep to come up with something bigger than before and better.  I think they achieved that goal.  With two of my all-time favorite songs in “Detroit Rock City” and “Do You Love Me” as well as being the first real Kiss album I dove deep in to back in 1976 as I was about 7 when it came out and my brothers played it all the time.  I would sit and look at that cover and listen and fell in love with it.  I have been hooked ever since.  They had their biggest radio hit with “Beth” and then a couple live show mainstays such as “God of Thunder” and “Shout It Out Loud”. It is solid from beginning to end. Obviously this one got a 5.0 out of 5.0 Stars

Okay, this is weird. There is no “NEXT UP”…oh, whatever am I going to do? Will this be the final post in the Kiss series…Yes for this run…But NO!!!! I will find things out in the wild that I don’t have and I will come back and add to this series or even the Bootleg Series. I am sure Kiss will still put out product…mainly live albums and compilations as well as Videos. I will come back periodically and throw those in. Plus, I have Tour Books to cover, books to read…Kiss will never be done!! Thanks for hanging out with me for over a year putting this series together. It was the most fun I have had in all the series I have done. I don’t think I will ever tackle one as big as this one again, I mean come on. There were 72 posts!! Insane!!! But don’t worry, more series are COMING SOON and the next one to kick off will be CHEAP TRICK!!!! That is right, no slowing down for me!! That series will start September 2nd.

Check out the rest of the series if you have time!!

The Kiss Review Series:

  1. Wicked Lester and the Progeny Demo Sessions (Bootleg)
  2. Kiss – Kiss (1974)
  3. Kiss – Hotter Than Hell (1974)
  4. Kiss – Dressed to Kill (1975)
  5. Kiss – Alive! (1975)
  6. Kiss – Destroyer (1976)
  7. Kiss – “Flaming Youth” 45 Promo Single – Bonus Edition (1976)
  8. Kiss – Special Kiss Album For Their Summer Tour (1976)
  9. Kiss – The Originals (1976)
  10. Kiss – Rock & Roll Over (1976)
  11. Kiss – Love Gun (1977)
  12. Kiss – Alive II (1977)
  13. Kiss – Double Platinum (1978)
  14. Kiss – Paul Stanley (1978)
  15. Kiss – Gene Simmons (1978)
  16. Kiss – Peter Criss (1978)
  17. Kiss – Ace Frehley (1978)
  18. Kiss – Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park Movie (1978)
  19. Kiss – Dynasty (1979)
  20. Kiss – “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” (1979) – 12″ & 7″ Singles (Bonus Edition)
  21. Kiss – Unmasked (1980)
  22. Peter Criss – Out of Control (1980)
  23. Kiss – Music From The Elder (1981)
  24. Kiss – Killers (1982)
  25. Kiss – Creatures of the Night (1982)
  26. Kiss – Lick It Up (1983)
  27. Kiss – Animalize (1984)
  28. Wendy O. Williams – WOW (1984) (Bonus Edition)
  29. Kiss – Animalize Live Uncensored (1985)
  30. Kiss – Asylum (1985)
  31. Kiss – “Tears Are Falling” 7″ Single (Bonus Edition) (1985)
  32. Kiss – Creatures of the Night (1985 Re-Issue)
  33. Vinnie Vincent Invasion – Vinnie Vincent Invasion (1986)
  34. Black N’ Blue – Nasty Nasty (1986)
  35. Ace Frehley – Frehley’s Comet (1987)
  36. Kiss – Exposed VHS (1987)
  37. Kiss – Crazy Nights (1987)
  38. Kiss – “Crazy Crazy Nights” – 12″ Single (Bonus Edition)
  39. Kiss – “Reason To Live” – 12″ Picture Disc (Bonus Edition)
  40. Kiss – Chikara (1988)
  41. Kiss – Smashes, Thrashes & Hits (1988)
  42. Kiss – Hot In The Shade (1989)
  43. Kiss – “God Gave Rock And Roll To You II” (1991) – 12″ Picture Disc
  44. Kiss – Revenge (1992)
  45. Kiss – Alive III (1993)
  46. Kiss – Konfidential VHS (1993)
  47. Kiss – Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved (1994)
  48. Kiss – MTV Unplugged (1996)
  49. Kiss – You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! (1996)
  50. Kiss – Greatest Kiss (1997)
  51. Kiss – Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions (1997)
  52. Kiss – Psycho Circus (1998)
  53. Kiss – The Second Coming Documentary (1998)
  54. Eric Carr – Rockology (1999)
  55. Mark St. John – Mark St. John Project (1999)
  56. Eric Singer Project – ESP (1999)
  57. Bruce Kulick – Audiodog (2001)
  58. Kiss – Kiss Symphony: Alive IV (2003)
  59. Gene Simmons – Asshole (2004)
  60. Kiss – Rock the Nation Live! DVD (2005)
  61. Kiss – Alive! The Millennium Concert (2006)
  62. Paul Stanley – Live to Win (2006)
  63. Kiss – Kissology: Volumes 1 to 3 (2006-2007)
  64. Kiss – Jigoku-Retsuden (2008)
  65. Kiss – Sonic Boom (2009)
  66. Kiss – Monster (2012)
  67. Kiss – The Casablanca Singles 1973-1982 (2012)
  68. Kiss – Kiss 40 (2014)
  69. Kiss – Kiss Rocks Vegas (2016)
  70. Kiss – Kissworld: The Best of Kiss (2017)
  71. Kiss – Off the Soundboard: Tokyo 2001 (2021)
  72. Kiss – The Albums Ranked From Worst to First (2021)

The Bootleg Series:

  1. Kiss – ‘Accept No Imitations’ (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ASYLUM TOUR)
  2. Kiss – Look Wot You Dun to Me (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (CRAZY NIGHTS TOUR)
  3. Kiss – The Summer of Satan: The Devils Ride Out! (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (DESTROYER TOUR)
  4. Kiss – Return to Capital Center (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (DYNASTY TOUR)
  5. Kiss – With Fire & Thunder (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (HOTTER THAN HELL TOUR)
  6. Kiss – Northhampton PA March 19th, 1975 (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (DRESSED TO KILL TOUR)
  7. Kiss – The Hottest Show On Earth (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (THE HOTTEST SHOW ON EARTH TOUR 2010)
  8. Kiss – All the Way to the Ball Room (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (Australian Tour 1995)
  9. Kiss – Kiss of Thunder (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (The Rising Sun Tour 2006)
  10. Kiss – Agora Ballroom 1974: The Cleveland Broadcast plus Bonus Cuts (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (THE KISS TOUR)
  11. Kiss – Hotter Than Hell: Radio Broadcast 1976 (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ROCK & ROLL OVER TOUR)
  12. Kiss – The Tickler (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (LICK IT UP TOUR 1983)
  13. Kiss – Barbarize (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ANIMALIZE WORLD TOUR 1984 – North American Tour)
  14. Kiss – They Only Come Out At Night (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ANIMALIZE WORLD TOUR 1984 – EUROPEAN TOUR)
  15. Wicked Lester and the Progeny Demo Sessions (Bootleg)

Kiss – The Box Set:

  1. The Box Set (Part 1 of 6)
  2. The Box Set – Disc One 1966-1975 (Part 2 of 6)
  3. The Box Set – Disc Two 1975-1977 (Part 3 of 6)
  4. The Box Set – Disc Three 1976-1982 (Part 4 of 6)
  5. The Box Set – Disc Four 1983-1989 (Part 5 of 6)
  6. The Box Set – Disc Five 1992-1999 (Part 6 of 6)

Gene Simmons – The Vault:

  1. Part 1 – The Grand Opening
  2. Part 2 – Disk 1
  3. Part 3 – Disk 2
  4. Part 4 – Disk 3
  5. Part 5 – Disk 4
  6. Part 6 – Disk 5
  7. Part 7 – Disk 6
  8. Part 8 – Disk 7
  9. Part 9 – Disk 8
  10. Part 10 – Disk 9
  11. Part 11 – Disk 10
  12. Part 12 – The Bonus Disk
  13. Part 13 – The Best Songs of the Vault
  14. Part 14 – The Worst Songs of the Vault
  15. Part 15 – The Final Verdict

49 thoughts on “Kiss – The Albums Ranked Worst to First

  1. I’m not familiar with Cheap Trick, but I’ve heard good things about them. So I’m curious about your thoughts on their albums. Also, I’ve probably said this a million times, but I can’t get over Eric Singer with blonde hair; he looks unrecognizable! I’ve had fun reading this Kiss series because you shared with us the depths of your love for the band (and your desire for them to release a new album, if they can). I love your memory of ‘Destroyer,’ they say your first album from a band is always special!

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Impressive list John. Lots to digest here at 5:30 am on a Monday morning. lol My Top 3 would be in no particular order Creatures/ Rock N Roll Over and Ace.
    Now if I’m a smart ass my top 3 Kiss studio albums would be Creatures/ RNRO and Alive! lol I would also rate Lick It Up higher on the list as well but hey thats the great thing about lists other than making for a fascinating read, you can change your mind anytime!
    Seriously though well done man.
    Look forward to your thoughts on CT now. You will need to ge that Lawson book when CT is done.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Congrats!! For me in the top would be Destroyer, Rock and Roll over, Lick it up, Gene and Paul solos. Growing up had a 90 minute tape with Gene on the other side and Paul on the other, so they kinda go together in my memory.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I have really appreciated this series. I’m a lifelong KISS fan (lifted an 8-track of Alive! from my uncle when I was a wee lad). Last summer, due to Covid boredom, I started collecting KISS vinyl (7″ and 12″ worldwide), and have picked up some extras I didn’t know about due to your reviews (bootlegs and the Eric Carr album). I haven’t always agreed (I like HITS), but always respected your opinion and rationale. Thanks for the effort.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much. That makes me feel good. Collecting their stuff on vinyl is so much fun and glad you discovered a few things to get as a result. And glad you like HITS and what I have found with Kiss fans, we never agree on each album, but we all love the band!!

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    1. Good question. I say it isn’t a full band album because Ace and Peter might have played on only one or two songs tops. If this was a true reunion album, they would’ve and should’ve played on every song.

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  5. What. Unmasked at 18. How can you Mr Snow. As you said, the Ace tracks plus Naked City and Tomorrow = 5 out of 5. Lol. It’s top 10 for me.

    Good job on the list.

    I also would have had Crqzy Nights (along with Unmasked) in my top ten because there was so much guitar playing to learn on it from Kulick and that’s how I base my ratings.

    And bring on Cheap Trick.

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  6. Now here is a Herculean task, handled with aplomb! I tip my hat at your time and effort here, this is truly valuable to noobs like me who know only some of it. This is a real public service, right here!

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    1. I don’t know about a public service, but I am happy with it. I just did the Queen ranking as well and it is 15 albums. The Priest will be done in a few weeks and that will be about 18 albums. I will be exhausted after all these.

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  7. Nicely done. Great rankings, a few discrepancies for me but overall great writeups and presentation. Poor old Peter. It’s no classic that album. I would probably put Unmasked and Dynasty up higher but can’t argue with much of this.

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