3 Musicians That Famously Hated KISS (and Why They Were in the Right)

Well, you can’t please them all. The following three musicians either had harsh words for the famed rock band KISS or straight-up seemed to hate them. And when it comes to their reasoning, I can definitely understand why they said what they said. Let’s dive into some KISS critiques from the band’s contemporaries that have something to them.

Pete Townshend

The Who’s Pete Townshend had rarely shied away from saying exactly what he thinks. While I wouldn’t say Townshend “hated” KISS intensely, he did have some pretty serious critiques of the band that, in retrospect, make a lot of sense.

“The early years of KISS were difficult because there was sort of a parody of rock inherent in what they were doing,” said Townshend in an interview with Hazy Rock. “Also, that business of wearing disguises. Not quite sure about it. You know, I think I’d have to do an academic study to try and work out what’s really going on there.”

In a way, he’s right. KISS was really a parody of rock music to a degree, especially in terms of image, but that seems to be somewhat intentional. Just as well, that doesn’t automatically mean that their music wasn’t good. You don’t sell out stadiums for decades by making genuinely bad music, now, do you?

Nikki Sixx

Nikki Sixx didn’t hate KISS, specifically. Rather, after years of loving the band, the Mötley Crüe co-founder found himself at odds with something Gene Simmons said years ago. Specifically, he was taken aback by comments Simmons made about the death of Prince, calling the singer’s demise and drug use “pathetic.”

“[Simmons’] recent heartless and uneducated remarks about Prince’s death shows why he’s not my hero anymore or anybody’s,” said Sixx on Twitter. He later elaborated on his Sixx Sense radio show: “I think that Gene is an overrated, lucky guy that dresses like a clown. He wrote some good songs, but hasn’t in a long time, and loves to brag about himself.”

It is worth noting that Simmons later apologized for his “cold clueless statements” about Prince.

Carlos Santana

Honestly, if one of the greatest guitarists of all time said something backwards about me as a musician, I’d be pretty bummed out. Back in the day, Carlos Santana had some heavy criticisms for KISS, especially Gene Simmons. To put it simply, he said that KISS were entertainers and not musicians, and referred to their work as “Las Vegas entertainment.”

“Simmons hides his talent beneath costumes and makeup,” Santana continued. “A musician doesn’t need the mask or the mascara. There’s a difference between an entertainer and a musician.”

While his way of framing this was harsh, I’m inclined to agree with him that KISS’ focus was always on overall entertainment than solely music. But is that such a bad thing? Some of the greatest pop stars of the last century have focused more on their overall image and live performances than music, and yet, no one doubts their musical ability. Why, then, does KISS get this kind of hate?

Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns