KISS

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  • Year:
    2014
  • Inducted by:
    Tom Morello
  • Category:
    Performers

Introduction

KISS combined the blues-glam swagger of New York Dolls and Alice Cooper's b-movie theatricality with the Beatles' melodic and pop chops.

Better yet, they proved that rock & roll could be both well-crafted and shameless, exuberant fun.

Hall of Fame Essay

2014

Jaan Uhelszki

At the dawn of the seventies, when both the nike swoosh and the Apple insignia were still on the drawing board, four determined young men - guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley, vocalist/bassist Gene Simmons, guitarist Ace Frehley, and drummer/vocalist Peter Criss - were busy designing a monolithic logo of their own.

Consisting of four strong capital letters colored in shades of metallic silver or combustible orange, the powerful, instantly recognizable KISS emblem would eventually become ubiquitous worldwide.

But unlike the Nike and Apple logos, carefully designed to appeal to jocks and nerds respectively, the KISS logo was created for anyone who wanted to rock & roll all night and party every day - meaning every single freaking person on the planet.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Program Cover 2014
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Impact, influence, and awesomeness. And Kiss have all three in spades.
Tom Morello

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Collection

Drum

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Gallery

Photography: Getty/WireImage