Did Kiss Ever Have a Number-One Hit Song?
Kiss is one of the most iconic heavy metal bands of all time. Even if you’re not into metal, you’re probably familiar with certain aspects of the band. Millions of people recognize their black-and-white face makeup.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a classic rock fan who doesn’t know the chorus to “Rock and Roll All Nite.” Despite this, that track wasn’t a number-one hit. This raises the question: Did Kiss ever have a number-one hit?
The first time Kiss hit the top 10
Although Kiss has cultivated an extremely loyal fan base over the past forty-plus years, they never earned a number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. In fact, they’ve never hit the top five. Shockingly, they’ve only hit the top 10 twice.
The first time they hit the top 10 was in the late 1970s. It was with a double A-side single which included their hits “Beth” and “Detroit Rock City.” “Beth” is an uncharacteristic Kiss song.
It’s a sensitive soft rock ballad about a fractured relationship. Few would guess it would turn out to be one of the band’s biggest hits, but easy listening reigned supreme in the late 1970s. With “Beth,” Kiss helped proved themselves to be masters of multiple genres.
The other side of the single was “Detroit Rock City.” This track is much more characteristic of the Kiss oeuvre. It’s a heavy metal jam about enjoying yourself at a concert. No wonder this song became a concert staple for the band!
The second time Kiss hit the top 10
“Detroit Rock City” is such a classic Kiss song it provided the title for a comedy film about a group of Kiss fans. A less-than-classic song helped the band reach the top 10 for the final time. It’s called “Forever.” Mere mention of that song makes some fans’ skin crawl.
Kiss has always tried to keep up with the times. For example, when J-pop became huge, they collaborated with a J-pop band. When grunge was huge, they made a grunge album. When hair metal power ballads were huge, they made a hair metal power ballad.
Kiss following trends led to “Forever,” their last top 10 hit. Many fans feel “Forever” just wasn’t the band being themselves. This track has more in common with Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” than any other Kiss hit. However, there are some fans find the song very moving and wish the band played it live more often.
The band did hit the top 20 a few times thanks to “Rock and Roll All Nite,” “Calling Dr. Love,” and “Hard Luck Woman.” Interestingly, it was the live version of “Rock and Roll All Nite” which charted, which added to Kiss’ reputation as a legendary live band. However, a number-one single eluded them for their entire careers.
Additionally, the band never had a number-one album. Their highest-charting album was Sonic Boom, which hit number two. Regardless, to many fans, Kiss are the number-one rock band of all time.
