Paul Stanley Called This Song Kiss’ ‘Mission Statement’ — and It’s Not ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’
“Rock and Roll All Nite” is one of Kiss’ most famous songs. Despite that, it’s not the Kiss song that Paul Stanley called the band’s “mission statement.” In his autobiography, Stanley explained how one classic rock song captured Kiss’ ethos of positivity and self-empowerment.
How Paul Stanley responded to charges Kiss was Satanic
In his book Face the Music: A Life Unmasked, Stanley discusses some of the controversy Kiss faced during its heyday. While songs like “Rock and Roll All Nite” are innocuous, he writes that some religious protestors falsely believed the band to be Satanic. He said Kiss wasn’t trying to attack religion in any way.
“Kiss wasn’t even about rebellion,” he wrote. “We didn’t tell people to tear anything down or to refuse to play by the rules. We said, ‘Become who you want to be’. It was about self-empowerment. It was celebratory. For me, it wasn’t about fighting the system, it was about picking your path and believing in yourself. The ultimate rebellion wasn’t fighting the system, it was circumventing the system and living your life fully. And what the band represented for me personally, I thought it could also represent for other people — for fans.”
Paul Stanley said 1 of Kiss’ songs showed his band was ‘all positivity’
Stanley said this empowering attitude was reflected in Kiss’ audience and songs. “Maybe that’s why our audiences were all smiles,” he added. “We were singing about how good life could be and how much you could accomplish by believing in yourself. Despite what the religious protesters said, Kiss was all positivity. Hell, all anyone had to do was listen to the lyrics from our mission statement off Destroyer, ‘Shout It Out Loud.'”
Stanley notes “Shout It Out Loud” is a song about how you shouldn’t feel sorry about yourself. Instead, you should focus on self-love. It’s a simple song about good times, not worshiping the devil.
The way the world reacted to Kiss’ ‘Shout It Out Loud’
“Shout It Out Loud” became one of Kiss’ bigger hit songs. The track reached No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 15 weeks. Its parent album, Destroyer, was a hit as well. It peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 83 weeks.
“Shout It Out Loud” was far less popular in the United Kingdom. According to The Official Charts Company, the track did not chart in the U.K. Meanwhile, Destroyer reached No. 22 in the U.K. and stayed on the chart for five weeks. “Shout It Out Loud” appears in a scene from the direct-to-video movie Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery. Even if it isn’t as famous as “Rock and Roll All Nite,” Stanley said “Shout It Out Loud” is an important song in Kiss’ discography.
