The weird middle period of KISS (Dynasty, Unmasked, The Elder), are lost masterpieces in my opinion. I find these albums so fun and interesting. The history at this time is fascinating too. I don't know what it is but I love this era. They have really gotten better over time. Undiscovered gems, in my opinion.

Hotter Than Hell is such a fantastic album, it definitely deserves more credit than its given!

Anyone who was alive during the 70's and saw Kiss when they first came out....seriously, they were the real deal.

“Guilty pleasure” is what you were trying to say at 14:00

My fav is Creatures of the night, so heavy!!

“Hotter than Hell” might be my favorite as well. Ace’s solo on “Strange Ways” never fails to give me goosebumps.

I love and own every KISS studio album. There's gems off each one and I always keep coming back to the ones I get sick of.

Lead vocal on “STRANGE WAYS” is the raspy primal screamer: PETER CRISS. But you can hear Gene prominently during the chorus.

Hell yes! There’s not a lot of people that would put Hotter than Hell as their #1! I love the warm vintage sound that album has

I’m not a huge KISS fan, but enjoy ‘Alive’ a lot. And for me, ‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You’ is no kind of guilty pleasure. Why feel guilty for loving a great song? It’s a classic pop record and easily my favourite of theirs.

All you need is alive 1 and alive 2. I know they aren’t considered studio but they are by far the 2 albums to have

Growing up in the 70's KISS was the first Rock band I got into and I still like them. Love Carnival of Souls very underrated.

Strange Ways I think is Peter vocal. Hotter than Hell also my fav nice job

Absolutely love Music From The Elder after all these years. The Oath, Under the Rose and Only You are awesome tunes. Unmasked as well has grown on me. Naked City is one of Gene’s best in my opinion. Spot on with Dynasty and can’t argue with the top 5. Great stuff Pete!

I'm a 70's Kiss guy: 4. Love Gun 3. Rock and Roll Over 2. Destroyer 1. DRESSED TO KILL

Great comments and analysis as always Pete! Great thoughts on each album. My all time fav in the list is RNR Over. Great tunes top to bottom, great vocals, harmonies, Ace's leads riveting, and totally killer with not a filler on the album. It's stuck in my soul, in a good way. Anyway, great job Pete. By the way, God bless you and the family in this time with your father-in-law situation. Take care mate.

I'm watching this video not believing how HIGH The Elder was getting. Top freaking 10! Love. It. If you can get over it being "KISS" it's fantastic. The Oath is my favorite KISS song ever.

Haha, Music from The Elder is one of my favourites, odd favourites, too. 😅

Hadn't expected The Elder so high after you mentioned it in the 'stinker albums'. It's actually one of my favourites. I like all the songs. Escape form the Island is an incredible instrumental. A world without heroes is one of the best Kiss ballads. Great, great album.

Dressed to Kill was my first Kiss album. It doesn’t quite top Hotter Than Hell for me (my fave as well), but it’s a close second. I loved it when Gene and Paul sang together. Seemed like that dropped that approach after Destroyer. Peter Criss’ voice also added a soulful element that they never regained. Kissology 1 features their full b&w (which makes it cooler) Winterland show which is from the Hotter Than Hell tour. Very freaky, before the little kids got into them. Highly recommended.

To me, Revenge is easily in my top 5 Kiss albums. It's raw, powerful, great songs and the input of Eric Singer brought a whole new level of energy to this band.🥁🥁🥁 In my opinion he contributed to their survival in these years. 🤘🦇🦇

1974: KISS and Hotter Than Hell 1975: Dressed To Kill and Alive 1976: Destroyer, Rock n Roll Over 1977: Love Gun and Alive 2 Very busy band the first few years. I was 15 when Rock and Roll Over came out and it remains my favorite to this day. Great list, Pete

To me the first three albums were the BEST! That’s when kiss was at its best, gritty, and raw. Always to be true classic Kiss👍

Love it all. Crazy nights and hot in the shade both good. The era of Bruce was great. I still feel he was the best guitarist they had. I feel you though....original was always better. Thanks bro.

I can't rank them, but these are my top 10 favourite Kiss studio albums (chronologically): KISS HOTTER THAN HELL DESTROYER ROCK N ROLL OVER DYNASTY MUSIC FROM THE ELDER CREATURES OF THE NIGHT LICK IT UP REVENGE PSYCHO CIRCUS Anyway, HOTTER THAN HELL is my favourite album from original lineup - dark, heavy riffs, weird lyrics, good solos, cool bass lines (that intro in Goin blind...), strange production almost like it was recorded in a cave (and I like it! ) - but this is original Kiss in my head, not Rock n roll all nite and I was made for lovin you. Check out black and white video of Wachin you and Parasite from Winterland 1975. CREATURES OF THE NIGHT is my favourite non-original lineup Kiss album. Love every song there, heavy Kiss, production built around Eric Carr's drum thunder. Wish i could see them on Creatures tour when they were playing on Maracana in Rio, in front of 150 000 fantastic Brasilian fans...

It is great to see you in times like these and hear you talking of something "normal"! Thank you so much for being just there! Your Voice and face keeps me warm and cozy. Now "Play On..!" I'm really excited! Hugs from Germany!

I know that Carnival of Souls isn't in the normal style of what Kiss typically did but I love that album. It is one of the heaviest albums they ever did and definitely the darkest. Heavy and Dark, Two things I love. And the material is very good. A very underrated album in my opinion.

Two years later and I have found myself enjoying some kiss. This channel helped me to dig a bit deeper. Thanks Pete

My favorites from each decade: 70's - self-titled debut, 80's - Creatures of the Night, 90's - Revenge!

AnimaliZe was my introduction to kiss..spring of 84

I can still remember the decision I had to make when shopping for an album. Music from the Elder or Ted Nugent's Intensities in 10 Cities. I went with Nugent.

I'm doing a full re examination of Kiss' studio discography, and I must say 'Unmasked' and 'Music From the Elder' sound WAY better now than they did when I was younger and only looking for hard rock in my Kiss records. They're probably gonna end up above "Animalize", "Psycho Circus" and maybe even "Monster" by the time I'm done.

CREATURES OF THE NIGHT 1982 my favorite - and this coming from a soon to be 58 yr old and very first concert was 12-16-77 @ the infamous Madison Square Garden. I have every album. First group I really got into. Listen to all to this day/. My least favorite is Psycho circus. Never cared for that album. Just my opinion! Still a Top 5 group for me. It dominated my childhood. Tremendous memories. Loved this episode PETE. Thank you !!!!

Wow! Oh yeah!! Thank you for your Top Kiss CD's/albums!! I agree with you about your Kiss review. I love your Kiss Alive shirt!! Cool , hot and spot on review!!🎵🎤🎸🥁

oh man YES!!!!!!!!! I havent seen the video and already love it!!! had been waiting for this one for so long! thank you so much pete, for all the effort you put into this chanel to entertain a bunch of strangers. i much appreciate it!!:)

Unmasked, criminally underrated, one of their best in my book, right up there with their debut, and DTK.

Music from the elder is good..reminds me of the early 80s..I remember seeing them perform a world without hero’s on solid gold.

I love the Hotter Than Hell album. Right from that opening chord of 'Got to Chose'...😎 I saw Space Ace's stage outfit from '75, encased behind glass, at the Hard Rock in Atlantic City some 15 years ago- sweat stains & all... At the same time, I saw a drawing made by Jim Morrison from when he was a teen. It was a depiction of the concert he'd seen of Screamin' Jay Hawkins, of pall bearers carrying a coffin. (Hawkins stage entrance) Cool, cool stuff. 😎

Love this channel and these lists!

It was 1976, I was 12 years old and my first KISS album was "Destroyer". It was my introduction to KISS and rock music in general. Due to the success of "Destroyer", their label Casablanca, had re-packaged the first 3 albums in a collection called "The Originals". You got "KISS, "Hotter than Hell", and "Dressed to Kill". There was a very cool booklet of photos, trading cards, and stickers. That is when I became a member of the "KISS ARMY".

Pete, I gotta’ admit, I’ve never liked KISS. But, I appreciate that they have their own “army”, and following......Really like the channel, keep on keepin’ on, brother.

My favourite is Revenge, a badass album from start to finish!

Awesome episode! I always love your rankings. I am a massive KISS fan as well as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple and love all of your videos. This was a cool special. Very, very cool. This was very fun to watch. It waa great to hear about your experiences growing up and how and when you got the KISS albums.

Congratulations! Your videos are great, love to watch 'em!!

Best album: Rock And Roll Over (Eddie Kramer + KISS) (The first 3 are missing Kramer... see Alive versions)

Ozone off the Ace Frehley album is easily one of the best hard rock songs ever made.

I really like old Kiss stuff, my first paid concert was Kiss with Arrowsmith at Painter's Mill Music Fair in Balitmore Maryland back in the 70s. The venue probably held less than 25 hundred people, it was cool because it had a rotating stage in the venue with every one sitting around it

Great list ! I will say that Paul Stanley's solo album was criminally underrated at the time. Great tunes on there !

Alive! was my first KISS album, and Dressed To Kill was my first KISS studio album. I was a huge fan back then. They lost me after Creatures Of The Night, and my ranking reflects that. So, studio albums only... 1. Dressed To Kill 2. Hotter Than Hell 3. KISS 4. Rock And Roll Over 5. Destroyer 6. Creatures Of The Night 7. Dynasty 8. Love Gun 9. Music From The Elder 10. Unmasked (In truth, the studio tracks from ALIVE II would go here, but since that was mostly a live album I've left them off.)

I'm in the secondary camp but watched anyway, cause it's still interesting and i love seeing people being enthusiastic about the music they love

Oh yeah!!! You finally did my all-time favorite band and i kinda agree with you on almost everything!!! I will do my ranking too. Thanks alot Pete and keep up the good work, i really dig your channel and you make me discover other bands that i've known mostly by their name or just the hits and it makes me dig a little deeper and listen to their albums. :-)

One of the best Pete's Video ever...I love does nostalgic stories ! Keep it up Pete you are doing awesome job on your channel! Love you !

Best from the 70s: Hotter Than Hell, from the 80s: Creatures Of The Night, From The 90s: Revenge and Psycho Circus

I knew Peter’s solo album was in trouble when my PARENTS liked it!! Even at eight years old I knew that was wrong!! 😃

46 years later. I finally found kiss. I m 60. And was 15 in 75. And was a jerk thinking they were just an novelty act. Picked up kiss alive. Destroyer. Rock n roll over and love gun. Love it. Some great rock n roll. Thanks Pete.

Been waiting on this one! KISS has been my favorite band since 1977! Ace and kiss are the reason I play guitar! Dig your choices! Totally agree kiss alive is my favorite, with rock n roll over is my fav studio album!

I saw Paul doing an unaccompanied lead solo in 1983, when Vinnie was in the band. Vinnie was playing fine. No need to cover for anyone, just Paul's ego.

It may be because I'm from a later generation but I think Psycho Circus was one of their best. It sounds like an updated version of their classic songs from the 70's.

Hi Pete. After I watched this ranking and KISS having had the importance it had in my life as a 12 year old, I decided to tackle this ranking as well. KISS - Alive! was the album that got me into KISS and music, and saying that, just like you mentioned Alive! and Alive II are my fave albums that really show you what the band was all about and have the best best versions of a lot of there earlier material. Well, 43 years have passed and I not only have grown as an individual but I learned to hear and love so many music generes as well, that my initial love for KISS has changed a lot. I've tried to tackle this ranking objectively, not as a KISS fan but as a music lover and was quite surprised at my final result. I do have the total discography, not only on CD but on vinyl as well. I did listen to the all these albums again as I had not Heard some in quite awhile, and of course I did have a different View of a lot of the stuff! The early KISS studio recordings suffered a bit in my ranking and I atribute that to the below par production on a lot of them. Well, enough said and here is my ranking: 01. Creatures of the Night - 76% 02. Destoyer - 74% 03. Music From The Elder - 73% 04. Dynasty - 72% 05. Dressed to Kill - 71% 06. Love Gun - 70% 07. Lick It Up - 69% 08. Hotter Than Hell - 68% 09. Unmasked - 68% 10. Animalize - 67% 11. Rock And Roll Over - 66% 12. KISS - 66% 13. Psycho Circus - 65% 14. Revenge - 65% 15. Crazy Nights - 65% 16. Asylum - 64% 17. Carnival Of Souls - 63% 18. Hot In The Shade - 58% 19. Sonic Boom - 58% 20. Monster - 45%

Hey Pete, I'd really like to see your cd collection that you have behind you. Could you please mull over it sometime for us? Cheers mate.

Your story reminds me of a similar tale from the history of one of my absolute favorite bands: Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth saw KISS in 1979 for the first time, and like you, his dad took him to the show. He was inspired by the experience of seeing Ace Frehley to become a musician. One of the greatest, most creative, most formidable epic/power metal bands of all time was the ultimate result. So, thanks Ace and KISS!! \m/ \m/

Crazy Nights is in my top 3 albums! Phenomenal album!

Great vid. KISS has always been my favorite band. I can’t even attempt to rank the albums because each has a special place in my heart. I’m one of the weird guys that is more partial to Bruce’s playing than the other players but absolutely love every album.

Thank you for this video. Kiss was my obsession during my teenage years. Another fan recently made a ranking video and, although I agreed with him for the most part, your ranking is closer to mine. What I think is that the only studio albums made after they ditched their makeup and costumes that rank among their best are "Lick It Up" and "Revenge" (although "Carnival Of Souls" is interesting). Nothing else can touch what they did up to "Creatures Of The Night". I think you should have mentioned "Killers" and "Smashes, Thrashes & Hits". Mostly compilation albums, but they have brand-new stuff at the time that qualifies for a ranking in my opinion. And what about the studio side of "Alive II"? "Rocket Ride" is one of the best Kiss songs ever! Some random remarks: "Alive!" is one of my top two live rock albums ever. I also like "Alive II" a lot, but I don't rank it as high. Ace's solo album is one of the best straight-ahead, no-frills hard rock albums from the seventies. Paul's solo album is the most Kiss-like and Gene's is the most eclectic. "Got Love For Sale" is perhaps my favorite deep cut from Kiss. While everybody else was panning "The Elder", I was in my room playing air drums to "I", "Dark Light" and "Mr. Blackwell". Thank you again!

Love The Elder. And always have since it was released.

1: Alive 2: Destroyer 3: Dressed to Kill 4: Kiss 5: Lick it Up

Been waiting for this video for over a year...Thanks Pete! I'll watch it and see how I agree, or not. No rules, it's all good :)

Because I discovered your channel I now have so many albums to listen to and discover...thanks..!

Love every Kiss albums 10+👍❤️😎

KISS are awesome got me into classic rock. I'm only 25 and mostly listen to 60's-90's music. Also Love these Ranking Videos Pete helps me find some awesome new stuff to check out.

1) Rock and Roll Over 2) Love Gun 3) KISS 4) Dynasty 5) Dressed To Kill 6) Hotter Than Hell 7) Destroyer 8) Unmasked 9) Asylum 10) Lick It Up 11) Monster 12) Hot In The Shade 13) Crazy Nights 14) Sonic Boom 15) Animalize 16) Creatures of The Night 17) Music From The Elder 18) Psycho Circus 19) Carnival of Souls 20) Revenge

Not really a Kiss fan, but your opinion and for a lack of better word, expertise, is refreshing and interesting and informative and enjoyable, you don’t even have to be a fan of the bands. ✊🏿🤎🖤🤘🏾

Pete do you like Dire Straits? If so, a top 10 songs or ranking the albums (I know they haven’t got many) would be great. Stay safe as always. 👍

I'm like you, the two live albums are my go to Kiss records.

Great video Pete. I agree with your number 1. Hotter Than Hell is the quintessential Kiss album for me. Used to be Destroyer. Very enjoyable video.

Here’s my list! 1. Destroyer (1976) 2. Rock and Roll Over (1976) 3. Ace Frehley (1978) 4. KISS (1974) 5. Creatures Of The Night (1982) 6. Love Gun (1977) 7. Hotter Than Hell (1974) 8. Revenge (1992) 9. Dynasty (1979) 10. Paul Stanley (1978) 11. Lick It Up (1983) 12. Psycho Circus (1998) 13. Animalize (1984) 14. Carnival of Souls (1997) 15. Unmasked (1980) 16. Asylum (1985) 17. Hot in the Shade (1989) 18. Gene Simmons (1978) 19. Dressed to Kill (1975) 20. Sonic Boom (2009) 21. Peter Criss (1978) 22. Monster (2012) 23. Music From The Elder (1981) 24. Crazy Nights (1987)

*Pete* The term you were looking for was *GUILTY PLEASURE.* Kiss's *I Was Made For Loving You* is also my guilty pleasure song. Like the version on Alive III. Love *Domino* & *I Was Made For Loving You* on Alive III.

Been waiting for this. Gotta go with Revenge as one of my favorites.

10 - Unmasked 9 - Lick It Up 8 - Dynasty 7 - Love Gun 6 - Dressed To Kill 5 - Creatures Of The Night 4 - Hotter Than Hell 3 - Destroyer 2 - Rock And Roll Over 1 -KISS (S/T 1974) Solo albums 4 - Peter Criss 3 - Paul Stanley 2 - Gene Simmons 1 - Ace Frehley

Solid rankings Pete. Mine wouldn't be much different. Like you, Alive! is my favorite, but not just of KISS. It's my all-time top album.

I grew up with the 70s Kiss but Creatures is definitely my favorite Kiss album hands down..I even have a soft spot for Animalize and the Elder. Most of 80s and 90s Kiss is really underrated in my opinion as they're many good tunes off those albums..

Love The Elder. I think they thought because Bob Ezrin just had a hit with Pink Floyd’s The Wall that lightning would strike for them as well. I liked when Kiss went outside their comfort zone. Love Carnival of Souls as well.

Their debut album is my favourite, and Let me know is my favourite song....love the alternating vocals between gene and Paul. Also, great video! You’ve inspired me to listen to a few of the Albums that I haven’t previously heard. Thank you!

Love your content and channel! We are the same age and we are lock step with our opinions on KISS. Lots of memories and I remember the same always saving change and my allowance in hope that going with my mom to the TG&Y (pre Walmart dept store) would have a new album or 8 track I didn't know about bcuz obviously you never knew when anything was going to be released in those days. RRO, LG, and destroyer are my definitive albums where I really found and became a true fan and then I found the earlier stuff that solidified myself as a lifelong fan. Also remember the feelings of shock and despair when I was holding onto KISS and hoping the elder, unmasked, etc would bring a return to earlier albums. Then van halen got my attention and that was it lol! But our good ole dad's...exact same scenario for me! Dynasty tour I had never seen them and my dad said if I could get through the box office he would take me. I actually got through but all they had was behind the stage 😔😔😔😔. Keep up the great work!

I was in the army too back in the 70s, the demon was my favorite, seen them 3 times in concert, and still listen to the albums today....i remember watching the tom Snyder interview with them on t.v....ace was fucking hilarious

If Tommy and Eric had their own make-up or no one had make-up, I'd have no problem with KISS.

Well done as always Pete .keep on rocking my friend

Pete, I really enjoyed this listing. Even though our lists are not similar in structure, we share the same reasons for liking certain albums along with certain songs, especially with the four solos. My top four have not changed in over thirty years, and my number one definitely got me into conflict with a lot of people; but at least one of my best friends loves that particular album as well: 1 Music From the Elder 2 Destroyer 3 Creatures of the Night 4 Hotter Than Hell 5 Kiss 6 Crazy Nights 7 Carnival of Souls 8 Revenge 9 Rock 'N' Roll Over 10 Love Gun 11 Dressed to Kill 12 Lick it Up 13 Dynasty 14 Monster 15 Animalize 16 Sonic Boom 17 Unmasked 18 Asylum 19 Hot in the Shade 20 Psycho Circus As for the solos: 1 Paul Stanley 2 Ace Frehley 3 Gene Simmons 4 Peter Criss These last four haven't changed in order for me either since they came out in '78. My view on both Gene and Peters' albums concurs with your own, with both Ace and Pauls being way ahead of the other two. I used to tell people who were doubtful about listening to them that between Paul and Aces' albums you get the most well-rounded Kiss sound.

I love Kiss and I really enjoyed this. Your number one was a cool choice that I didn't expect. It is worthy though. 🤗

I'm glad too see that you have at least given "Unmasked" a few more years time to like the album more than you thought originally! To me, the "REAL KISS" was 1974-1982. I tried and tried to like ANYTHING KISS did after "Creatures..." and I even tried to "force" those album upon myself and I just couldn't do it' They just were NOT the same band without that makeup mystique. I heard the first KISS album in 1974 when I was 9 years of age and I heard the sound of LIFE!! I actually was fortunate to get to hear the band BEFORE seeing what they looked like. My cousin made me a cassette tape of the first album in early summer of '74 and I played the living shit out it for a few weeks and then I seen the band responsible for this GREAT music on a late night TV rock show and needless to say I was blown away by what I was seeing and hearing! I couldn't believe it!! Then of course, Hotter...Dressed...and then KISS-ALIVE!!!!!....Speechless! And three more mind blowing albums and another KISS-ALIVE II!!....I have to admit that the studio side 4 was better to me than the 3 live sides. I love the album BUT it just didn't have something that ALIVE had. They just seem to rush all the songs and seemed not to care as much. Then, the CULT CLASSIC "KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM OF THE PARK" I know it's a movie BUT I don't care. The movie should be a CULT CLASSIC!!....Then the SOLO albums. I still loved KISS but I could feel gravity's start to pull. THEN these three fucking, amazing and the three most UNDERRATED KISS albums came in the order of "Dynasty/Unmasked/Music From The Elder" ALL of those albums were instant classics to me. I call those three KISS albums "THE THREE MOST UNDERRATED TRILOGY OF KISS ALBUMS"!! In the late 1970's a new brand of rock/pop music was breaking out in which I absolutely embraced! Call it what you will: NEW WAVE or PUNK but I loved it and it's very clear that both Dynasty and Unmasked were influenced by this movement of new music. I know that's why I love those two albums so very much. Fell in love with the first time I heard them. I can't even get into just how incredibly passionate I am about UNMASKED! So diverse. Ace has many great solo's on many songs BUT for whatever reason, the solo on the song "Talk To Me" is my all time favorite Ace solo. Don't ask me why.... It just is. "KISS- Music from The Elder is KISS's MASTERPIECE!!" GREAT, GREAT album. It's not even an album, it's an event!!...I was going to try to rank my top ten favorite KISS albums, BUT just can't do a top ten favorite list. It's impossible! I need to include KISS-ALIVE and the SOLO's and even the "re-mixed" DOUBLE PLATINUM needs to be included. To me the SOLO's whether it being a solo or collectively need to be in there as well. From 1974-1982 KISS released 17 albums including live, solo and an odd re-mix album and I hold them ALL singly and collectively dear to my heart and to my very soul. In my opinion, the REAL KISS was over from the release of "Lick It Up" on up. So I cannot use any of those albums. All I can say with complete and unadulterated confidence is that these days when I go to play a KISS album, it will either be "HOTTER THAN HELL" or the mighty "UNMASKED".

I just could never get behind The Elder and Shandi is one of my guilty pleasures. Great channel. Keep it up!

Hey Pete, Just stumbled on your site. Found it very fascinating especially when you critique Kiss and their albums. Keep up the great work! and the term your looking for is Guilty pleasure! I've been a fan since 1976 and I think my first album was Alive 1. I could not stop listening to it. Been a fan ever since and like you I'm a little apprehensive with the late eighties Kiss. Keep rockin'!!!

I have to agree in general principles, the 1970's albums are definitely their best, early 80's albums after that.

Pete, I can’t believe how similar our tastes are. I was a kiss fan when they first came on the scene opening up for other bands. I was able to turn a lot of my friends onto them before they became so huge. I totally agree with your choice of hotter than hell at number one! I remember my parents getting that for me for Christmas, as they complained about the photos on the backside of the album LOL. Strangeways has one of the best guitar solos by Ace, I just love it! I am not a big fan of their latest stuff.Keep rockin!

Great episode, thank you, anything KISS!

14:05 the term you're looking for is "Guilty Pleasure(s)" .

I really actually kinda dig The Elder. It's Proggie like Styx.

Man, your opinion/explanation on all these KISS albums is just how I feel about them. I’m 57, and I’ve been a fan since 1976.

I love Crazy Nights, that's when I started listening to KISS. Good Video!

Thank you for ranking the Kiss studio albums/CD's!! 🎤🎸🎵🥁