Kiss Timeline

1972 Dec Ace Frehley joins Kiss
In December 1972, the group added lead guitarist Ace Frehley (born as Paul Frehley on April 27, 1951 in the Bronx, New York City). According to the book Kiss & Tell by Ace Frehley's forme...
1972 Dec Kiss (band) is formed
Kiss (also typeset as KISS) is an American rock band formed in New York City in December 1972. Easily identified by its members' trademark face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to ...
1973 Jan 30 First Kiss performance
The first Kiss performance was on January 30, 1973, for an audience of three at the Popcorn Club (renamed Coventry shortly afterward) in Queens. In March of that year, the band recorded a...
1973 Oct 10 Kiss begins recording first album
The band entered Bell Sound Studios in New York City on October 10, 1973 to begin recording their first album.
1973 Nov 1 Kiss is signed to Buddah Records
Former TV director Bill Aucoin, who had seen the group at a handful of showcase concerts in the summer of 1973, offered to become the band’s manager in mid-October. Kiss agreed, with the ...
1974 Feb 5 Kiss starts first tour
Kiss's first tour started on February 5, 1974 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.
1974 Feb 18 Kiss releases self titled debut
Kiss is the self-titled debut album from the American hard rock band Kiss. When it was released, on February 18, 1974, Kiss had been a band for little more than one year. Much of the mate...
1974 Feb 19 Kiss debuts on television
On February 19, the band performed "Nothin' to Lose," "Firehouse," and "Black Diamond" for what would become their first national television appearance, on ABC's Dick Clark's In Concert (...
1974 Apr 29 Kiss performs on The Mike Douglas Show
On April 29, the band performed "Firehouse" on The Mike Douglas Show. This broadcast included Simmons' first televised interview, a conversation with Douglas in which Simmons declared him...
1974 Oct 22 Kiss releases Hotter Than Hell
Hotter Than Hell is the second album from the rock group Kiss. It was certified Gold on June 23, 1977, having sold 500,000 copies. The album was re-released in 1997 (along with most of Ki...
1975 Mar 19 Kiss releases Dressed to Kill
Dressed to Kill is a 1975 album from American hard rock group Kiss. It is the band's third studio album and is unique for having been produced by the president of Casablanca Records, Neil...
1976 Mar 15 Kiss releases Destroyer
Destroyer is the fourth studio album and fifth album overall by hard rock band Kiss, released on March 15, 1976 in the United States. It was the second consecutive Kiss album to reach the...
1976 Nov 1 Kiss releases Rock and Roll Over
Rock and Roll Over is an album by hard rock band Kiss. Rock and Roll Over was written by singer-songwriter Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss. Criss's vocals are feat...
1977 Jun 30 Kiss releases Love Gun
Love Gun is an album by the American hard rock band Kiss. It was certified Platinum on June 30, 1977 when it sold 1,000,000 copies. Love Gun was the second Kiss album to ship platinum, an...
1979 May 23 Kiss releases Dynasty
Dynasty is a studio album by the American hard rock band Kiss. The album, and its subsequent tour, were billed as the "Return of Kiss." The band as a full unit had not released a studio a...
1980 May 20 Kiss releases Unmasked
Unmasked is an album by the American band Kiss released in 1980. It is the group's 8th studio album. At the time it was the last studio album from the original lineup of Gene Simmons, Pau...
1981 Nov 16 Kiss releases Music from "The Elder"
Music from "The Elder" is a 1981 concept album released by the American hard rock band Kiss. It was an attempt on the part of the group to establish Kiss as credible artists, and also to ...
1982 Oct 13 Kiss releases Creatures of the Night
Creatures of the Night is a 1982 album from U.S. hard rock/heavy metal band Kiss. It is the band's 10th studio album and the last for Casablanca Records, the only label the group had ever...
1983 Sep 20 Kiss releases Lick It Up
Lick It Up is an album by the U.S. hard rock/heavy metal band Kiss. On the day of the album's release, Kiss appeared on MTV without their trademark makeup. It was the first public appeara...
1984 Sep 13 Kiss releases Animalize
Animalize is an album by the American hard rock/heavy metal band Kiss. In a continuation of the commercial resurgence begun with Lick It Up, Animalize was certified platinum by the RIAA o...
1985 Sep 16 Kiss releases Asylum
Asylum is an album by the American hard rock band Kiss. It features the debut of lead guitarist Bruce Kulick, who played with the band on their Animalize tour and officially replaced Mark...
1987 Sep 18 Kiss releases Crazy Nights
Crazy Nights is the 14th album by American hard rock band Kiss. It was the fourth Kiss album in a row to achieve platinum status. The album peaked at #18 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, ...
1988 Aug 20 Monsters of Rock 1988
1988 was the biggest ever Donington,107,000 turned up. Given dry conditions that would not have been a problem, however, the festival was marred by bad weather in the week previous to the...
1989 Oct 17 Kiss releases Hot in the Shade
Hot in the Shade is a Kiss album released in 1989. It was certified Gold on December 20, 1989 by the RIAA. It is the first Kiss studio album since 1981's Music From "The Elder" to feature...
1992 May 19 Kiss releases Revenge
Revenge is a studio album by Kiss, released in 1992. It was the band's first album after the death of long-time drummer Eric Carr in November 1991. His replacement, Eric Singer, had playe...
1997 Oct 28 Kiss releases Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions
Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions is Kiss' last album produced before the reunion of the original Kiss members. Recorded and slated for release in 1995/early 1996, Kiss cancelled its ...
1998 Sep 22 Kiss releases Psycho Circus
Psycho Circus is a 1998 studio album by the American hard rock band Kiss. This album featured the original four members back together and in full make up. Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer ste...
2009 Oct 6 Kiss releases Sonic Boom
Sonic Boom is an upcoming album from the American hard rock band Kiss scheduled to be released October 6, 2009. The album was recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood, CA and ...
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