KISS Albums Ranked

[@eirik3938]

I don't really agree with Carnival of Souls. I think it's a great heavy album. I'd pick it over albums such as Sonic Boom and Hot In The Shade

[@derekmiles9069]

Hot in the shade is the biggest pile of shit they ever put out.

[@eclecticx]

Creatures, Lick It Up, and Revenge are WAY higher on my list. :) 01. Creatures of The Night 02. Revenge 03. Destroyer 04. Love Gun 05. Lick It Up 06. Rock n Roll Over 07. KISS 08. Hotter Than Hell 09. Dressed to Kill 10. Animalize 11. Asylum 12. Psycho Circus 13. Sonic Boom 14. Hot In The Shade 15. Crazy Nights 16. Dynasty 17. Music from The Elder 18. Carnival of Souls 19. Monster 20. Unmasked

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

That’s why it’s my opinion 🤘🏻

[@eclecticx]

@@garyoftheelysiums2589 Yeah, I wrote that when I was really tired. It read like I was stating my own opinion as undebatable fact. I've since reworded things.

[@alltheworldsastage899]

First of all - right on with Carnival of Souls! I've found that your favorite era of KISS (and most bands) will depend on your age. I was born in 56 so my favorite era is 74-78. After that, most albums are hit and miss to varying degrees. Although I will say, I was surprised by how much I like Monster. Rock on brother! You have a new subscriber

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

Thank you very much 🙏🏻 I’m trying to do more ranking videos, putting something together very soon

[@eirik3938]

I guess you're somewhat right, but I was born 2006 and never got into Sonic Boom or Monster, or even the current line-up at all. I stick to mostly the 70s and 90s stuff with the exception of Creatures. Creatures is my favorite album of KISS

[@cameronduggan9755]

This is probably the best kiss album ranking video I have seen the only thing I would change is I like Sonic Boom better than Crazy Nights.

[@holyshitkiss3628]

I also think Rock N’ Roll Over is better than Love Gun

[@JCStorm76]

This is pretty accurate. I’d have Creatures Of The Night higher and Rock n Roll Over at number one

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

I love the original lineup that’s why creatures isn’t higher but I agree it’s one of the best albums not only of kiss but in all of hard rock!

[@seanthebaptist6757]

Great list man. Every Kiss ranking I see is so different, I think that's interesting as hell.

[@CrazyLG72]

I definitely respect your rankings ..Its pretty accurate in my opinion and you're right about Unmasked and Psycho Circus theyre really good and in my top 5 ..rock on brotha

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

Yes! Thanks for watching! I love Unmasked!

[@garfinn4555]

'Creatures' is by far their best album, song for song it is way ahead of everything else they did.

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

Hard to disagree with, many people pick that as number 1. Thanks for watching!

[@petepiper7038]

Your list for the solo albums was spot on! You said that some people would say Gene's was the best. I've never heard anyone say that, not even GENE. Even he knows Ace's album mopped the floor with his. Don't get me wrong Gene had a few good songs, the worst for me was A MAN OF 1000 FECES. The story behind that was it's about horror movie legend Lon Chaney, but that doesn't help it from being crap. When you wish upon a star has a cool story, if true. When Gene and his Mother moved here (the U.S ), he didn't speak English. Supposedly when he was still young, he learned English by watching old movies and that song was in the movie Pinocchio, on learning the meaning of the words it struck a nerve with him and he wanted to be Pinocchio. Instead of being a wooden boy yearning to be real, he just wanted to fit in to the American culture and become an American success story.

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

Cool story, but I hate that he covered that song lol. Thanks for watching I appreciate it!

[@kevinbrown1893]

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

[@TheOfficerMahoney]

Uuh Revenge way too low for me. I adore what VINNIE did for KISS, the three albums he worked on all easily go to my top10 with creatures and LIU in TOP5

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

Nice list, hard to disagree with!

[@timorthelame1]

In your critique of "The Elder" you stated that Ace Frehley and Peter Criss hated the album, suggesting that Peter Criss was still in the band at the time that "The Elder" was released, when in fact he was not a member of the band at that point. As a matter of fact, the previous Kiss album "Unmasked" had Anton Figg and other session artists playing drums on most of the tracks. By the time of the 1981 release of "The Elder" Eric Carr was officially Kiss's drummer. Now you know... :)

[@aaronshoaf4644]

Crazy Nights is my number 1 album. Love it!

[@DaddyDepression]

Thanks so much for you’re review man, great work. Concerned you like “Bang Bang you” and “tomorrow and tonight” though😂

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

Hey we all have our guilty pleasures! Haha

[@gonzo94000]

I just don't get how most fans think legendary peak early in their career. If most people rank bands like KISS , Aerosmith, Van Halen, Def Leppard, it seems the early stuff is rated the highest and the most recent stuff is at or near the bottom.

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

I agree with Kiss, VH (DLR years) and Def Leppard. But with Aerosmith, I love pump and get a grip just as much as get your wings or rocks. Thanks for watching!

[@alibobsmarland9572]

I think it depends on your age and when you first heard the band. For example the first band I saw was AC/DC back in 1978 with Bon so I love the early albums with him over the Brian Johnson albums whereas later fans are possibly the opposite.

[@larsbonnet17]

I see ”Destroyer” not as a KISS album, but more like a Bob Ezrin feat. KISS album. Great album, but I don’t spin it very often. Got boring pretty fast. ”Rock’n’Roll Over” is my favorite.

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

I don’t listen to it as much either only cause I feel like it’s the most played out album by them, but it’s still great

[@diamondd2778]

Great review bud!

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

Thanks for watching!

[@josealejandrourdaneta4435]

such a great review my friend. thaks for sharing all your opinions. i agree with must of all thoughts. it's really hard to choose and do an accurate ranking but this one is a really good one. keep on rockin'. greetings from Venezuela.

[@edcollins9377]

I was 11 years old when Kiss Alive I came out. As soon as I heard it, I was hooked and I instantly became a huge Kiss fan. I fell in love with the biting, crunch guitar sounds of Ace & Paul. plus the other-worldly guitar solos of Spaceman Ace. I immediately, bought their entire cataloge, which included Kiss, Hotter than Hell, Dressed to Kill, and Destroyer. Of those 4 albums, I think the debut album, KISS, sounded the best followed by Destroyer, Dressed To Kill, & Hotter than Hell. However, none of these studio albums could hold a candle to Kiss Alive I. With Alive I, Eddie Kramer was able to capture Kiss' awesome guitar tones like no other producer . Although Destroyer was a commercial success, diehard Kiss fans wanted to hear music that remsembled the bands live sound. So to make up for Destroyer, Kiss teamed up with Eddie again to record the kick ass album known as "Rock & Roll Over". I definitely consider "Rn'R Over" to be the BEST Kiss atudio album. It is the quintessential Kiss album! On this album, Paul Stanley was definitely at his peak as a songwriter, a rhythm guitarist, and a lead singer. Gene also contributed 4 awesome songs, and Criss' Baby Driver is also a very good song. IMO, RnR Over, was the high point for Kiss. Awesome sounding guitars, drums, and bass, great songwriting, killer vocals, and an outstanding production. You can't ask for anything more (that is until Boston's debut album came out). Kiss's next album was Love Gun. Love Gun was also a very good album, but it differed a bit in sound. Those powerful, biting power chords were not quite as prominent, but there still was some good guitar songs like Love Gun, Tomorrow and Tonight,and I Stole Your Love. (Its almost like Kiss was trying to make their sound more appealinng to the masses.) However, Love Gun had a fatal flaw and it was called, Christine Sixteen. Christine 16 sucked! Then there came the disco sounds of Dynasty. In other words, Kiss sold out to to the masses and so for that reason alone, R&R Over easily takes the cake as the best Kiss studio album..

[@matthewmutchman6360]

1. Creatures of the Night 2. Lick it Up 3. Kiss 4. Dressed to Kill 5. Dynasty 6. Love Gun 7. Asylum 8. Revenge 9. Destroyer 10. Hotter Than Hell 11. Monster 12. Psycho Circus 13. Rock and Roll Over (here up, I like) 14. Carnival of Souls 15. Animalize 16. Music from "The Elder" 17. Unmasked 18. Hot in the Shade 19. Crazy Nights 20. Sonic Boom

[@petepiper7038]

Great review! Out of the 6-7 review videos I've watched so far, your whole list is closest to mine. Because I don't really care how you rank 10-20 you could drop those on the floor and put them in the order you pick them up, and it wouldn't really matter. I would change a few of your top 7 around. Most notably DESTROYER would drop to 2 or 3 because of not so GREAT EXPECTATIONS and parts of most of the 2nd side of the album. Mostly FLAMING YOUTH had a chance to be a great song the lyrics are great but the chorus is weak and way to repetitive. Also the lack of a real strong solo hurt what could have been the best song on the album. If it had a much ballsier chorus like Detroit Rock City or Shout It Out Loud it could have so much better. Same goes for Sweet Pain. I really like most of that tune but it's missing something that I just can't put my finger on. It has good lyrics, a decent chorus and a couple good lead fills by Ace. I guess after reading what I just wrote the problem it the tempo? Yeah, that's it! My #1 would be ROCK & ROLL OVER. For 2 reasons. My first KISS tour and as you yourself mentioned, you can listen to it all the way through. Only song that's a bit of filler to me is HARD LUCK WOMAN. But that's way better the GREAT EXPECTATIONS! And not as much of a filler song as Do You Love Me which I really never got into until seeing it on the reunion tour with all the old pics and videos playing on the big screen up behind the band. I would have also had CREATURES OF THE NIGHT in my top 4-5. Great album and the closest KISS ever got to a true metal album. Not much filler and by far the best stage set up I ever saw. The drum riser being a tank turret! I didn't appreciate I STILL LOVE YOU until about 2 weeks after getting the album and then listening to it in headphones. Eric Carr's drumming in that was so powerful and simply amazing!! I'd say that song was the heaviest metal ballad of the 80s!.

[@asdfg9865qwerty]

Carnival Of Souls the best album of Kiss

[@TheOfficerMahoney]

Noooo. Creatures must be higher, I mean Saint&Sinner, War Machine, RnR Hell, title track, I love It loud... It is just one of the most cohisive albums they ever made when you look at the sound, songs, image. Perfection.

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

Great album, but I love the original 4 members albums best! Creatures has great production!

[@rustyblades2566]

Great video. Your opinion on these albums were pretty positive for the most part..which was good. Alive 4 was good, I was at the concert. Obviously the First Alive can't be beaten.

[@rushbravado1972]

Your rankings are pretty good. I would have Carnival of Souls and The Elder much higher. But you are spot on with the Solos. Fractured Mirror might be the greatest instrumental of all time. Hotter Than Hell would be my favorite album and I love Goin' Blind. Good review.

[@mikaellofgren7]

Peter Criss was not on Music From The Elder it was Eric Carr's first album with KISS.

[@danb8891]

1- Rock And Roll Over 2- Destroyer 3- Creatures Of The Night 4- Kiss 5- Love Gun 6- Hotter Than Hell 6- Dressed To Kill 7- Revenge 8- Dynasty 9- Lick It Up 10- Animalize

[@alibobsmarland9572]

Top five pretty spot on but I'd possibly squeeze Dynasty in somewhere.

[@holyshitkiss3628]

I would switch Asylum or Monster with Animalize. Heavens on fire is an awesome song but the rest of the album sucks.

[@iancocks9408]

I would have similar ranking to all of yours!.

[@toneman8478]

Everyone has differing opinions.. I personally like their early 80s material like Creatures, Lick it up and Animalize

[@CatastrophicG]

Awesome list, Gary! 👍 Where does Killers come in? You forgot that one...🙂

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

This is just studio albums. Killers is a compilation with 4 new studio tracks

[@bcardamone]

Well …. As soon as you put COS last … I knew I’d be listening to a vastly different perspective than mine. Nonetheless … enjoyable

[@Ripley9425]

Marilyn manson was and is huge fan since his childhood

[@kennetthgarcia834]

My favorite KISS albums are 1 Revenge, 2 Crazy Nights, and 3 Sonic Boom.

[@Hamptainment]

...who hurt you...

[@cameronduggan9755]

Lol, revenge is fantastic but Sonic Boom and Crazy Nights are two of the worst

[@vincentcarotta3355]

Song wise, Hotter Than Hell is easily top three. Sound wise, it's their worst album by far.

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

Yea the production could have been better, but that album is so iconic to me I don’t even mind! Thanks for watching!

[@gimmemore204]

What about double platinum came out the same time the four solo records did in 1978.

[@michaelperillo6616]

Wow a Sam Goodie,The Wall shout out. The good old days when you went to the mall and you can pre listened to CD'S

[@jarodvirden]

A fair assessment. However I find myself listening to the following albums the most.....1. Creatures of night 2. Ace solo album 3. Gene solo album I also played the crap out of Alive 1-3 and double platinum, revenge, asylum, love gun and destroyer.

[@paul.theeightiesluvr.1945]

I think Carnival of Souls should have been the title for Psycho Circus and vice a versa😅

[@RubUOutC]

My problem with Destroyer is its overproduction. Some of their best songs, sure, but the album versions are all the worst versions. Plus you have to navigate stinkers like Great Expectations to enjoy it.

[@Hamptainment]

You had me at Carnival. Worst album hands down. Unlistenable. Id rank Revenge a bit lower, maybe 3 good songs. Top 3 for me - 1 Hotter Than Hell, 2 Rock And Roll Over, 3 Dressed To Kill. Destroyer ranks at 10.

[@silva_manu9244]

Killers?? My First Kiss Album !! 😎😥

[@kevincastelonia1272]

You forgot killers

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

I was just ranking the studio albums. Killers is a compilation with 4 new songs

[@piedadstoffel5955]

Ya there was a lot of crapy kiss albums

[@seagullpoet]

They weren’t masterpieces. That’s for sure.

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

I’ve grown to love them, except carnival of souls. If you’re interested, check out the book kiss unmasked. It has stories of all the non makeup years albums. Great read. Thanks for watching!

[@marksantucci4230]

@@seagullpoet that's your opinion and your wrong the early years up to Unmasked rocked the very best in music one of the very best in music.. from 1974 up to 1979 this band rocked.

[@sabbathoneseveneight8643]

I take it you don't own Double Platinum? KISS' best compilation album.

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

The key word is “compilation”. Not a studio album.

[@sabbathoneseveneight8643]

@@garyoftheelysiums2589 would it not fit with greatest hits compilations you did in the video? You even called them compilations when introducing them.

[@lamblore5639]

you didnt have KILLERS

[@garyoftheelysiums2589]

Killers is a compilation

[@davidbrown3971]

Is this for real?? Every thing kiss did was a joke.