Rock Legends Part II
December 19, 2006 by Jo Minor
KISS
Arguably the biggest rock band to ever emerge from the United States, this energetic monsters-of-men have gone through tumultuous times in their over 30 years in the industry only to bounce back stronger than ever in the latter stages of their careers.
KISS is comprised of original members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss and with several other musicians helping them along the way - most notably drummers Eric Carr and Eric Singer, and guitarists Tommy Thayer, Vinnie Vincent and Bruce Kulick. Some of these musicians had to even appear on stage - with the required make up and props - to represent the alter egos of the original members Frehley and Criss who exited the band due to creative differences.
The band spawned a craze in the United States for decades - resulting in the production of KISS comic books, movies, a video game and collectibles, including a coffin for die-hard fans named the KISS Kasket.
KISS have caused widespread euphoria and panic in the US with their outlandish stage make up and stunts, and even resulted in hate campaigns against them launched by distraught parents. Some even went to the extent of branding the band Satanic, when in fact their songs are mostly radio-friendly love songs!
The band is known for their sing-along arena rock anthems like Rock And Roll All Nite, Black Diamond, Strutter and Rock Bottom - and is also fondly remembered for their heart-wrenching ballad Beth as well. KISS is also loved by their fans for representing their superhero alter egos on stage - each unique to a band member.
Until today, KISS has sold an estimate of 80 million albums worldwide and with nearly a quarter of the sales coming from sales in the United States alone it’s clear that they have their largest fan base locally. They have slowed down their performance duties quite considerably in the past several years, but continue to perform at certain events.
Scorpions
Easily Germany’s greatest musical export of all time, Scorpions has had its share of success and fame worldwide. The first incarnation of the band was formed in 1965 by rhythm guitarist Rudolf Schenker, and after several lineup changes the band struck gold with their hard rock hits and sentimental tunes.
The band has had some extremely talented musicians on board in their 30-plus year career, including guitar extraordinaire Uli Jon Roth and Rudolf’s equally talented guitarist brother Michael who made a name for himself with a solo career. But it was prominent vocalist Klaus Meine who was the star attraction of the band throughout their years - the undersized vocalist had an outstanding vocal range and belted out the band’s emotionally-charged tunes with unbridled energy and conviction. Rudolf played an equally important part as well; he has written almost all of the band’s songs single-handedly.
Having sold over 60 million albums in total worldwide, the band has achieved 30 platinum and 78 gold record certifications worldwide. Scorpions also boast some rather eccentric achievements as well - by being the first band to play in the former Soviet Union, and to perform during the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The band will always be remembered for their hard rocking hits like In Trance, Pictured Life and Don’t Stop At The Top, and their slower peace-loving anthems such as Wind Of Change and Under The Same Sun.
No other rock ‘n roll band has quite captured the adoration of so many fans worldwide like Scorpions have, and as a testament to this the band still releases albums and tours on a regular basis, albeit with some younger replacements on board.
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