Greatest Kiss is a greatest hits album by American hard rock band Kiss. It was released in 1997 on Mercury Records.

Greatest Kiss
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedApril 8, 1997
Recorded1973–1996
Genre
Length56:04
LabelMercury
ProducerVarious
Kiss chronology
You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!!
(1996)
Greatest Kiss
(1997)
Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[3]

Background

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Along with You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!!, this album was issued to coincide with the group's 1996–97 Alive/Worldwide Tour. The US version covers only selected hits from 1974 to 1980, with an exclusive live version of "Shout It Out Loud"; the non-US releases include the band's 1992 hit "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II."

Track listings

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US version
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Detroit Rock City"Paul Stanley, Bob EzrinStanley3:38
2."Hard Luck Woman"StanleyPeter Criss3:35
3."Sure Know Something"Stanley, Vini PonciaStanley4:02
4."Deuce"Gene SimmonsSimmons3:42
5."Do You Love Me?"Stanley, Ezrin, Kim FowleyStanley3:34
6."I Was Made for Lovin' You"Stanley, Desmond Child, PonciaStanley4:30
7."Calling Dr. Love"SimmonsSimmons3:46
8."Christine Sixteen"SimmonsSimmons3:12
9."Beth"Criss, Ezrin, Stan PenridgeCriss2:46
10."Strutter"Simmons, StanleyStanley3:12
11."Cold Gin"Ace FrehleySimmons4:22
12."Plaster Caster"SimmonsSimmons3:27
13."Rock and Roll All Nite"Stanley, SimmonsSimmons2:53
14."Flaming Youth"Ezrin, Frehley, Simmons, StanleyStanley3:00
15."Two Sides of the Coin"FrehleyFrehley3:15
16."Shout It Out Loud" (recorded live at Tiger Stadium, Detroit, MI, on June 28, 1996)Stanley, Simmons, EzrinStanley, Simmons3:39
  • Produced by Kiss and Eddie Kramer
European and Australian version
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Detroit Rock City"Stanley, EzrinStanley3:38
2."Black Diamond"StanleyCriss5:14
3."Hard Luck Woman"StanleyCriss3:35
4."Sure Know Something"Stanley, PonciaStanley4:02
5."Love Gun"StanleyStanley3:16
6."Deuce"SimmonsSimmons3:42
7."Goin' Blind"Simmons, Stephen CoronelSimmons3:36
8."Shock Me"FrehleyFrehley3:47
9."Do You Love Me?"Stanley, Ezrin, FowleyStanley3:34
10."She"Simmons, CoronelSimmons4:08
11."I Was Made for Lovin' You"Stanley, Child, PonciaStanley4:30
12."Shout It Out Loud" (recorded live at Tiger Stadium, Detroit, MI, on June 28, 1996)Stanley, Simmons, EzrinStanley, Simmons3:39
13."God of Thunder"StanleySimmons4:15
14."Calling Dr. Love"SimmonsSimmons3:46
15."Beth"Criss, Ezrin, PenridgeCriss2:46
16."Strutter"Simmons, StanleyStanley3:12
17."Rock and Roll All Nite"Stanley, SimmonsSimmons2:53
18."Cold Gin"FrehleySimmons4:22
19."Plaster Caster"SimmonsSimmons3:27
20."God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II"Russ Ballard, Stanley, Simmons, EzrinStanley, Simmons5:20
Japanese version
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Detroit Rock City"Stanley, EzrinStanley3:38
2."Black Diamond"StanleyCriss5:14
3."Hard Luck Woman"StanleyCriss3:35
4."Sure Know Something"Stanley, PonciaStanley4:02
5."Love Gun"StanleyStanley3:16
6."Deuce"SimmonsSimmons3:42
7."Goin' Blind"Simmons, CoronelSimmons3:36
8."Shock Me"FrehleyFrehley3:47
9."Do You Love Me?"Stanley, Ezrin, FowleyStanley3:34
10."She"Simmons, CoronelSimmons4:08
11."I Was Made for Lovin' You"Stanley, Child, PonciaStanley4:30
12."Shout It Out Loud" (recorded live at Tiger Stadium, Detroit, MI, on June 28, 1996)Stanley, Simmons, EzrinStanley, Simmons3:39
13."God of Thunder"StanleySimmons4:15
14."Calling Dr. Love"SimmonsSimmons3:46
15."Beth"Criss, Ezrin, PenridgeCriss2:46
16."Strutter"Simmons, StanleyStanley3:12
17."Rock and Roll All Nite"Stanley, SimmonsSimmons2:53
18."C'mon and Love Me"StanleyStanley2:59
19."Rock Bottom"Stanley, FrehleyStanley3:55
20."God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II"Ballard, Stanley, Simmons, EzrinStanley, Simmons5:20
Mexican version
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Detroit Rock City"Stanley, EzrinStanley3:38
2."Black Diamond"StanleyCriss5:14
3."Hard Luck Woman"StanleyCriss3:35
4."Sure Know Something"Stanley, PonciaStanley4:02
5."Love Gun"StanleyStanley3:16
6."Deuce"SimmonsSimmons3:42
7."Goin' Blind"Simmons, CoronelSimmons3:36
8."2000 Man" (The Rolling Stones cover)Mick Jagger, Keith RichardsFrehley4:53
9."Do You Love Me?"Stanley, Ezrin, FowleyStanley3:34
10."She"Simmons, CoronelSimmons4:08
11."I Was Made for Lovin' You"Stanley, Child, PonciaStanley4:30
12."Shout It Out Loud" (recorded live at Tiger Stadium, Detroit, MI, on June 28, 1996)Stanley, Simmons, EzrinStanley, Simmons3:39
13."God of Thunder"StanleySimmons4:15
14."Calling Dr. Love"SimmonsSimmons3:46
15."Beth"Criss, Ezrin, PenridgeCriss2:46
16."Strutter"Simmons, StanleyStanley3:12
17."Rock and Roll All Nite"Stanley, SimmonsSimmons2:53
18."I Want You"StanleyStanley3:02
19."Plaster Caster"SimmonsSimmons3:27
20."God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II"Ballard, Stanley, Simmons, EzrinStanley, Simmons5:20
  • Note: The Mexican release has the European track listing misprinted on the packaging.

Personnel

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Kiss
  • Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar on "Sure Know Something", intro guitar solo on "C'mon and Love Me", first guitar solo on "I Want You", 12-string acoustic guitar on "Hard Luck Woman", bass on "Love Gun" and "I Was Made for Lovin' You"
  • Gene Simmons – vocals, bass; rhythm guitar on "Christine Sixteen"
  • Peter Criss – drums, vocals
  • Ace Frehley – lead guitar, second guitar solo on "I Want You", acoustic guitar on "Hard Luck Woman"; vocals, all guitars and bass on "Two Sides of the Coin", "Shock Me" and "2,000 Man"
  • Bruce Kulick – lead guitar on "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II"
  • Eric Singer – drums on "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II"
  • Eric Carr – backing vocals on "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II"
Additional musicians
  • Anton Fig – drums on "Sure Know Something", "2,000 Man", "I Was Made for Lovin' You" and "Two Sides of the Coin"
  • Dick Wagner – acoustic guitar on "Beth"
  • Bob Ezrin – piano on "Beth"

Charts

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Chart (1996-1997) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[4] 11
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[5] 40
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[6] 92
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[7] 13
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[8] 64
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[9] 25
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[10] 25
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[11] 25
Scottish Albums (OCC)[12] 91
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[13] 3
UK Albums (OCC)[14] 58
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[15] 10
US Billboard 200[16] 77

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[17] Platinum 60,000^
Australia (ARIA)[18] Gold 35,000^
Sweden (GLF)[19] Gold 40,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Greatest Kiss - Kiss | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4 (4 ed.). Muze. p. 875. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4.
  3. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8. Archived from the original on June 27, 2011.
  4. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Kiss – Greatest Kiss". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  5. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Kiss – Greatest Kiss" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  6. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kiss – Greatest Kiss" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  7. ^ "Kiss: Greatest Kiss" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  8. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kiss – Greatest Kiss" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  9. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  10. ^ "Charts.nz – Kiss – Greatest Kiss". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  11. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Kiss – Greatest Kiss". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  12. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  13. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Kiss – Greatest Kiss". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  14. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  15. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  16. ^ "Kiss Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  17. ^ "Estadísticas – Discos de Oro y Platino". Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (in Spanish). capif.org.ar. Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  18. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  19. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17.