Our 10 Favorite KISS Albums Covers

Feature Photo: Tony Norkus / Shutterstock.com

If there ever was a band that defined the art of visuals in rock and roll, it was and still is KISS. Yes, I know they just played their last concert this month in New York at Madison Square Garden. But do you really believe it is their final concert? Do you remember the Kiss Farewell Tour in the 1990s? Of course, they are much older now, but if you saw my interview with Lester Chambers last week, who is 83 years old and still putting out new material, you can see that retirement is not a reality for many musicians. I bet my entire bootleg collection of Kiss concerts that these guys will return. In the meantime, to pay tribute to all the joy this band has brought us, I thought it would be fun to pick out what I believe are ten of the best KISS album covers ever released. So here we go……

# 10 – Crazy Nights

We open our 10 Favorite KISS Albums Covers list with the album Crazy Nights. This is one that featured the band in their unmasked phase. We picked this one because of the design and the portrait photos of the band look really good. The album was recorded at One on One Recording Studios and Rumbo Recorders in California, from March to June 1987. It was produced by Ron Nevison. The band lineup for this album featured Paul Stanley on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Gene Simmons on bass and vocals, Eric Carr on drums, percussion, and backing vocals, and Bruce Kulick on lead guitar and backing vocals.

Tracklist for Crazy Nights:

“Crazy Crazy Nights” 3:45
“I’ll Fight Hell to Hold You” 4:10
“Bang Bang You” 3:53
“No, No, No” 4:19
“Hell or High Water” 3:28
“My Way” 3:58
“When Your Walls Come Down” 3:25
“Reason to Live” 3:59
“Good Girl Gone Bad” 4:35
“Turn on the Night” 3:18
“Thief in the Night” 4:05

upbeat, jubilant, high-spirited, cheery, energetic, lively, spirited, excited, rip-roaring, rhythmic, tripping, pulsating, luscious,

# 9 – Kiss Rocks Vegas

Continuing with our 10 Favorite KISS Albums Covers list, we present an album cover that may not be familiar to many rock fans. Of course, the Kiss Army is entirely aware of every release, but many others have difficulty keeping up with all releases. This cover shows the fun and chaos that a Kiss concert delivers. It’s just perfect. This album was released as a live DVD, Blu-Ray, and CD. It was released in 2016. The lineup featured Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer, and Tommy Thayer.

# 8 – Psycho Circus

In the number eight spot on our Our 10 Favorite KISS Albums Covers list we present the cover for the album Psycho Circus. Kiss’s 1998 album Psycho Circus was a notable release for the announcement that it would reunite the original lineup of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss. However, it was not a full-blown reunion as Ace and Peter only played on a few songs. The rest of the lineup features Paul and Gene, as well as Kevin Valentine, Tommy Thayer, and Bruce Kulick.

The album cover was designed by Michael Doret, who had previously worked on the iconic Rock and Roll Over album cover. Psycho Circus featured a 3D lenticular design, giving it a unique, multi-dimensional appearance that echoed the album’s theme of a dark, eerie circus that was perfect for KISS.

CD Track Listings:

“Psycho Circus” 5:30
“Within” 5:10
“I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock & Roll” 3:32
“Into the Void” 4:22
“We Are One” 4:41
“You Wanted the Best” 4:15
“Raise Your Glasses” 4:14
“I Finally Found My Way” 3:40
“Dreamin'” 4:12
“Journey of 1,000 Years” 4:47

# 7 – Lick It Up

What is very special about the Lick It Up album cover is it featured the band members without their iconic makeup for the first time on a Kiss album. The cover featured Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Vinnie Vincent, and Eric Carr, as we had never seen them before unless, of course, you saw the unmasking on MTV. That was such a mind-blowing experience.

CD Track Listings:

“Exciter” 4:10
“Not for the Innocent” 4:22
“Lick It Up” 3:56
“Young and Wasted” 4:05
“Gimme More” 3:43
“All Hell’s Breakin’ Loose” 4:34
“A Million to One” 4:17
“Fits Like a Glove” 4:04
“Dance All Over Your Face” 4:16
“And on the 8th Day” 4:02

# 6 – Dressed To Kill

Kiss‘s third studio album, Dressed to Kill, was released in 1975. The album’s cover features the band members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss dressed to kill in sharp-looking suits, starkly contrasting their bigger than life stage personas. The album was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City and was produced by Casablanca Records president Neil Bogart.

CD Track Listings:

“Room Service” 2:59
“Two Timer” 2:47
“Ladies in Waiting” 2:31
“Getaway” 2:43
“Rock Bottom” 3:55
“C’mon and Love Me” 2:57
“Anything for My Baby” 2:35
“She” 4:08
“Love Her All I Can” 2:40
“Rock and Roll All Nite” 2:48

# 5 – KISS

At the halfway point on our 10 Favorite KISS Albums Covers list is the band’s debut album. Were you in the record stores when this first came out and had no idea who the band was? Seeing these guys on the cover would have blown your mind. Kiss was released in 1974. The album cover featured the band members in their iconic makeup and costumes against a black background.

CD Track Listings:

“Strutter” 3:10
“Nothin’ to Lose” 3:26
“Firehouse” 3:18
“Cold Gin” 4:22
“Let Me Know” 2:58
“Kissin’ Time” 3:52
“Deuce” 3:05
“Love Theme from Kiss” 2:24
“100,000 Years” 3:22
“Black Diamond” 5:11

# 4 – Monster

At the number four spot on our 10 Favorite KISS Albums Covers list we present the cover for Monster. It was the 20th studio album released by KISS. The album was released in 2012. The album featured the lineup of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer. We chose this one for the graphic design and great pose by the band, especially Gene Simmons. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard Top 200 album charts in 2012

CD Track Listings:

“Hell or Hallelujah” 4:07
“Wall of Sound” 2:55
“Freak” 3:35
“Back to the Stone Age” 3:01
“Shout Mercy” 4:04
“Long Way Down” 3:51
“Eat Your Heart Out” 4:06
“The Devil Is Me” 3:40
“Outta This World” 4:29
“All for the Love of Rock & Roll” 3:21
“Take Me Down Below” 3:24
“Last Chance” 3:05

# 3 – Alive!

Hands down, this is one of the album covers in all of our collections that we spent the most time staring at. It wasn’t just the front cover but also the back cover that featured all my high school friends at MSG. Well, maybe not my real friends, but they certainly looked like everyone I went to High School with in the 1970s.

CD Track Listings:

“Deuce” 3:56
“Strutter” 3:22
“Got to Choose” 3:58
“Hotter Than Hell” 3:30
“Firehouse” 4:03
“Nothin’ to Lose” 3:38
“C’mon and Love Me” 3:05
“Parasite” 3:34
“She” 7:08
“Watchin’ You” 3:50
“100,000 Years” 12:10
“Black Diamond” 6:10
“Rock Bottom” 3:20
“Cold Gin” 7:16
“Rock and Roll All Nite” 4:23
“Let Me Go, Rock ‘n Roll” 5:46

# 2 – Love Gun

As great as the music was on Love Gun, the album’s cover was just as good. Love Gun was released in 1977. The album’s cover art was designed by Ken Kelly, who had previously worked on the band’s Destroyer album. One can easily see the same artistic style behind both album covers. The Love Gun album peaked at number four on the Billboard Top 200 Album Charts. It became one of the band’s highest-charting albums.

CD Track Listings:

“I Stole Your Love” 3:04
“Christine Sixteen” 3:14
“Got Love for Sale” 3:28
“Shock Me” 3:47
“Tomorrow and Tonight” 3:40
“Love Gun” 3:17
“Hooligan” 3:01
“Almost Human” 2:49
“Plaster Caster” 3:27
“Then She Kissed Me” 3:02

# 1 – Destroyer

It turns out that our favorite Kiss album, from a musical standpoint, also stands as our favorite KISS album cover. Everyone had this album in the 1970s. It’s such a brilliant cover that captured the spirit of KISS in all theor comic book glory. The Destroyer album was released in 1976. Ken Kelly designed the album cover. The artist showcased the band Kiss in a sort of apocalyptic city coming right at you as either heros or who knows what,

Recorded at Record Plant Studios in New York City, Destroyer was produced by Bob Ezrin. It would become the band’s first studio album to sell over a million copies. It also hit number eleven on the Billboard Top 200 Albums charts.

CD Track Listings:

“Detroit Rock City” 5:17
“King of the Night Time World” 3:19
“God of Thunder” 4:13
“Great Expectations” 4:24
“Flaming Youth” 2:59
“Sweet Pain” 3:20
“Shout It Out Loud” 2:49
“Beth” 2:45
“Do You Love Me” 3:33
“Rock and Roll Party” 1:25

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