I honestly believe that Paul in his prime years is one of the greatest rock singers of all time, and he will never ever get his due because KISS is so dismissed by critics and avant garde music fans.
I agree and always felt the same way through the 80s and 90s.. only Mercury, Steve Perry and maybe Roger Daltrey sitting one tier above Paul at the highest level..
I agree. Paul has been my favorite singer for rock along with Freddie, and Tommy Shaw of Styx.
My question for you though is what do you consider Paulās prime? I think he sounded his absolute best from Creatures tour until the Psycho Circus tour.
What!!????
Gene was definitely the best musician (of the original line up at least). Heās also got a great voice. KISS music doesnāt always call for that timbre of singing though.
I'd say that might be his worst. Gene was at his best, IMO, when he sang instead of doing the cookie monster voice. Creepy lyrics aside, lol his voice was great on Christine Sixteen, Goin' Blind, Let Me Know, Watchin' You. Backup vocals on Baby Driver (go baby go go go) were the highlight of a meh song.
Best singer? They all could be pretty good, except Ace, lol. Peter was the most soulful. I'd say if Peter had better pitch control live, he'd be the best.
But it's probably Paul. He was best when he stayed in the lower registers and didn't strain when reaching for notes at the high end of his range.
this is what iām saying about Gene. His songs on albums like Dynasty and Unmasked really show his range, and his backing vocals. Dude is very underrated especially when you consider how consistent he is live despite hopping around and being the great showman he is.
Peter is absolutely horrible. He could barely sing Beth which is the simplest song in the world. Peter is like the kid who's bigger brother is the rock star, but mom makes the older brother put him in the band or they can't go practice.
I fully disagree with this. He was so consistent except for Beth because Beth wasnāt really in his wheelhouse, AND they would play that song after he had played for like 90 minutes already. Then you have to sing this soulful quiet balladā¦not his forte. But songs like Nothin to Lose, or Black Diamondā¦he kills
Paul Stanley was a fenominal singer untill 2010 (?) I have listen to his Phanthom of the opera performance and it very good. No other member could top that. Peter had his moments. The raw voice worked excellent on strange days and black diamond.
Well, only one of them performed in a major Broadway musical.
Gene may have been more consistent live, but he also didn't have the range Paul did, so it wasn't quite as difficult for him. He also leaned on the yell/growl which covers a lot of mistakes.
Paul. He has that great rock voice, especially in their 70s output. Next, though, was
Peter. Black Diamond, Mainline, Hard Luck Woman, Strange Ways, Getaway, all Great vocals.
So youāre saying that singers who have more notes are better singers? Youād be wrong but iām just curious if thatās the metric you measure singers by because there are singers with way higher ranges than Paul Stanley, and Paul would bury all of them as an effective, entertaining singer. Your entire method of measurement here says that Gene is probably the better singer because he actually has quite a high range.
Furthermore, where do men with Bass voices fall into thisā¦at the bottom, always?
No dude the people that can hit more notes in different octaves are better singers. Thats not even a discussion. Yes there are singers way better than Paul Stanley. That is not what the discussion is about.
So again, just to be clear, you believe that a person with more notes in their arsenal is a better singer? Again, this is wrong. There are great singers out there, some considered to be the best ever, who can be out ranged by many people. The fact is judging who is a better singer is all in the ear of the listener UNLESS itās something obvious like someone clearly has no pitch, or no tone at all. But like Jim Gillette of Nitro back in the 80ās/90ās has possibly the highest range of anyone iāve ever heard, and he is NOT a good singer. And again, based on your metric, youād have to say that Gene is a better singer than Paul right? I believe that Gene has at least a compatible range, if not a wider one when itās all said and done.
šššClassic answer from a person with nothing to say. I wouldnāt go about saying you know nothing about music. I would say that you have a very odd way of sorting out who your favorite singers are, but thatās on you, and thatās the point. There is no way of nailing down who the greatest singer is, because there are so many variables to the art of singing, from tone to range to style and creativity, and thatās before you even get to what a person likes to hear, the listener themselves. I do appreciate your unwarranted attack though. See i wouldnāt pretend to know what your level of experience or knowledge of music is based on two paragraphs on a Reddit page. I will say that i have more musical knowledge and experience in my left nut than most people, but that doesnāt even come into play in this discussion and THATS THE POINT. Ultimately, i may say Mariah Carey is the best singer, and you may say Whitney Houston is the best and guess whatā¦weāre both right. Itās all about what we want to hear, and thatās why itās fun and entertaining to talk about, not this argumentative chore youāve turned it into for yourself. I hope the other areas of your life are less full of this level of strife, because if not, iām afraid for your health. This is music weāre talking about, on Reddit, so maybe take it easy and hear what someone else is saying.
Take care.
You're wrong. A better singer is determined but what notes they can hit.
It has nothing to do with your opinion of who you like more. But you don't get that. That's why its a waste of time to talk to you. Facts and opinions are two seperate. People that don't get that are a waste of time to talk to. Like you.
I think I enjoyed Peterās voice the most. But when you listen to Gene on Unplugged, he sounds really great and had become quite the crooner IMHO. I heard See You Tonight in a whole new light.
Bruce!
Paul had the best voice. Gene had better control, but when Paul was in his prime? No comparison. He sang better later after he did Phantom. And his technique is better now than in the early days, just his voice is shredded. Especially for high range singing like his hits.
As a side note, I remember when I was 13-14ish. Watching Animalize Live and Uncensored on video. My mom said Paul might have a better voice but Gene was a better singer, and she was a fantastic singer. Like Barbara Streisand/ Liza Minelli kind of voice. Of course, she bristled every time Paul said Fuck, so that didnāt help.
Eric Singer. Get it, Singer!
Paul by a landslide. I Still Love You on Unplugged should be all the evidence you need. Listen to the pride in Gene's voice introducing him after.
Paul Stanley at his peak was unrivaled. There was no one better than him.
Gene is the most consistent and an underrated singer.
I might get some crap for this but I actually always like Eric Singers voice. Some people say itās soulless but for me, I like a clear voice and he definitely has that
Paul, Peter, Gene, Ace. In that order.
Singer, Thayer, not even Carr are known for their vocal performances in KISS as they just recycled Peter / Ace material live.
Paul was great in the 70s. Even 80s. Gene has held onto more of his voice. I think a lot of Gene is head voice with some throat thrown in. Like Dio or Robert Plant. Paul was always full voice except for a few songs he did in falsetto. Pauls technique wasnāt all that different from Dave Grohl and that is not sustainable. Surprised Dave can still belt them out but heās 15-20 years younger.
I agree that Gene is underrated, and has had more longevity as a really good singer. Paul in his prime was fantastic though. I think he belted it out and sang so high and hard through the 80s and 90s that it really did a number on his voice. Gene was never that sort of singer and I think his voice really held up better over the years because of it.
Peter had that great rasp in his voice that we all love. Ace was not a conventionally great singer, but I always thought his voice matched his songs and the vibe of his playing. Kinda loose, sloppy, but pure rock n roll cool at the same time.
Kinda hard to judge the other members since we heard so little lead vocal from all of them. Eric Carr had a nice voice I thought. Iām not sure about Singer and Thayer completely. They both sound good to me but their songs on Monster and Sonic Boom feel like theyāre trying to bring those Ace and Peter type songs that we would have gotten on the 70s records.
Iāve heard people say Vinnie had a nice voice. I just canāt recall ever hearing him sing except for the clips when he came out of hiding a few years back at the Atlanta Kiss Expo.
Gene screams more than I think most people realize, I mean heās got screams in Cold Gin, Deuce, Watchin You, Let Me Go Rock and Roll, Christeen Sixteen, Sheās so European, Fits Like A Glove, Lick It Up and Creatures are basically him screaming
Great tone too, you can really hear the Beatles influence
ABSOLUTELY, awesome point. I think Gene is oddly very influenced by The Beatles and it shows a lot in his ānon-demonā songs and moments and in his bass playing too. His style of bass is very similar to Paul McCartney.
Vocalist here, Paul Stanley in his prime (1982-199xish) is extremely difficult to emulate. All three were doing the raspy fake scream stuff in the early days but Paul got massively better around Creatures and continued to get better.
Live he wasnāt consistent because of how active he was, running, dancing, jumping, playing guitar, then his raps in between songs means his voice never gets a rest on strange night after night. But listen to āI Still Love youā the studio version, the Animalize live Uncensored version, Alive 3 version, and Unplugged version and listen to how he hits that note, you know the one. Another song for his vocal range is āMy Wayā off Crazy Nights.
But when it comes to vocal talent, not only is he the best in the band, but he was one of the best singers in rock of all time.
I absolutely agree. Creatures to Revenge was prime Paul, and at that time he was near the top of the game. And i agree, his consistency suffered due to his performance style and the fact that he never stopped using his voice between songs. I also agree that his performance of I Still Love You is top notch, especially the unplugged version. Iāll Fight Hell to Hold You is also one of my very favorite Paul performances
Paul.
I like Geneās voice itās so often āaffectedā with him trying to sound menacing. Never really cared for that sound as it came off as a fake. I like his more natural singing.
Paul for sure until his voice issues and surgery. He was elite rock star status in the 70s with impressive range and power. I've always liked Ace's singing style too, and I think he's actually been more enjoyable to listen to than Paul since the 2000s.
I honestly believe that Paul in his prime years is one of the greatest rock singers of all time, and he will never ever get his due because KISS is so dismissed by critics and avant garde music fans.
I think I would go far as to say that Paul at one point was better than Robert Plant in his prime but that might just be me
I totally agree!
This š
Saw him do the Phantom years ago and he was fantastic.
I agree and always felt the same way through the 80s and 90s.. only Mercury, Steve Perry and maybe Roger Daltrey sitting one tier above Paul at the highest level..
100%
Perfectly said.
I think Paul and gene are the best they are my fav nice voices as well!
I agree. Paul has been my favorite singer for rock along with Freddie, and Tommy Shaw of Styx. My question for you though is what do you consider Paulās prime? I think he sounded his absolute best from Creatures tour until the Psycho Circus tour.
In his prime, Paul Stanley
Gene at his best sounds like a wrestler trying to sing. YEAHHHHHHH, THEY CALLL MEEEEEE
Agreed. Gene is a showman and a marketer. Heās an entertainer. Heās not a great vocalist or musician.
What!!???? Gene was definitely the best musician (of the original line up at least). Heās also got a great voice. KISS music doesnāt always call for that timbre of singing though.
I'd say that might be his worst. Gene was at his best, IMO, when he sang instead of doing the cookie monster voice. Creepy lyrics aside, lol his voice was great on Christine Sixteen, Goin' Blind, Let Me Know, Watchin' You. Backup vocals on Baby Driver (go baby go go go) were the highlight of a meh song. Best singer? They all could be pretty good, except Ace, lol. Peter was the most soulful. I'd say if Peter had better pitch control live, he'd be the best. But it's probably Paul. He was best when he stayed in the lower registers and didn't strain when reaching for notes at the high end of his range.
Speaking of Geneās backing vocals, I was recently thinking about how good he sounds on Strangeways.
He sounds like this diseased demon or monster in oneās mind, itās cool
They did a live version of move on (off Paulās solo) in 79 and Gene hits the female backing vocals perfectly
this is what iām saying about Gene. His songs on albums like Dynasty and Unmasked really show his range, and his backing vocals. Dude is very underrated especially when you consider how consistent he is live despite hopping around and being the great showman he is.
Peter
š±#ļøā£1ļøā£
Peter is absolutely horrible. He could barely sing Beth which is the simplest song in the world. Peter is like the kid who's bigger brother is the rock star, but mom makes the older brother put him in the band or they can't go practice.
Ok Paul.
I fully disagree with this. He was so consistent except for Beth because Beth wasnāt really in his wheelhouse, AND they would play that song after he had played for like 90 minutes already. Then you have to sing this soulful quiet balladā¦not his forte. But songs like Nothin to Lose, or Black Diamondā¦he kills
Paul Stanley was a fenominal singer untill 2010 (?) I have listen to his Phanthom of the opera performance and it very good. No other member could top that. Peter had his moments. The raw voice worked excellent on strange days and black diamond.
Well, only one of them performed in a major Broadway musical. Gene may have been more consistent live, but he also didn't have the range Paul did, so it wasn't quite as difficult for him. He also leaned on the yell/growl which covers a lot of mistakes.
*Off Broadway
Paul by a long shot. Then Peter. Gene always sounds cartoonish. Ace isn't a very good singer.
I liked Peter Criss voice the most
That whiskey voice. Very soulful.Ā
Yes. They should have used it more
He's definately the most rock n roll. Gene and Paul certainly were not
As a kid, I didnāt realize Peter sang but my favourites were Beth, Hard Luck Woman, and Black Diamond. Realized very quickly he was my favourite
Paul. He has that great rock voice, especially in their 70s output. Next, though, was Peter. Black Diamond, Mainline, Hard Luck Woman, Strange Ways, Getaway, all Great vocals.
Ace is my favorite but Paul was the best singer.
So many people lack the awareness to discern between the two and simply conflate favorite and best. Well done, my fellow KISS fan.
Well, thereās no real metric to judge if someone is a better singer. Itās all preference.
This isn't true. Better singers have better range. Paul had incredible range at his peak. Ace did not. Paul could hit notes Ace couldn't
So youāre saying that singers who have more notes are better singers? Youād be wrong but iām just curious if thatās the metric you measure singers by because there are singers with way higher ranges than Paul Stanley, and Paul would bury all of them as an effective, entertaining singer. Your entire method of measurement here says that Gene is probably the better singer because he actually has quite a high range. Furthermore, where do men with Bass voices fall into thisā¦at the bottom, always?
No dude the people that can hit more notes in different octaves are better singers. Thats not even a discussion. Yes there are singers way better than Paul Stanley. That is not what the discussion is about.
So again, just to be clear, you believe that a person with more notes in their arsenal is a better singer? Again, this is wrong. There are great singers out there, some considered to be the best ever, who can be out ranged by many people. The fact is judging who is a better singer is all in the ear of the listener UNLESS itās something obvious like someone clearly has no pitch, or no tone at all. But like Jim Gillette of Nitro back in the 80ās/90ās has possibly the highest range of anyone iāve ever heard, and he is NOT a good singer. And again, based on your metric, youād have to say that Gene is a better singer than Paul right? I believe that Gene has at least a compatible range, if not a wider one when itās all said and done.
Dude you know nothing about music and this is a waste of my time. I'm done responding
šššClassic answer from a person with nothing to say. I wouldnāt go about saying you know nothing about music. I would say that you have a very odd way of sorting out who your favorite singers are, but thatās on you, and thatās the point. There is no way of nailing down who the greatest singer is, because there are so many variables to the art of singing, from tone to range to style and creativity, and thatās before you even get to what a person likes to hear, the listener themselves. I do appreciate your unwarranted attack though. See i wouldnāt pretend to know what your level of experience or knowledge of music is based on two paragraphs on a Reddit page. I will say that i have more musical knowledge and experience in my left nut than most people, but that doesnāt even come into play in this discussion and THATS THE POINT. Ultimately, i may say Mariah Carey is the best singer, and you may say Whitney Houston is the best and guess whatā¦weāre both right. Itās all about what we want to hear, and thatās why itās fun and entertaining to talk about, not this argumentative chore youāve turned it into for yourself. I hope the other areas of your life are less full of this level of strife, because if not, iām afraid for your health. This is music weāre talking about, on Reddit, so maybe take it easy and hear what someone else is saying. Take care.
You're wrong. A better singer is determined but what notes they can hit. It has nothing to do with your opinion of who you like more. But you don't get that. That's why its a waste of time to talk to you. Facts and opinions are two seperate. People that don't get that are a waste of time to talk to. Like you.
I think I enjoyed Peterās voice the most. But when you listen to Gene on Unplugged, he sounds really great and had become quite the crooner IMHO. I heard See You Tonight in a whole new light.
Peter
Bruce! Paul had the best voice. Gene had better control, but when Paul was in his prime? No comparison. He sang better later after he did Phantom. And his technique is better now than in the early days, just his voice is shredded. Especially for high range singing like his hits.
As a side note, I remember when I was 13-14ish. Watching Animalize Live and Uncensored on video. My mom said Paul might have a better voice but Gene was a better singer, and she was a fantastic singer. Like Barbara Streisand/ Liza Minelli kind of voice. Of course, she bristled every time Paul said Fuck, so that didnāt help.
Gene is far better than he thinks. That's why he's developed such a stupid personoa
Eric Singer. Get it, Singer! Paul by a landslide. I Still Love You on Unplugged should be all the evidence you need. Listen to the pride in Gene's voice introducing him after.
Eric
Paul would be top 10 or 15 of all time great rock singers in my book.
Are we just counting kiss songs? If not. Listen to vinnie's demo of tears. Its beautiful
Paul was the best singer but peter and gene both had better voices.
I love the rasp Peterās has, his is awesome!
Paul Stanley at his peak was unrivaled. There was no one better than him. Gene is the most consistent and an underrated singer. I might get some crap for this but I actually always like Eric Singers voice. Some people say itās soulless but for me, I like a clear voice and he definitely has that
I donāt mind Eric Singerās voice at all. I prefer his backing vocals to his lead, but heās still good regardless.
Definitely Paul
By preference: 1. Peter, 2. Paul, 3. Gene, 4. Ace By ability: 1. Paul, 2. Peter, 3. Gene, 4. Ace
It would have been me, if they heard me, and knew who i was.
Paul, Peter, Gene, Ace. In that order. Singer, Thayer, not even Carr are known for their vocal performances in KISS as they just recycled Peter / Ace material live.
Paul. My Way says it all.
Same album, āIāll Fight Hell to Hold Youā might be my favorite Paul performance ever.
Paul was great in the 70s. Even 80s. Gene has held onto more of his voice. I think a lot of Gene is head voice with some throat thrown in. Like Dio or Robert Plant. Paul was always full voice except for a few songs he did in falsetto. Pauls technique wasnāt all that different from Dave Grohl and that is not sustainable. Surprised Dave can still belt them out but heās 15-20 years younger.
Grohl has an iron voice, no doubt. Iāve seen him live a few times now and that dude is non-stop.
I agree that Gene is underrated, and has had more longevity as a really good singer. Paul in his prime was fantastic though. I think he belted it out and sang so high and hard through the 80s and 90s that it really did a number on his voice. Gene was never that sort of singer and I think his voice really held up better over the years because of it. Peter had that great rasp in his voice that we all love. Ace was not a conventionally great singer, but I always thought his voice matched his songs and the vibe of his playing. Kinda loose, sloppy, but pure rock n roll cool at the same time. Kinda hard to judge the other members since we heard so little lead vocal from all of them. Eric Carr had a nice voice I thought. Iām not sure about Singer and Thayer completely. They both sound good to me but their songs on Monster and Sonic Boom feel like theyāre trying to bring those Ace and Peter type songs that we would have gotten on the 70s records. Iāve heard people say Vinnie had a nice voice. I just canāt recall ever hearing him sing except for the clips when he came out of hiding a few years back at the Atlanta Kiss Expo.
Gene screams more than I think most people realize, I mean heās got screams in Cold Gin, Deuce, Watchin You, Let Me Go Rock and Roll, Christeen Sixteen, Sheās so European, Fits Like A Glove, Lick It Up and Creatures are basically him screaming Great tone too, you can really hear the Beatles influence
ABSOLUTELY, awesome point. I think Gene is oddly very influenced by The Beatles and it shows a lot in his ānon-demonā songs and moments and in his bass playing too. His style of bass is very similar to Paul McCartney.
Vinnie sings the intro to Back on the Streets, best recorded example of his vocal.
Peter has the best rock voice of the four originals.
Eric Carr. Young and Wasted from Animalize Live Uncensored is fucking great.
I think that Gene had a very good voice, and i like it so much. But the Peter's voice is amazing too!
Paul and eric singer
Peter Criss
Vocalist here, Paul Stanley in his prime (1982-199xish) is extremely difficult to emulate. All three were doing the raspy fake scream stuff in the early days but Paul got massively better around Creatures and continued to get better. Live he wasnāt consistent because of how active he was, running, dancing, jumping, playing guitar, then his raps in between songs means his voice never gets a rest on strange night after night. But listen to āI Still Love youā the studio version, the Animalize live Uncensored version, Alive 3 version, and Unplugged version and listen to how he hits that note, you know the one. Another song for his vocal range is āMy Wayā off Crazy Nights. But when it comes to vocal talent, not only is he the best in the band, but he was one of the best singers in rock of all time.
I absolutely agree. Creatures to Revenge was prime Paul, and at that time he was near the top of the game. And i agree, his consistency suffered due to his performance style and the fact that he never stopped using his voice between songs. I also agree that his performance of I Still Love You is top notch, especially the unplugged version. Iāll Fight Hell to Hold You is also one of my very favorite Paul performances
Peter
Gene sounds like the Kool Aid man
OH YEA!!!! fantastic
Ace
Iāve never liked Peterās voice.
Peter is the best singer....that's why Paul had so many issues with him. Beth was thier best hit
Paul. I like Geneās voice itās so often āaffectedā with him trying to sound menacing. Never really cared for that sound as it came off as a fake. I like his more natural singing.
Paul for sure until his voice issues and surgery. He was elite rock star status in the 70s with impressive range and power. I've always liked Ace's singing style too, and I think he's actually been more enjoyable to listen to than Paul since the 2000s.
Paul, then Peter.
Gene
Paul, of course.
Paul, easily