10 Hard Rock Bands That Completely Changed Their Sound
9. KISS
KISS has a reputation for being every teenage rocker's heroes back in their late 70's prime. Their tried-and-true approach to songwriting was only undercut by some of the greatest live performances the rock world has ever known. However, fans were more than aware when the band took major sonic risks.
At the tail end of the decade, the band decided to switch things up by hopping on popular trends like disco and power pop. While their forays into the pop world had some hits like "Shandi," the band's core audience felt a bit betrayed by the drastic tonal shift. Even with the added spice of a disco beat, it still felt like the kings of metal were trying to sell you a dance hit.
Trying to reestablish their footing, the band ended up going further down the rabbit hole with Music From the Elder, which was met with a severe commercial backlash due to its half-hearted concept and lack of signature KISS hooks. Instead of dominating the rock landscape, this string of albums marks one of the darkest periods for these demons of rock and roll.
Though the band would recapture that old energy on 1981's Creatures of the Night, the band's hard rock hot streak felt like it had run by the end of the 70's.