12 Most Hated Hard Rock Songs (On Great Albums)
3. Kissin Time - KISS
The self-titled debut from KISS are the songs that launched the KISS army. Although these songs weren't household names until the live disc Alive!, tracks like "Deuce," "Strutter," and "Firehouse" laid the foundation of one of the greatest hard rock bands in the world. This may have been pure rock and roll, but the cheesiness starts to creep in about halfway through the record.
In an attempt to get the band noticed, the label Casablanca Records tried to hold a kissing contest throughout America to see who could kiss the longest. With the band being the focal point of the event, the label demanded they perform the song "Kissin Time" as a way to promote the show. Since the band already had most of their material finished, the track ended up being just a work job rather than a visceral hard rock assault.
You can tell that the band are trying to put their maximum effort into the track, but the actual song feels more like a ripoff of city-shoutout songs like "Dancing In the Street" rather than a legitimate artistic statement. This record sent KISS on the road to stardom, but this track is something the band tends to disregard these days.