The Top 5 Most Overrated KISS Songs

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Whether anyone likes them or not, there's no disputing that KISS is rock 'n' roll royalty and a merited Hall of Fame induction. For 50 years, the band toured the globe and unleashed a catalog of music that's undeniable. As a matter of fact, KISS even set two world records with one show.

Now, with the plaudits out of the way, let's jump back to reality. Not every single song that Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Co. touched deserves to be treated like a piece of gold. There are a number of KISS tracks that are overrated and received attention merely because of the brand name attached to them, rather than their musical prowess. This doesn't necessarily mean they're stinkers, but they also aren't exactly must-adds to any compilation.

The good news is we have scoured the KISS catalog to find the top five most overrated songs. In defining what we believe to be overrated, we have compared it to other releases from the band itself as well as its peers. In addition, we have taken into account the lyrical content, musicianship, and the message of the songs to determine what makes the cut here. Naturally, this does involve some personal opinion, so it's okay if we agree to disagree in the end. Feel free to rock 'n' roll all night to whatever makes you happy!

Yes, "Love Gun" is a staple part of KISS's catalog and rock history. As the title track off the 1977 album of the same name, it's arguably one of the band's most famous songs and a beloved classic among fans. Yet, here's a reality check: the best part about it — the phrase "love gun" — wasn't conceptualized by KISS at all.

In the autobiography "Face the Music: A Life Exposed" by Paul Stanley, the KISS frontman revealed that the band "borrowed" the term from another musician. "I stole the idea of a 'love gun' from Albert King's version of 'The Hunter,' which [Led] Zeppelin also nicked from for 'How Many More Times' on their first album," Stanley wrote.

Now, consider the actual musicianship on this song. It's not all too impressive, as it's mostly standard guitar-driven rock and built around being able to belt out "Love Gun." In fact, the lyrics aren't that great either, as the track is basically a euphemism for the stirring of the loins and trying to make it sound all sexy (when it isn't). Yeah, it's a popular KISS song, but don't let that deter from the fact that it's highly overrated.

In 1988, KISS released a greatest-hits album titled "Smashes, Thrashes & Hits." One of the brand-new songs included on this release was "Let's Put the X in Sex," which barely squeaked its way onto the Billboard Hot 100.

Let's talk about this song for a sec — no pun intended. "Let's Put the X in Sex" was released during the group's makeup-less era, but it's clear from the music video and music itself that the band can't decide if it wants to be Prince or Mötley Crüe here. There's a dance groove undertone to the song and the guitar riff is distinctively KISS, while the lyrics aren't too outrageous from the people who sang about licking it up in the past. Having said that, this is such a corny song to the point that you want to erect a scarecrow around it to chase everyone away.

This is the chorus: "Baby, let's put the X in sex / Love's like a muscle and you make me wanna flex / Baby, let's put the X in sex / Keep it undercover, baby, let me be your private eye." It should be more like "Let's Put the He in Hehe." Now that everyone's done laughing, can we all agree that this is a classically cringy song from one of the most important bands of the 1970s?

A year after wanting to put the X in sex, KISS dropped a new album titled "Hot in the Shade." A big single off this record is the ballad "Forever," which is meant to be all about the feels and the ultimate declaration of love. It also turned out to be extremely popular on the Billboard Hot 100, hitting the No. 8 spot and spending 17 weeks on the chart.

Funnily enough, Paul Stanley actually co-wrote "Forever" with Michael Bolton. It shows as well, since the cold, hard fact is that this sounds more like a Bolton track than a KISS one. While it isn't the worst KISS song by any means, there's no doubt that this fits Bolton's vocal style more than Stanley's, whose delivery and annunciation of the lyrics make it tough to follow. It isn't too difficult to imagine "Forever" forming a part of the commonly misheard classic rock lyrics that everyone sings wrong.

The other issue with "Forever" is that it feels disingenuous from KISS. In the year prior, the band released tracks like "(You Make Me) Rock Hard," but now we're supposed to believe they found true love and want to settle down. Sure.

Fun fact: "Psycho Circus" is the only KISS song to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Is it a justly deserved accolade? Not in a million years.

The entirety of the 1998 record titled "Psycho Circus" (which is one of KISS's least-popular albums) is a weird event. While it was promoted as the original band — Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Ace Frehley — getting back together, the reality is that it features mostly session musicians. Frankly, it shows in the title track, as this comes off as the Insane Clown KISS Posse era of the band. "Psycho Circus" is the group's attempt to be edgier and fit in with the heavier alternative rock sound of the late '90s. It has all the hallmarks of a band struggling with a crisis of identity and trying to be more like the cool kids around it. Plus, there's not a single hook or memorable part about this song, apart from the highly dated music video that looks like a PlayStation 1 game and a rainbow were put through a wood chipper.

"Psycho Circus" received a nomination at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards. In fairness, the year appeared starved of good hard rock tracks, when you consider the other nominees in the category, such as Metallica's "Fuel," Marilyn Manson's "The Dope Show," and Pearl Jam's "Do the Evolution," aren't exactly revered as all-time greats either. Rock wasn't necessarily dead, but it was in hibernation for a while.

Let's call a spade a spade here. By the 2010s, KISS survived off its brand name, gimmick, and KISStory. No one attended the shows to listen to the new hits; they wanted to hear the golden oldies. Even so, the band continued to release music, such as the single "Hell or Hallelujah" off the 2012 album, "Monster."

While the track stays rooted in KISS's classic blues-inspired rock sound, it's also a giant nothing burger. It's a flame-grilled patty, without any spice or garnish on it, slapped in between two slices of stale bread. There's nothing unique or thrilling about "Hell or Hallelujah," as it comes across more like an album filler rather than a lead single. It's disappointing when you consider the lyrics are meant to be about all the adversity that KISS overcame in its career to become one of the biggest rock acts on Earth; yet, this feels soulless and by the numbers — almost like all those ridiculous promotional tie-ins, such as the KISS Kasket.

Despite it charting and receiving airplay, "Hell or Hallelujah" can't hold a candle to what the band released in the glory years. Perhaps the biggest sin is that it's only a bang-average 6/10 song — and one would expect far more from a seminal group like KISS.