[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by JD10367

KISS was the definitive predecessor for heavy metal. Yes, there were others: Deep Purple, Blue Oyster Cult, The New York Dolls, Black Sabbath, etc.,. But KISS made it mainstream, sellable, and popular. One of my favorite bands, I've seen them many times.

And I never get why people argue over music. Music is like food: there's a lot of different varieties but, from filet mignon to Doritos, it all has a role. I love The Who, The Doors, AC/DC, Led Zep, The Beatles, Styx, Garth Brooks, ELO, Kate Bush, Jethro Tull, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Rush, Aerosmith, ABBA, Vivaldi, Celtic Thunder, Metallica, Tori Amos, Wings, Front 242 , Fort Minor, Helloween, John Williams... They all have different roles and different places.

It's a little bigger than that - KISS was part of a small group of Detroit bands that preceded American metal. The MC5, the , and Alice Cooper all deserve mention as well. The Detroit connection is important because more went into metal than just music. There was a mindset in the Motor City that couldn't be found in New York or Hollywood (look what Hollywood produced on the late 70s and 80s).

On the other side of the Atlantic, Birmingham was the sister city. Starkly industrial, the guys in Black Sabbath and Priest both said the constant pounding of the factories ingrained something in them subconsciously that ultimately came out in their music.