Being a rock star isn’t about being the fastest. It’s not even about being the loudest. It’s about attitude. It’s about stepping up onto the stage with one ambition: to absolutely rock the socks off every audience member, and to leave them with an everlasting memory of the experience.
It’s about creating a larger-than-life character, and bringing that persona to life through costume and makeup, so that the ‘you’ that exists in everyday life vanishes, and the character appears in all of its glory.
This is what Ace Frehley taught the world.
With KISS, Ace brought us the Spaceman, a character who spoke to every kid who ever dreamt of being a rockstar; who glittered on the dark stage like a bright light of science fiction; like rock ‘n’ roll salvation. Everybody knew that Ace was just a regular guy, but the powerful message here was that he was almost telling these kids “I’m just like you underneath all of this, so this could be YOU too!”
That type of message is boundless in its influence. Just look at the number of hard rockers who have or had Ace Frehley tattoos - Dimebag Darrell springs to mind, and his first pseudonym was of course ‘Diamond’ Darrell. Think of how often you hear rock stars talking about KISS Alive, and how their eyes get all misty when they see the front cover, with those four immortal rock monsters on the cover.
It’s important stuff.
Ace passed away yesterday, at the age of 74. We mourn the legend, we have his loved ones in our hearts, and we reach for the greasepaint and sparkles in celebration. As we raise a glass of the good stuff to Ace’s memory, we also want a suitable soundtrack, so here are some of KISS’s greatest songs.
To Ace Frehley! Thank you for the inspiration! Cheers!
The Best KISS Songs
Rock and Roll All Nite
“I wanna rock and roll all nite, and party every day”. Talk about encapsulating the entirety of the rock music experience in one sentence? KISS didn’t muck about. Make it simple and direct, with a melody that crowds could chant back easily and pump their fists in the air to.
The perfect rock n roll party tune, without doubt.
Love Gun
‘What is a love gun?’, a naive young rock fan might have asked, back in a more innocent age. In the 70s, bands needed euphemisms when writing songs that celebrated the simple pleasures in life. KISS became particularly expert at this, with Love Gun being a huge radio hit for them.
Strutter
This belter was the final single from KISS’ debut album way back in 1974. Insanely, it didn’t even chart at the time, but has since gone on to become a firm fan favourite and live staple.
Cold Gin
Another early classic, this is almost like an AC/DC tune, except with silver makeup! It’s a classic Ace tune, with his signature buzzing tone and swaggering performance. Hey, when is gin not cold, though?
New York Groove
My final choice for the Ace playlist comes not from KISS but from Ace’s own solo career. Away from his day job, Frehley still knew how to put together a classic tune. Starting with a full-on stomp and then adding a Bo Diddley-style beat with a wah-wah guitar, Frehley adds a breezy lightness of touch to this essential track. “I’m back! Back in the New York groove”.
We hear ya, Ace. Thanks for everything, Spaceman!
Paul Daniel 'ACE' Frehley a.k.a The Spaceman
27th April 1951 - 16th October 2025
