KISS Calls The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 'A Joke'

The Pulse Of Radio reports: For the 13th year in a row, KISS has been passed up for inclusion into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Had they been inducted in 1999, the year they were first eligible, they would have entered with Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Dusty Springfield, and Curtis Mayfield, among others. That year, instead of KISS joining those legends in the Hall, the late Del Shannon was inducted — an artist, whose influence and fan-base simply can't be compared to the New York rockers. Over the years, KISS has watched such '70s peers as AEROSMITH, the RAMONES, AC/DC, ZZ TOP, the SEX PISTOLS, the STOOGES, and Alice Cooper enter before them.

Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley spoke about once again being shut out of the Rock Hall, with Simmons telling Rolling Stone: "It's become a joke. We've been thinking about it and the answer is simply, 'We'll just buy it and fire everybody.' In all seriousness for the fans, for something to be called Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is such an insult to MADONNA, BLONDIE. . . Who the fuck knows what other disco act is in there? It's an insult to them because they don't get to be in the 'Dance Hall Of Fame', because that's what they do. They're legitimate dance, disco artists. They don't belong in rock and roll."

Paul Stanley went on to add: "The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has reached a point where they're really scrounging and scratching to find someone left that they consider viable. With all due respect, when you get to Patti Smith, you're about two steps away from Pete Seeger."

Gene Simmons told The Pulse Of Radio that awards hold little allure for him, since it's the fans that ultimately decide who stays around and who doesn't: "Our awards are under the 'K' section in record stores. Every time somebody goes out and plunks down their hard-earned money — either for a KISS ticket or for an album — that's the award, and reward."

Paul Stanley told The Pulse Of Radio that he looks at the big picture when considering KISS' career. "When you think of Muhammad Ali, you think of him as the champ," he said. "You don't think of the times he lost — and he did. I'd rather think of us in those terms. Nobody stays on top all the time, but who's been champ longest?"

KISS has just wrapped production on their 20th album, "Monster". No release date has been announced.

They'll next perform on Friday (March 30) in New Orleans at the NCAA Big Dance at Woldenburg Riverfront Park.