KISS's PAUL STANLEY And GENE SIMMONS Talk About Importance Of Great Songwriting On 'Track Star' Podcast

On the latest episode of the Track Star podcast, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS join host Jack Coyne to talk about rock and roll songwriting, the New York City music scene, and what it really takes to make a song, or a band, truly great.

With a collection of songs spanning American and English rock, punk, Motown and more, Paul and Gene share their thoughts on how different artists and movements engage with the craft of songwriting and balance the art of the song with the energy of performance and the demand of the public.

Gene and Paul join Track Star for a crash-course on rock and roll songwriting, emphasizing, as they have throughout their careers, that the most important thing is the song.

This episode's track listing:

00:00 - Intro
00:12 - I Want To Hold Your Hand - THE BEATLES
03:54 - Then He Kissed Me - THE CRYSTALS
05:20 - Then She Kissed Me - KISS
09:35 - I Can't Explain - THE WHO
13:52 - Personality Crisis - NEW YORK DOLLS
18:37 - Rock & Roll - THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
23:35 - Cum On Feel The Noize - SLADE
24:58 - Ballroom Blitz - SWEET
26:16 - Bang A Gong (Get It On) - T. REX
29:18 - The Tracks Of My Tears - SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES
30:44 - New York Groove - Ace Frehley

Stanley and Simmons were inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame on June 11 in New York.

Established in 1969, the Songwriters Hall Of Fame (SHOF) serves as a vital bridge between music's past and future. In the Hall, musical pioneers are enshrined and celebrated, while the organization's outreach to the music community grooms the next generation of troubadours. To qualify for induction, a songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song.

Stanley and Simmons's induction into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame was announced on January 21. 2026 on "CBS Mornings", as well as the Songwriters Hall of Fame web site.

The Songwriters Hall Of Fame singled out the KISS songs "Rock And Roll All Nite", "I Love It Loud", "Calling Dr. Love", "Shout It Out Loud" and "Christine Sixteen" as key works in Stanley and Simmons's catalog.

The Songwriters Hall Of Fame inducted its first class of songwriters in 1970.

Stanley and Simmons were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with the rest of KISS's original lineup in 2014.

In December 2025 KISS received the Kennedy Center Honors.

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley died last October after a fall at his New Jersey home. He was 74 years old.

KISS played its two final shows ever in December 2023 at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

The last show, held on December 2, 2023, streamed live on pay-per-view.

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".

In early 2024, KISS sold its entire music catalog, likeness and brand name to Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment. A biopic, an avatar show, and a KISS-themed experience are in the works, with Simmons and Stanley playing key roles in the development of all these projects, working closely with Pophouse.