KISS Online :: KISS Chronology | The Complete History Of KISS
January 30, 1973 - KISS play their first show at a club in Queens, NY called Popcorn.
 
 
June 1973 - KISS records a five-song demo tape with producer Eddie Kramer, which winds up in the hands of former teen pop singer and Buddah Records executive Neil Bogart.
August 1973 - After a handful of showcase concerts in the summer of 1973, former TV director Bill Aucoin is hired to become the band's manager. With the help of Aucoin, KISS becomes the first act signed to Bogart's new label, Casablanca Records.
October 10, 1973 - The band enters Bell Sound Studios in New York City and begins recording their first album.
December 31, 1973 - KISS play concert at the Academy of Music in New York City. Simmons sets his hair ablaze while performing his newly inaugurated fire-breathing stunt.
 
February 5, 1974 - KISS begins first North American tour in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, as an opening act.
February 18, 1974 - The band's self-titled debut album, KISS is released.
February 21, 1974 - KISS performs Nothin' to Lose, Firehouse and Black Diamond for what would become their first national television appearance, on ABC's In Concert (airing March 29).
 
 
April 29 1974 - KISS performs Firehouse on The Mike Douglas Show, a broadcast that also includes Gene Simmons' first televised interview.
August 1974 - KISS begins recording their second album, Hotter Than Hell, in Los Angeles and is released October 22, 1974. Album sales are lackluster, but the band's live show starts to create a buzz.
 
 
March 19, 1975 - Dressed To Kill is released in March 1975. The album includes Rock And Roll All Nite, a soon-to-be the rock-anthem of the generations.
 
 
April 1, 1975 - KISS appears live on NBC-TV's Midnight Special, as the band's over-the-top live performances begin to solidify their reputation as the Hottest Band in the Land.
 
September 1975 - KISS harness the excitement of their bombastic live performance. KISS Alive! Is released and record sales explode.
 
 
 
October 9, 1975 - KISS celebrate KISS Day in Cadillac, MI after the Cadillac High football team wins the state championship after listening to KISS music before every game.
 
November 21, 1975 - KISS's popularity grows by leaps and bounds. The KISS ARMY, the band's newly inaugurated fan club quickly grows to six figures.
December 31, 1975 - KISS is presented with their first Gold Record awards for KISS Alive! prior to going onstage at Nassau Coliseum, Long Island, NY. Alive! would go on to achieve quadruple platinum status, and spawned KISS's first top 40 single, the live version of Rock And Roll All Nite.
 
March 15, 1976 - Destroyer is released. The Bob Ezrin-produced studio album becomes KISS's most commercially successful studio album. Many of the songs from Destroyer remain KISS concert staples to this day.
 
 
 
October 31, 1976 - KISS appears on the The Paul Lynde Halloween Special and performs Detroit Rock City, Beth and King of the Night Time World. For many KISS fans, this was their first exposure to KISS's dramatic stage show and outrageous appearance.
Late 1976 - Two more studio albums continued to fuel the KISS fire, November 1976's Rock and Roll Over and June 1977's smash hit Love Gun.
February 10, 1977 - KISS are presented with the People's Choice Award for the single Beth in the Best Song category.
February 18, 1977 - KISS headline Madison Square Garden in New York City for the first time.
May 26, 1977 - KISS announce their debut KISS Marvel Comic book and deposit their own blood in the comic book ink at the Marvel printing plant.
 
 
June 22, 1977 - KISS is voted the #1 band in America by Gallup Poll. KISS's tour of Japan breaks attendance records previously held by The Beatles. KISSteria is in full effect.
 
 
August 8, 1994 - KISS KISS My Ass long form video released US.
February 3, 1995 - KISS stages the first Official Worldwide KISS Convention in Perth, Australia. The unique and revolutionary KISS Convention tour of 1995 features a traveling KISS Museum displaying vintage KISS stage outfits, instruments, and memorabilia. Performances by KISS tribute bands, KISS collectors/dealers buying, selling and trading KISS merchandise, precludes an evening appearance by KISS themselves, appearing live and in person, conducting a question and answer session, autograph signing, and a two-hour unplugged set comprised mostly of spontaneous fan requests.
March, 1995 - KISS publishes and releases its own 9-pound, 440 page coffee table book, KISSTORY.
June 17, 1995 - Former KISS drummer Peter Criss visits the first North American KISS Convention in Los Angeles with his daughter. Peter joins the band onstage singing KISS classics Hard Luck Woman and Nothin' to Lose.
August 9, 1995 - KISS performs on MTV Unplugged. The band invites former members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley to participate in a mini-reunion onstage for several songs at the end of the Unplugged set.
Late 1995 - In the months following the Unplugged concert, the band returned to the studio for the first time in three years to record Carnival of Souls. The album was completed, but its release was delayed for two years.
January 1996 - With the amazing response to the Unplugged show, plans begin for an official KISS reunion with the four original members.
February 28, 1996 - The four original KISS members, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss make a surprise appearance at the 38th annual Grammy Awards show in Los Angeles in full KISS makeup and costume, the first time in 17 years.
April 16, 1996 - KISS officially announce the reunion of the four original members and the subsequent Alive Worldwide Reunion tour at a press conference on the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid in New York City. The conference is simulcast to 58 countries worldwide.
June 15, 1996 - KISS's four original members perform onstage together in makeup for the first time in 17 years at KROQ's Weenie Roast in Irvine, CA as an Alive Worldwide Reunion tour warm-up.
June 28, 1996 - The KISS Alive Worldwide Reunion tour kicks off at Tiger Stadium, Detroit, MI, selling out 40,000 tickets in 40 minutes. The mammoth 13-month tour covers 200 shows in 26 countries, playing to over two million people, setting a record for the top-grossing tour of the year.
July 25, 1996 - KISS plays four consecutive sold out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
August 1996 - SPIN Magazine, in their largest selling issue ever, unveil each KISS member solo on four individual covers.
September 4, 1996 - KISS perform under the Brooklyn Bridge in New York for the MTV Video Music Awards.
June 1997 - KISS plays two sold-out shows at Stockholm Sweden's Olympic Stadium, setting the record for the largest single event at the stadium since the 1912 Olympics.
September 21, 1998 - KISS announce the release of the Psycho Circus album and tour at a press conference at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, CA.
 
September 22, 1998 - KISS Psycho Circus, the first album of new material recorded with the original four KISS members since 1979 is released. The Grammy Award nominated album for "Best Hard Rock Performance" was recorded and mixed in Los Angeles in early 1998.
October 31, 1998 - The highly anticipated KISS Psycho Circus tour in 3D KISS kicks off with a special October 31st Halloween performance at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
 
November 24, 1998 - KISS The Second Coming long-form video is released. The double-platinum selling video chronicles the story of how the four original members reunited for the Reunion tour of 1996-97.
January 31, 1999 - KISS performs at Super Bowl XXXIII in Miami, FL.
 
 
March 1999 - KISS graces the cover of their own issue of Playboy Magazine, the first time for any music group.
August 11, 1999 - KISS are presented with their own star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. The presentation by Hollywood Mayor Johnny Grant is attended by hundreds of KISS faithful.
 
 
January, 2008 - KISSOLOGY DVD series certified by the RIAA 20X platinum!
March 16, 2008 - KISS open ALIVE 35 world tour to 80,000 fans at the Melbourne Grand Prix. Play sold-out arenas and stadiums throughout Europe (in Summer '08) on their most successful European tour ever. Performed in Russia, Greece, Bulgaria and Latvia for first time ever
August 4, 2008 - KISS rock over 50,000 at Sturgis Bike Rally in South Dakota. Governor Rounds declares KISS Day in South Dakota.
 
April 3, 2009 - KISS open ALIVE 35 South American tour in Santiago, Chile. Play sold-out stadiums across South America. Performed in Columbia, Venezuela and Peru for first time ever.
 
May, 2009 - KISS perform on American Idol season finale to over 30 million TV viewers.
 
July 10, 2009 - KISS open ALIVE 35 Canadian tour by setting attendance record at Sarnia Bayfest.
 
 
September 25, 2009 - KISS opens the US leg of their ALIVE 35 Tour with a triumphant SOLD OUT show at COBO Arena in Detroit.
 
October 6, 2009 - KISS release Sonic Boom, their first studio album in 11 years.The album receives world-wide critical acclaim from fans and press!
 
February 7, 2010 - KISS' new Dr. Pepper Commercial premieres during Super Bowl XLIV.
 
May 1, 2010 - KISS kicks off their SONIC BOOM OVER EUROPE tour in Sheffield, England.
 
 
 
March 15, 2011 - KISS rocks over 70,000 fans in the round at Reliant Stadium during Rodeo Houston.
 
October, 13, 2011 - KISS launch the first-ever KISS KRUISE with over 2500 fans from around the globe.
 
March 15, 2012 - KISS appear at grand opening of KISS by Monster Mini Golf in Las Vegas, NV.
 
July 20, 2012 - KISS & Motley Crue open THE TOUR in Bristow, Virginia (just outside of Washington D.C.)
 
October 9, 2012 - KISS release MONSTER, their 20th studio album.
 
 
 
November 7, 2012 - KISS open the South American MONSTER Tour with over 60,000 fans at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina.