HOLLYWOOD—The group Kiss joins the long list of fellow artists that sold their music rights. The hard rock band, Kiss, has sold its catalog of songs to a Swedish music investor for a figure to be upwards of $300 million. Stockholm-based Pophouse Entertainment also bought the group’s brand, likeness and intellectual property.
The sale marks the band’s retirement from live performance on their End of the Road World Tour. Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen have also sold their back catalogues for multi-million dollar figures. Both of them sold to big music houses for $500 million and $450 million, respectively. While the details of the Kiss deal have not been released it is understood to be similar to that of the group Genesis, however, less than the back catalog sale of Michael Jackson’s work estimated at $600 million.
Pophouse not only owns the rights to the music but the entire brand, including intellectual property sales, which will allow the Swedish firm to generate future AI-generated content. Kiss was founded back in 1973 by lead singers Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. The lineup, also included Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, they became renowned for their iconic face paint. In their 1970s heyday the band produced hits such as “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “God of Thunder.” Back in 1983, they appeared without face paint for the first time and enjoyed something of a resurgence. This was known as their “unmasking.”
They decided back in the 1990s to re-mask. Kiss have sold some 100 million records over the past 50 years. Gene, who sang and played bass for the band, along with his co-founder and co-lead Paul Stanley, will continue to be closely involved with the ongoing development of the brand and AI-generated material that leans into the band’s library of work. Kiss is not only known for their music, also for their prolific marketing of branded products. Simmons said they had stamped their brand on 5000 products-everything from coffee to condoms and yes, even coffins.
The company is planning a biopic, an avatar show and a KISS-themed experience, according to published reports. The deal comes after KISS bid farewell to live touring in December 2023 after their final show in Madison Square Garden. At the final show in New York, Paul Stanley, co-founder, frontman and co-lead vocalist for KISS, said, “it seems sad, but tonight is a night to celebrate what we did together. And we couldn’t have done it without you.”
Before curtain closed on the band’s final show, a message appeared on the video screens in the arena, it read “A new KISS era starts now.” So after the message, the band’s digital avatars popped up on the monitors and began playing “God Gave Rock and Roll To You.” The only other music catalog acquisition/partnership Pophouse has with an artist outside of Sweden is Cyndi Lauper’s, which the “Girl’s Just want to Have Fun” singer sold in February, according to the company.
“Beth” is Kiss’s biggest commercial hit in the United States; it reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, received a Gold Record certification from the RIAA, and won the 1977 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Song. “Beth” ranked number three in VH1’s 25 Greatest Power Ballads. As America’s number one Gold Record Award winning group of all time, and that’s in every category. Kiss can easily be named one of Rock N Roll Hall of Famers have released 44 albums and sold more than 100 million albums worldwide.
Paul Stanley, best known as rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist along with Gene Simmons for the rock band Kiss, has a net worth of $200 million, Celebrity Net worth reported. Rock celebrities notes that Stanley is the second wealthiest member of Kiss, with Simmons leading the pack with $400 million. Kiss was ranked by MTV as the ninth “Greatest Metal Band of All Time,” and placed 10th on VH1’s “100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock” list, as well as being ranked as the third “Best Metal and Hard Rock Live Band of All Time” by Loudwire magazine.
Rose’s Scoop: Who’s ready for the Solar Eclipse 2024? A total solar eclipse will take place on Monday, April 8, visible across North America and dubbed the Great North American eclipse by some media. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes the Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth.
