Devo and Kiss are both bands that began in the 1970s and have fanbases that are rightfully extremely loyal. Kiss, of course, has the much bigger following, but then their music is a bit more of an easier pill to swallow than the Ohio lads. Still, both bands made good music.
When Devo was beginning to get international fame, a writer from the now-defunct Melody Maker (it used to be a great magazine) called Devo a "thinking man's Kiss," at least according to Gerald Casale of Devo. At first, Casale hated the label, but over the years, he grew to be OK with it. Sort of.
To be fair, Casale was good with his band being compared to Kiss in terms of theatrics and costumes, but Casale also clearly didn't have much respect for Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and their bandmates. Devo was unafraid to be smart, and Casale sees Kiss as seemingly unafraid to be dumb.
Devo and Kiss long ago were compared to one another
Or as Casale told Gold Derby, "At the time I was really offended and really bummed out by that. But twenty years later I thought, ‘God, I wish it had happened that way!’ Because that means that a band that isn't dumb could have been as big as Kiss. Just imagine if we could be as popular as Kiss and as iconic as Kiss and yet have this message that Devo brings, rather than this silly, tired message of parties, drugs, and getting the girl."
To be fair, Kiss wasn't so much about singing about taking drugs and drinking a lot. Simmons and Stanley didn't do that. The band was all about parties and having something akin to relationships with the opposite sex. Fans bought into that. Devo fans didn't.
Of course, Kiss songs are played a bunch of AOR radio stations, but one might only hear Devo's "Whip It" on most stations. The shame is that the band was so much better than just that one song. Their debut record, Q. Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! should be a must-own for every music lover and "Whip It" isn't on the record.
While Kiss is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Devo isn't. Should they be? Sure. Will they ever be? Unlikely, even though the home of the Hall, Cleveland, Ohio, is just about 40 miles from where the band formed in Akron.
As for the snub, Casale says Devo doesn't care, but it would be nice to get inducted. They just don't seem the kind of band that ever will.