12 classic rock bands that featured more than two lead singers

KISS

During their classic period in the 1970s, Kiss boasted three guys who could write songs and three guys who could sing. But they weren’t the same three guys. While bassist Gene Simmons and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley battled it out to see who the alpha was, lead guitarist Ace Frehley was writing some tunes, and drummer Peter Criss was proving he could sing them. Frehley would start singing as well by the end of the decade but admitted he was not nearly as confident as his bandmates were in fronting a song.

Stanley and Simmons pretty much split the singing and songwriting evenly throughout the decade, but they always found a couple of numbers for Criss to perform. He had the most emotive voice of the four, with a little bit of rasp to it, which would pay big dividends on their major surprise hit in 1976.

Stanley probably had the purest voice of the band while Simmons may have had a better rock & roll voice, with more of an edge, which you can hear on their breakout hit “Rock & Roll All Nite.” Frehley had the highest natural voice of the four, which they were able to put to good use once he began singing more than harmony.

Criss got tired of having to fight for songs to sing and left the band at the end of the ‘80s, though he would return several times over the years. Frehley would do the same thing. Simmons and Stanley, who have been the oil and water of the band for more than four decades, never left.

BEST TRACK BY VOCALIST:

Paul Stanley: “I Was Made for Loving You”
Gene Simmons: “God of Thunder”
Peter Criss: “Beth”
Ace Frehley: “Talk to Me”