Three best cover songs that Kiss ever pulled off

Kiss was not normally a band that would do a lot of covers. That was not really their thing anyway. Their original tunes might not have been extremely artistic, but they fit what the band - and their fans - wanted. Kiss was a party band and they did their job well.

Still, every once in a while, they would record a cover version from another band. They were not always great, of course. Kiss was a hit-and-miss band. For every Destroyer, there is an Unmasked. They won't be remembered in the same way Led Zeppelin was.

According to a website called Second Hand Songs, Kiss has brought the public 19 cover versions. That is not a tremendous amount, as Kiss has been around for 50 years. But which cover versions were the best?

Three great cover songs by Kiss

"Kissin' Time"

This was originally left off of the band's self-titled debut, but dang, is it not catchy? The Kiss version also sounds nothing like the original 1959 version, and that's a good thing. The production is fine, though it's not quite as bombastic as the band's later albums would be. This sounds a bit more New York and punky.

The song itself isn't earth-shattering. It's actually fairly silly, but Kiss makes it sound almost dangerous and threatening. If a cover version is meant to augment the original, Kiss accomplished their goal.

"Do You Remember Rock n' Roll Radio?"

New York does New York on this cover of a 1980 Ramones song. The Ramones sounded a bit more, well...Ramones while Kiss sounds a bit more unlike-the-Ramones. If you like both bands, you will love this track. If you only like the Ramones, why are you reading this article?

The Kiss version appeared on a Ramones compilation called "We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to Ramones." Maybe Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley really loved this song because it comes across in the cover version. It's perfectly fun.

"God Gave Rock and Roll to You"

This song was originally done by Argent in 1973. Do you remember that one? No? But you remember the Kiss one? Yeah, that's the staple of a great cover.

The song seems made for Kiss. It's a slower tempo but gives the band the freedom to be anthemic. Everything Kiss did should have been that way.

More music news and analysis: