Kiss’ Paul Stanley names his 13 favourite guitarists
Kiss emerged in the early 1970s glam wave but evolved impressively to become one of the most boisterous and uncompromising bands at the 1970s heavy rock vanguard. Founded in 1973 by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, Kiss established an identity in jagged, overdriven chord progressions and sonorous, often sexual lyricism.
At the heart of Kiss’ signature sound is Paul Stanley’s distinctive guitar style, which grasps strains of influence from several pioneering rock guitarists. Perhaps most recognisably, Stanley was influenced by the rhythm-favouring Pete Townshend, a guitarist now considered a pillar of rock history thanks to his seminal work with The Who.
“Pete Townshend is someone who clearly prefers most of the time to steer away from flashy solos,” Stanley told Guitar World in 2023 while picking out his favourite guitarists. “All his songs are pretty much chord-driven, whether they’re inversions or not, they’re based on chords.”
Stanley revealed how he’s always tried to use Townshend’s approach when creating material for Kiss. “That’s something that I’ve always taken to heart and worked to apply in my own playing,” he said. “He’s also a great showman and a fantastic example of the importance of rhythm player, and not overplaying.”
Before Townshend, however, there were three Kings, and I’m not talking about the three generous, if slightly barmy, kings who walked for days to find baby Jesus. “In terms of roots, whether I applied them fully, I have to start with Albert, Freddie, and B.B. King. It’s not a matter of whether you emulate the players who inspired you; it’s that you ingest what they do and let that become a part of reference and vocabulary,” Stanley said of the three Kings of the guitar world.
“I’ve always thought that if you listen to only one type of music, that one type of music becomes incestuous to what you’re doing, and you won’t bring anything new to what you’re doing,” he added.
Before Stanley embraced electric rock, he could be found navigating acoustic folk and old-school blues music. “Once I got past Eddie Cochran and that era, I was a folkie with a harmonica around my neck,” he said. “But I was also into Albert, Freddie, and B.B., along with guys like Sonny Terry, Brownie McGehee, Junior Wells, and Buddy Guy. To me, there’s two kinds of music – good and bad – you’re malnourished if you only listen to one.”
If Stanley could pick one guitar hero as the greatest all-rounder, his head turns to Led Zeppelin, a band whose heavy rock style was a pivotal influence on Kiss. “Jimmy Page, to me, is the consummate guitarist,” Stanley said of the Led Zeppelin virtuoso. “He’s Beethoven. He paints with music in a way that’s just so stellar. And I know there’s a lot of British guitar players that we talk about where people say, ‘Who is better, this guy, or that guy?’ Well, I’ll tell you this – there’s only been one of those players who has been able to spread and work outside of the idea of what he was initially defined as, and that’s Jimmy.”
“He’s not rock or metal; he’s true world music that encompasses so much. His love of music is palpable; he’s an amazing showman and a consummate all-around lead and rhythm guitar player,” Stanley concluded, beaming with admiration.
Below, we list the 13 guitarists Paul Stanley picked out as his all-time favourites. You can also watch the Kiss guitarist destroy his axe in the style of his hero, Pete Townshend.
Paul Stanley’s 13 favourite guitarists:
- Albert King
- Freddie King
- B.B. King
- Jimmy Page
- Pete Townshend
- Richie Havens
- Steve Marriott
- Malcolm Young
- Jimi Hendrix
- Neil Young
- Paul Kossoff
- Lindsey Buckingham
- Nancy Wilson
