Metal stars call KISS 'Beatles of our generation'; critics still scoff

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Kiss' Impact on Rock

Metal pioneers' impact more than just stage makeup

Not only did Kiss sell millions of records, the iconic rockers, with their instantly recognizable logo, painted faces, and straight-ahead party music, influenced the next generation of metal bands, some of those now-famous metal stars Fox411.com.

"Kiss' song writing was really a big influence," Motley Crue bassist and songwriter Nikki Sixx told Fox 411. Mike Portnoy, former drummer of Dream Theater, even went as far as to say Kiss "were the Beatles for our generation."

Fellow '70s face-painter Alice Cooper says Kiss remain relevant today, almost four decades after Gene Simmons first unrolled that tongue onstage, because they are "a band that proves themselves over and over again".

However, despite selling over 100 million albums worldwide and accumulating 24 gold records, they have received little critical acclaim and few industry awards. Yahoo! Music reporter Billy Johnson Jr. tells FOX 411 that Kiss' over-the-top stage performances has always had some questioning their authenticity.

"When you consider some of the theatrics that come along with Kiss, like spitting blood on stage, blowing fire, even the face paint,  those for a lot of people are considered gimmicks."

Kiss has also been overlooked thirteen times by one of rock's most elite clubs, the Rock N' Roll Hall of fame.

"When you have a hard core critic who is listening to the music, comparing how well someone sings versus how well the song writing is compared to the musicianship, I think that is where some of the debate comes in, and I think a lot of the hard core rock critics feel they don't measure up to some of the other groups," said Johnson Jr.

But Kiss rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist Paul Stanley could care less what these hard core critics have to say.

"I don't shun from calling myself an entertainer," Stanley told us. "I'm a d**n good rock star and I'm a d**n good musician and everything else that goes along with it."

Regardless of the Rock N' Roll Hall of fame's induction criteria, Kiss is continuing to build on their legacy this year with the release of the album, Monster, and a massive summer tour with Motley Crue.