Kiss’ Gene Simmons isn’t afraid to share his opinions on artists from other generations. For example, he said Lady Gaga and Amy Winehouse could have been rock stars even if he isn’t a fan of everything Gaga has done. In the same vein, he said Selena Gomez couldn’t have been a rock star if she tried.
During a 2021 interview with Us Weekly, Simmons revealed he respects Gaga even if he isn’t the biggest fan of dance music. “The new artists have that thing. When she first started, I said ‘Gaga is the next rock star.’ I’m not a fan of the disco boys on the poles and the sort of disco stuff of it.”
Simmons praised Gaga’s projects outside of the world of dance music. “She’s got the depth to sing with Tony Bennett which she did a chanteuse,” he said. “She’s got the depth. Listen to her sing ‘Shallow.’ She also did Edith Piaf, the classic French actress. I want to see Gaga with a rock band in the back of her rocking out because she’s got the goods.”
Simmons continued to say Gaga and Winehouse could have been rock stars but Gomez didn’t have the same capability. “I love all the Selena Gomezes and all that kind of stuff. [She] wouldn’t be able to hold up a rock band,” he opined. “Gaga’s got the goods and her versatility, you know who else had, Amy Winehouse.”
Simmons praised Winehouse’s versatility. “Undeniable,” he said. “Blues, rock, singing with Tony Bennett, she did all of them. She just takes your breath away with those deep lyrics and all melodies. I can’t sing for s***, but you’re talking about those two voices.”
Simmons praised Gaga’s song “Shallow,” which became a huge hit. It became one of Gaga’s five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, alongside “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” “Born This Way,” and “Rain on Me.” Gaga became similarly successful on the Billboard 200. Six of her albums topped that chart: Born This Way, Artpop, Cheek to Cheek, Joanne, A Star Is Born, and Chromatica.
Winehouse was less prominent in the United States. Her song “Rehab” hit No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her only top 40 hit. Meanwhile, none of Winehouse’s albums hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Her biggest album, Back to Black, reached No. 2. In comparing Gaga and Winehouse, it’s important to note Winehouse released fewer albums than the “Bad Romance” singer.
Regardless of who became more prominent, Simmons thinks Gaga and Winehouse could’ve been rock gods.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame might be the most controversial institution related to classic rock music. During an interview, Kiss’ Gene Simmons said many of the artists inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame do not belong there. Here’s a look at some of the artists he feels should be excluded — and some of the classic rock artists he thinks deserve recognition there.
Love it or hate it, the name of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a misnomer. Many of the artists honored there aren’t really rock artists. To some fans, it’s nice to see their favorite artists recognized, even if they don’t make rock music. However, other fans feel the establishment should honor rock artists exclusively.
According to Stereogum, Simmons criticized the inclusion of rappers in the Hall of Fame. “You’ve got Grandmaster Flash in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame?” he said. “Run-D.M.C. in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? You’re killing me! That doesn’t mean those aren’t good artists. But they don’t play guitar. They sample and they talk.”
He then discussed the inclusion of Donna Summer and Madonna in the Hall of Fame. “Donna was my next door neighbor for many years, I knew and liked her, she was on my solo record,” he said. “But if you asked Donna, ‘What kind of artist are you?’ do you think she would say ‘rock?’ If you asked Madonna, ‘What kind of artist are you?’ do you think she would say, ‘Oh, rock!’ So what the hell are they doing in the Hall of Fame?”
Why Nirvana and Amy Winehouse supposedly don’t belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Simmons feels bands and solo artists don’t belong in the Hall of Fame if they only had a few hit albums. For example, Nirvana only released three studio albums before Kurt Cobain’s death, so Simmons thinks Cobain doesn’t deserve the honor. In a similar vein, Amy Winehouse only released two studio albums before her death, so he thinks she’s unworthy of the Hall of Fame. For context, Nirvana has been inducted but Winehouse is not currently eligible for induction because an artist’s debut album needs to be 25 years old for them to qualify.
During an interview with HLN from 2012, Simmons said a lot of bands inducted don’t belong there either. However, he cited a trio of artists who have been inducted who supposedly belong: Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones. He said he was considering buying the Hall of Fame and leaving the Elvis, Fab Four, and Stones material intact.
Kiss was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014. Simmons clearly has some criticisms of the institution. However, that didn’t stop him from getting inducted.
