All KISS Show-Opening Songs Ranked

Ranking all the songs that KISS has consistently opened up with on a major tour. Obviously not including acoustic shows, meet & greets, TV appearances, etc.

KISS Opening with Rock Bottom:

KISS Opening with I've Had Enough:

KISS Opening with King Of The Mountain:

KISS Opening with 100,000 Years:

[slasherdope]

Deuce will forever be THE #1 opening song for them. For a lot of their career, that's been their opener. It's also a song thats been with them since the beginning

[TheArtofGuitar]

You just made my year by putting I Stole Your Love as #1. I was there, totally agree!

[rolandoflores]

I think "Modern day Delilah" fits so good, as well "Psycho Circus". But the Alive II "Detroit Rock City" it was bombastic💥

[andrewproctor]

And probably only 7 closers: Black Diamond, Rock and Roll all Nite, Let Me Go Rock and Roll and God Gave Rock and Roll To You, Lick It Up, Detroit Rock City, Love Gun/Star Spangled Banner

[jonstreng]

Are you out of your mind? Why is Detroit Rock City at only #4. I feel Deuce should be 4 and Detroit should be 2. The only time Detroit should be #1 is when KISS is playing in Michigan. Loved your opening joke about I finally found my way. I loved it in the 70s when they started with either Shout It Out Loud or, as they did on the Phantom movie, opened with I Stole Your Love. I Stole Your Love has some of the best fills by the Catman- Peter Criss. This is a fantastic opening song which makes me wonder why the group didn't do it more often?

[karl-unoisaksson]

I agree and disagree 💕

As always!!!

Damn, your input is GOLD for an old swede...

No bullshit, you make the most enjoyable lists about Kiss that Ive came across 💥

But... Once again... youre of the mark 😊

Ive stood in the crowd for 20+ kisshows, and the one that REALLY rips my head into pieces and made me understand that this: Is a Kiss show is Creatures of the night...

I love you 🙏

Love from Sweden 💖

[rodans_boom]

Great list. My personal favorite intro by KISS has got to be 'Deuce'. Love watching it on their 96' Reunion Tour vids, here on YouTube. The best 'Deuce' is the one they opened the Tour with in Detroit. Ace's solos in that song were absolutely outstanding!

[beatlehmann]

Songwise :
King of the Night Time World 1979 (Love this Track)
Detroit Rock City 1976 & 1977
I Stole your Love 1977 & 1978
Deuce 1974/75
Deuce 1996/97
Best Show (Tour) :
Rock and Roll over 1976/77 Tour
Love Gun 1977/78 Tour
Destroyer 1976 Tour
Dynasty. 1979 Tour
Hotter than Hell 1974/75 Tour
Reunion 1996/97 Tour


(My favorite)

[brianoshea]

Agreed! I stole your love is the #1 opening song followed by Deuce at #2😎

[pudd]

I chuckled at putting "Detroit Rock City" down at fourth, but then you watch the three songs ahead of it and it's tough to argue. With "Psycho Circus", that's five incredible openers. What a great band.

[SDanCastle]

I agree I Stole Your Love is their #1 opener for sure!! Saw them open with it 77, 78, 90 (Eric Carr's last show ;( )

[terencemartin]

Hard to look past Detroit Rock City but Creatures Of the Night is an awesome set opener.

[lunartat]

My list for songs they SHOULD open with are;

6) Love theme from KISS
5) Then she kissed me
4) Great Expectations
3) Cadillac Dreams
2) Just a boy
1) I finally found my way

I finally found someone who agrees that song would be the best opener ever!

P.S. Thanks for another great list.

P.P.S. They also opened up their 1995 Japan/Australia tour with King of the Nighttime world. I should know, I was there :) (Melbourne, Australia)

[garybrigham]

Detroit Rock City is my favorite song and is a perfect opener- BUT... most of my KISS shows are IN Detroit and I actually like it better as an encore or later in the show when Paul talks up writing a song about Detroit. It really gets the crowd going

[garyserdoz]

Cool topic! I'd go with 1. Deuce 2. Detroit Rock City 3. Psycho Circus 4. I Stole Your Love 5. Creatures Of The Night 6. King Of The Night Time World 7. Modern Day Delilah 8. Love Gun

[batlevi]

DTRC, Psycho CircuS, Creatures of the Night, Love Gun all are great show openers. King of the Mountain makes a lot of sense for to be a show opener!

[PGhockeyman]

Here’s how I would rank this:

1. Detroit Rock City
2. Deuce
3. Creatures Of The Night
4. Psycho Circus
5. I Stole Your Love
6. Love Gun
7. Modern Day Delilah
8. King Of The Night Time World

[buzzzcutt]

Love Gun is my favorite album, bug Destroyer is fire too. Flaming Youth is a perfect song for me. Anyhow the best Kiss opener has to be Detroit Rock City, because after that you can play King of The Nighttime World like on Alive II. As you can tell I love Kiss and know a lot about them. You know who my profile pic is? He’s from Mötley Crüe.
One more thing: I Finally Found My Way is not an opener

The pic is Tommy Lee with a cigarette in his nose. As a drummer, I love him.






















Ok I’ll shutup

[craiganderson]

Psycho Circus was great on Halloween in California. It was a absolute freak show and the perfect night!

[Kissfandr]

for me the concert starts with Deuce. "What's the hottest band in the world? KISS!!!" nice energetic guitar opening riff and then BLAM! Whole band crunching out Deuce. That's an opener. Tells anyone in the audience that doesn't know KISS what's about to happen for the next hour or two.