Kiss bassist Gene Simmons has never been shy about sharing his unfiltered opinions on the state of the music industry, and a recent interview was no exception. Speaking with Ben Weiss on the “Legends N Leaders” podcast, the rock icon sounded off on everything from the definition of “relevance” to the validity of hip-hop in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
When the topic of cultural relevance came up, Simmons was quick to dismiss the critics, arguing that true relevance comes from the fans, not the gatekeepers.
“I don’t care. You just brought up a subject I could give a f**k about,” Simmons said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “Well, there’s ‘popular’ and then there are words like ‘relevance’. Who determines relevance? Critics? What is that word? How do you [become] relevant? Who does that? Or is it the American ideal? Of the people, for the people, by the people. The first words are ‘we the people’. That’s relevance to me… The fact that, for instance, Iron Maiden is not in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, when they can sell out stadiums, and Grandmaster Flash [one of hip-hop’s original innovators] is.”
Simmons revisited his longstanding argument that rap artists, regardless of their talent, do not fit the definition of “rock and roll.” He recalled a debate he had with rap legend Ice Cube on the subject.
“[Legendary rapper] Ice Cube and I had a back-and-forth [on this subject], and he’s a bright guy and I respect what he’s done,” Simmons noted. “It’s not my music. I don’t come from the ghetto. It doesn’t speak my language. And I said in print many times, hip-hop does not belong in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, nor does opera, symphony orchestras. How come the New York Philharmonic doesn’t get [inducted into] the Rock And Roll [Hall Of Fame]? ‘Cause it’s called the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. But he shot back and said, No, it’s the spirit of rock and roll.’ Okay, fine. So Ice Cube and Grandmaster Flash and all these guys are in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. I just wanna know when Led Zeppelin‘s gonna be in the Hip-Hop Hall Of Fame. ‘Oh, you can’t do that?’ Oh, really?”
He elaborated on why the genre doesn’t resonate with him personally:
“Music has labels because it describes an approach. By and large, rap, hip-hop is a spoken-word art. You put beats in back of it and somebody comes up with a musical phrase, but it’s verbal. There are some melodies, but by and large it’s a verbal thing — it’s rhyming and all that. And I know [rapper] Eminem can [rap really quickly]. I wish him more success. I really don’t give a f**k. It just doesn’t speak to me. With the genius of being able to put words and music and arrange it, it’s much more complex.”
Simmons also took aim at Electronic Dance Music (EDM). While he admitted he enjoys seeing people happy, he questioned the lasting musical value of the genre compared to traditional songwriting.
“The hardest thing to do is to write a simple, memorable song,” he said. “Much easier is to do EDM [electronic dance music]… And by the way, I’m a fan of it. I love anything that makes people happy. But in terms of talent? … There are no tribute bands to [American DJ, singer, producer and electronic dance music artist] Skrillex. Nobody covers those songs. And by the way, when you go to an EDM concert, I love the passion and the fans taking cr**k and sticking it up their a**, whatever they do. I’ve never been high. You’re 19. You’re trying to get laid. You can’t form a sentence. So you take some medicine and then all of a sudden you’re fluent and things happen. I understand the ritual. It’s tribal. There’s not a garage band, a new band that goes, ‘F**k. The Swiss Mafia (Swedish House Mafia) are a have got this thing that I love. Let’s try to do a version of it and play it in the club.’ Nobody does that.”
Finally, Simmons argued that while modern artists may be incredibly famous, they lack the foundational impact of the classic rock era. He specifically cited Taylor Swift as an example of massive popularity that doesn’t necessarily translate to the “depth” of bands like The Beatles or Led Zeppelin.
“1958 until 1988 — that’s 30 years,” Simmons explained. “Elvis Presley, The Beatles, [Jimi] Hendrix, [The Rolling] Stones, Pink Floyd — you can go on — music still resonates to the highest degree. BEATLES just had another No. 1. By the way, that includes [David] Bowie, Prince, Motown, the heavy bands. AC/DC, ourselves, if you like — we came out in the early ’70s. Aerosmith — your favorite, what’s called classic rock or pop or all that. And then from 1988 until today — where are The Beatles? Where’s Hendrix? Where’s that pivotal artist that shakes the rafters? You have popular artists. Taylor [Swift] has been the most popular artist, perhaps of all time. That does not move the needle. New bands don’t form and say, ‘Let’s do 10 Taylor songs.’ No, that’s fame versus something deeper. So when you go to see a bar band, they’re gonna be playing the song. They’ll play ‘Freebird‘, they’ll play ‘Satisfaction‘, they’ll play the songs that have stood the test of time.”
He concluded by comparing viral hits to a sugar rush:
“You know what the biggest song of all time was? ‘Gangnam Style‘ [by South Korean singer Psy]. Billions, billions of downloads. They were massive. Does that move the needle? No. It’s good fun. Like sugar. You get that [instant energy boost], and then it’s gone. Very few things stick to the bones.”
