KISS was (or is) a shock rock band that played heavy metal with commercial appeal. Influenced by Alice Cooper and the New York Dolls, their shock appeal was tempered by their over-the-top stagecraft that featured heavy make-up and a tongue in cheek attitude. Lead songwriters Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were the core of the band, along with Ace Frehley who left in 1982. The other band members were more or less interchangeable. Never critics' favorites, they sold over 100 million records worldwide and were eventually inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.