Top 5 KISS Songs by Ace Frehley Every Rock Fan Should Know
Talking about the best KISS songs written by Ace Frehley seems like the perfect time now because of the tragic passing of the legendary guitarist. Frehley passed away on October 16, 2025, at age 74 and leaves behind a lot of amazing songs while cementing himself as one of the most influential figures in rock music. Moreover, the vast majority of the guitarists who have shaped metal have cited him as a major influence as well.
All things considered, the best KISS songs written by Ace Frehley can also work as an insight into the band’s musical machinery. After all, it is a way to get a better grasp of who he was within KISS and what he brought to the table as a songwriter. Furthermore, this also serves to understand his thought process as a musician, which is always nice to see.
As usual, this list goes in no particular order and is entirely subjective. If you have other KISS songs that need to be here, please feel free to mention them.
“Rocket Ride”
To understand the song, one first needs to look back at 1977. KISS was already one of the biggest bands on the planet and the label wanted to capitalize with a second live album, “Alive II“. This live performance would also have a few new tracks that the band recorded, with Ace Frehley contributing with one of the best KISS songs of all time, “Rocket Ride“.
“Sonically, I never felt the studio albums lived up to what we were doing live,” Paul Stanley recalled in 2012. “They just didn’t have the kick, the balls or the sonic enormity of what we did live. ‘Alive II‘ captured the experience of being at a Kiss show and what we stood for.”
The main riff is pure Ace Frehley magic and carries the weight of the song. It is heavy enough to be straightforward and intense (for 70s standards, at least), but also having a good sense of rhythm. This kind of songs explains why he was such an influence for the genre moving forward.
“You gotta understand that most of the groups that are popular today, when KISS was at their high point in the late ’70s, the guys that are popular today were teenagers,” Ace said in an interview back in 1994. “And I was a major influence on the guitar players. A lotta people have come up to me and tell me, you know, if it wasn’t for me they would have never picked up a guitar. ‘Alive I’ and ‘Alive II’ are, they consider their rock and roll bible. I consider that very flattering. If I knew that was gonna be the case I probably woulda practiced a little more. But you know, that’s life. You take it as it comes.”
“Hard Times”
“Dynasty” is a complicated album within the KISS discography. This is the infamous record where the band “went disco” and a lot of fans considered them sell-outs after that. Now, granted, most of the reactions were due to the “I Was Made for Loving You” lead single. All in all, the entirety of the record wasn’t so different to what some of the best KISS songs had to offer.
“Everybody wanted to get as many songs as they could,” Frehley said in a 2014 interview. “Everybody wanted to shine for the fans.”
“Hard Times” was definitely Ace Frehley shining. Gene Simmons‘ bass has a strong presence here, but that doesn’t keep Ace from standing out on his own with his powerful riffs and catchy rhythm. The chorus also needs to be highlighted since it stays in your head with one listen.
When compared to the band’s heaviest moments from the 70s, “Hard Times” doesn’t have anything to envy them. Moreover, the catchy vocal melodies and delicious guitar licks need to be appreciated as well. One of the band’s most underrated gems.
“Parasite”
Not only one of the best KISS songs of all time, but also one of the most surprising. Most people who aren’t familiar with Ace, Peter, Gene, and Paul wouldn’t think they had such a heavy track in 1974. But indeed, they had it in them and is a remarkable piece of intense, raw hard rock that would go on to influence a lot of punk, grunge, and metal bands.
“I don’t profess to be any kind of genius musically,” Ace explained during a 2018 interview. “I never even took a guitar lesson, really. And yet, every day I get guitar players coming up to me going, ‘Man, if it wasn’t for you, I never would’ve picked up a guitar!’ And I go, ‘Well, thank you. That’s a nice compliment.’ But I kind of feel guilty, because I didn’t even know how to… I did an instructional video in 2009, and they had a guy off camera, who said, ‘Hey, play this complicated solo that you do.'”
“And then they said, ‘OK, explain to the viewers because this is an instructional video. Explain to them what it is.’ I didn’t know what to say! I didn’t know the musical terms, so they had to pause the camera! Then this guy would tell me what it is: ‘You’re playing a major run going into a minor run…’ And it was a complete nightmare. I’ll never do another, unless I do it on my own and just do it silly and make jokes and say, ‘Look, I dunno what I’m doing. I just do it.'”
It shows that, even when starting out, Ace already knew what was necessary to write great songs. This is a prime example that some people are simply that talented. Don’t believe it? Listen to that guitar solo.
“Cold Gin”
It is quite telling that Ace Frehley managed to write one of the best KISS songs while having total insecurity about his abilities. When the band was working what would become their self-titled debut, the guitarist was struggling to come up with material, especially with the solos.
“I used to stress about the solos,” Ace recalled in 2014 remembering the sessions for the debut album. “I hadn’t blossomed into a singer or songwriter yet so all I focused on was doing the best possible solos. Everything else was gravy. It was a combination of nerves and excitement. I knew we had a special chemistry that was really gonna take off, it was just a matter of time.”
The song itself is peak 70s KISS, with Ace‘s guitar work being at the helm. Moreover, it is quite ironic that “Cold Gin“, a song about drinking alcohol, was sung by Gene Simmons, who is known for not drinking. However, the powerful vocals, strong drumming by Peter Criss, and great guitar licks make it a memorable song.
“Shock Me”
One of the best KISS songs from one of their best albums, 1977’s “Love Gun“, Ace Frehley proves with his guitar work tht he had a natural understanding of the instrument. This slow yet electric (pun intended) song is catchy and has the kind of rhythm that would influence 80s hard rock. It was also inspired by the Spaceman’s pyro attached to his guitar and an accident he had during a performance.
“I got knocked back, 220 volts,” he later recalled, “and I was knocked out for about five minutes, I had burns on my fingers and I almost bit the bullet.”
“I should have been dead that night,” he said to MusicRadar in 2025. “The fact that I got electrocuted and didn’t fall forward was a godsend. There must have been angels pushing me back. I was standing on top of four Marshall cabinets on a staircase when I got shocked. I had a heavy Les Paul around my neck, and my body should have fallen forward—but I didn’t.”
“If I fell forward, I would have broken my f**king neck,” he continues. “But I fell back, and the road crew dragged me back off of the staircase. I had no feeling in my hands for five to ten minutes. I went on to finish the show. But I maybe had feeling in half of my fingers by the time it was done. It was crazy s…, man, but I did get ‘Shock Me‘ out of it. So, I guess it wasn’t all for nothing.”
People can argue his methods for inspiration, but no one can argue with the results. A great origin story for a great song.
Conclusion
Ace Frehley is one of rock music’s biggest guitar heroes. His work with KISS inspired generations of guitarists and prompted them to pick up the instrument. It is near impossible to understand the genres of rock and metal without the Spaceman. A great singer, a great guitarist, a great songwriter, and a great person, given what other people have said throughout the years.
In 2014, when discussing his rise to fame, he had this to say:
“People treat you differently, especially people you didn’t know on the way up. When you get on the road everybody you meet is treating you like you’re some kind of god. The way I kept grounded was staying close with old friends who knew me before I was famous. It was the only way I could feel normal. I couldn’t hang out with people that I had met once I became famous because they were treating me special and I didn’t know if they had ulterior motives. It was strange.”
This is probably the best quote to remember Ace Frehley. May he rest in peace and may the legacy of his music live on forever.
