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Gene Simmons has set the world straight on Kurt Cobain. Turns out the Nirvana frontman isn’t a music icon, contrary to the opinions of fans and critics around the world. Ditto Amy Winehouse. Who knew?
In an interview with Team Rock Radio, the NME reports, the Kiss singer, bassist and master marketer offered his take on the music industry since 1984, insisting we’re living in the kind of world without heroes he once sang about.
“Kurt Cobain — no, that’s one or two records, that’s not enough,” Simmons said, responding to whether the grunge figurehead qualifies as an “icon.” “Amy Winehouse — that’s one or two records, that’s not enough. What, just ’cause you died that makes you an icon? No, no.”
So who does Simmons rate as icons? Roughly the artists you’d expect a 64-year-old to cite.
“Let me see — Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, the Who and just on and on,” he said. “And through the ’70s — Aerosmith, Kiss, Led Zeppelin.”
Simmons also shared his distaste for Radiohead’s “pay what you want” model and the Internet’s role in killing major labels, but it’s the Nirvana comments that are bound to get people riled. Maybe Gene’s just made Kurt didn’t put any Kiss records on his Top 50 albums list.
Gene Simmons has set the world straight on Kurt Cobain. Turns out the Nirvana frontman isn’t a music icon, contrary to the opinions of fans and critics around the world. Ditto Amy Winehouse. Who knew?
In an interview with Team Rock Radio, the NME reports, the Kiss singer, bassist and master marketer offered his take on the music industry since 1984, insisting we’re living in the kind of world without heroes he once sang about.
“Kurt Cobain — no, that’s one or two records, that’s not enough,” Simmons said, responding to whether the grunge figurehead qualifies as an “icon.” “Amy Winehouse — that’s one or two records, that’s not enough. What, just ’cause you died that makes you an icon? No, no.”
So who does Simmons rate as icons? Roughly the artists you’d expect a 64-year-old to cite.
“Let me see — Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, the Who and just on and on,” he said. “And through the ’70s — Aerosmith, Kiss, Led Zeppelin.”
Simmons also shared his distaste for Radiohead’s “pay what you want” model and the Internet’s role in killing major labels, but it’s the Nirvana comments that are bound to get people riled. Maybe Gene’s just made Kurt didn’t put any Kiss records on his Top 50 albums list.
