Love Gun

Paul Stanley handled bass duties on "Love Gun" in addition to singing lead vocals and playing rhythm guitar, making him the driving force behind much of the recording. The American rock band KISS released the song in 1977 as the title track of the album of the same name, with "Hooligan", a song written by drummer Peter Criss, appearing on the B-side. Stanley drew lyrical inspiration from "The Hunter" section of Led Zeppelin's "How Many More Times", and he has said in several interviews since the release that "Love Gun" ranks among his favorite KISS songs, calling it probably one of the five signature essential songs in the band's catalog.

Despite that enthusiasm from its own singer, the single peaked at only no. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100. Trade publications took notice at the time, with Billboard citing its high energy level and power guitar riffs, while Record World pointed to its hard-edged rock 'n' roll. The modest chart showing did nothing to diminish the song's place in the band's live repertoire.

KISS played "Love Gun" on every tour since its release, and the track appeared on numerous live and compilation albums. The band, formed in New York City in 1973 by Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, had become one of America's most successful rock acts by the late 1970s, known for face paint, stage costumes and pyrotechnic-filled shows. In 2008, the song and a love of the band featured heavily in the adult comedy Role Models, starring Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott and directed by David Wain.