Locked and Loaded with Love Gun

Happy Anniversary to Kiss’s Love Gun album, which turns 48 today. (I’m not old, you’re old!) 

I was a junior in high school when Love Gun came out. Still had a Camaro I couldn’t afford, a part-time job I hated, and a Kiss poster above my bed that Mom kept threatening to rip down. Life was simple: girls, guitars, and getting out of my hometown the minute I graduated.

But Love Gun? That record made everything feel bigger. Louder. Like maybe, just maybe, there was something worth chasing outside of algebra class and gas station burritos.

The title track alone was a cannon blast. Paul Stanley didn’t whisper sweet nothings—he declared war. That riff hit you in the chest and said, “Get in the car. We’re going somewhere fast.” And we did. My buddies and I would blast that song, windows down, T-tops off, flying down the backroads like we were being chased by the devil himself.

And when Paul hit that line, 

🎵 You pull the trigger of my love gun, 🎵

We’d all shout it like our lives depended on it. (And we all knew Paul Stanley definitely wasn’t singing about toy weapons, but hey, it’s a fun song.) 

Then there was “Shock Me,” which was Ace’s first time singing lead. And he sounded like a guy who didn’t give a damn what you thought. Cool, cocky, a little sloppy in the best way. Like a cigarette hanging off your lip at 2 a.m., half-burnt and still dangerous.

And then there’s “Christine Sixteen.” Yeah, that one wouldn’t fly today, but back then? Gene was just doing what Gene does best: pushing buttons and stealing girlfriends.

This album wasn’t perfect. But that’s exactly why fans love it. It’s raw. It’s loud. It’s Kiss doing what Kiss did best—before the solo albums, before the infighting, before the makeup started to feel like a mask. Love Gun is the last time the original lineup truly felt like a gang.

Ask any real Kiss fan, and they’ll tell you: this one matters. Not because it’s polished. Not because it reinvented the wheel. But because it takes you right back to that summer when the world was wide open, and all you needed was a full tank, a loud stereo, and a reason not to go home.

So here’s to Love Gun—48 years later, it still shoots straight. Certified platinum, loud, proud, and over-the-top.

Just like Kiss. Just like we were.

Now quit scrolling and go crank it. Here’s the YouTube KISS Love Gun Playlist for you to check out. 

Rock on, 

Sam