If you were a kid in 1978, you didn't just listen to KISS. You lived them. By the time the KISS Double Platinum CD hit the shelves years later, the band had already cycled through makeup, no-makeup, and several lineups, but that specific collection of songs remained the gold standard for what the "Hottest Band in the Land" actually sounded like at their summit.
Honestly, some people call it a cash grab. They aren't entirely wrong, considering it was the band's second greatest hits package in just two years. But calling it a simple repackage misses the point of why this specific tracklist matters so much to collectors and casual fans alike. It wasn't just a "best of." It was a massive, shimmering monument to the Casablanca Records era.
The Weird History of the KISS Double Platinum CD
Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart was a marketing genius who basically operated on adrenaline and glitter. In '78, KISS was everywhere. Lunchboxes. Marvel comics. Pinball machines. They needed a way to bridge the gap while the four members recorded their solo albums—an ambitious, if slightly insane, move that almost broke the band financially.
Enter Double Platinum.
When the KISS Double Platinum CD eventually arrived in the late 80s and early 90s, it preserved a very specific sonic experiment. Unlike Smashes, Thrashes & Hits, which felt like a corporate product, this album had the fingerprints of producer Sean Delaney all over it. He didn't just slap the album versions on a disc. He remixed them. He sped some up. He edited others. He even had the band re-record "Strutter" because, well, why not?
That 1978 version of "Strutter," officially dubbed "Strutter '78," is a polarizing piece of KISS history. It’s got this weird, almost disco-inflected drum beat that sounds nothing like the gritty 1974 original. It’s slick. It’s polished. It’s exactly what the late 70s demanded.
The Remixes You Forgot Existed
Let’s talk about the sound. Most "Greatest Hits" albums are boring because you've heard the songs a thousand times. But the KISS Double Platinum CD offers these strange, subtle deviations.
Take "Hard Luck Woman." On the original Rock and Roll Over record, it’s a dusty, acoustic nod to Rod Stewart. On Double Platinum, the remix brings out a different texture in Peter Criss’s raspy vocals. Then there's "Detroit Rock City." They cut the intro—the whole "car accident" radio drama—and get straight to the twin-guitar harmony. It’s jarring if you’re used to the Destroyer version. But it works.
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The transition from "Black Diamond" into nothingness, or the way "Calling Dr. Love" seems to punch a little harder in the midrange, shows that this wasn't just a lazy dump of master tapes. They actually cared about the flow.
Why the CD Version Still Holds Value in 2026
You might think streaming makes physical media obsolete. You'd be wrong. The digital versions of these songs on Spotify or Apple Music are often the 1997 remasters or even later 2014 high-definition transfers. They sound great, sure. But they don't sound like the KISS Double Platinum CD sounds.
There is a specific "brickwalled" quality to modern remasters that kills the dynamic range. If you find an early West German "Atomic" press or a Japanese 22DG-series CD of Double Platinum, you’re hearing the breath of the analog tapes. You’re hearing the room.
- The "Atomic" Design: Early Mercury/PolyGram pressings have a cool retro look.
- The Mixes: "Strutter '78" is hard to find on other compilations.
- The Nostalgia: If you owned the vinyl with the embossed silver foil cover, the CD is the only way to keep that specific sequence of songs in your car without a turntable.
I remember talking to a collector in Jersey who swore that the 1980s CD pressing was the only way to hear "Firehouse" without the bass being completely sucked out by modern EQ. He might be a bit obsessive. But he has a point. The early CD era captured a specific warmth that got lost once engineers started trying to make everything "loud" for earbuds.
It Wasn't Just About the Music
KISS was a visual experience. The original vinyl was a gatefold with a shiny, reflective silver finish. When the KISS Double Platinum CD was first released, the art direction was... lackluster. You lost the scale. You lost the silver foil.
But for fans, the CD represented portability. You could finally blast "Deuce" without worrying about the needle skipping because you were jumping around your bedroom. It was liberation.
Tracking Down the Best Pressings
If you're hunting for this on the secondary market—Discogs, eBay, local record shops—you need to be careful. Not all versions of the KISS Double Platinum CD are created equal.
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The 1997 Remaster:
This version, part of the "KISS Remasters" series, is loud. Very loud. It’s great for a noisy gym, but it loses some of the nuance Delaney put into those '78 remixes.
The Japanese SHM-CD:
If you want the absolute pinnacle of audio fidelity, the Japanese Super High Material CDs are the way to go. They use a different plastic that supposedly allows the laser to read the pits more accurately. Is it snake oil? Maybe. Does it sound incredible? Yes.
The Original 80s Pressing:
This is the one for the purists. Look for the "Made in W. Germany" text on the center ring. These haven't been messed with. They are quiet, so you have to turn your amp up, but the "headroom" is massive.
Common Misconceptions About the Tracklist
People always ask why "Parasite" or "Cold Gin" aren't on here. Simple. By '78, KISS was pivoting toward a more "pop-rock" and "arena-rock" sound. They wanted the hits. They wanted the stuff that mothers wouldn't turn off immediately. Double Platinum was designed to sell to the masses, not just the die-hard "KISS Army" members who already owned everything.
That's why "Beth" is so prominent. That's why "Hard Luck Woman" is there. It’s the softer side of the demon.
Interestingly, the album title itself was a bit of "fake it till you make it" marketing. At the time of release, it wasn't actually double platinum. It was a goal. A psychic projection. Eventually, it got there, but the title was basically Neil Bogart manifested greatness through a cardboard sleeve.
The Cultural Impact of the 1978 Remixes
We have to look at how these songs were treated. In the 70s, "remixing" wasn't really a thing for rock bands. It was for disco 12-inch singles. By applying disco-era production techniques to the KISS Double Platinum CD tracks, Delaney essentially created a "Greatest Hits" album that felt like a new experience.
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He added echo.
He shifted the stereo imaging.
He tightened the drum sounds.
It makes "100,000 Years" sound less like a garage recording and more like a stadium anthem. Even "Rock and Roll All Nite"—the version here is the studio version from Dressed to Kill, but it feels more robust than the original '75 pressing. It’s like they went back and added a layer of chrome to everything.
How to Build the Ultimate KISS Collection
If you're just starting out, don't just buy the 40th-anniversary boxes. They're expensive and full of stuff you'll only listen to once. Instead, follow this path:
- Grab the KISS Double Platinum CD first. It covers the essential '74-'77 era with better production than the individual early albums.
- Find "KISS Alive!" You need the live energy.
- Get "Creatures of the Night." It shows the band's transition into heavy metal in the 80s.
When you listen to the KISS Double Platinum CD, pay attention to the flow between "C'mon and Love Me" and "Rock Bottom." There’s a logic to it. It’s a narrative of a band that was conquering the world one pyrotechnic charge at a time.
Actionable Next Steps for Collectors
If you want to experience this properly, don't just stream it on a crappy Bluetooth speaker. Find a physical copy. Look for the original 1980s Mercury/Polygram pressing if you can. It has a dynamic range that the modern "remasters" simply can't touch.
Once you have it, sit down with a pair of real wired headphones. Listen to the "Strutter '78" drum fills. Compare them to the version on the self-titled debut album. You’ll hear the sound of a band that had grown from hungry New York club rats into international deities.
Check the matrix code on the inner ring of the CD. If it says "01" or "02" followed by "MADE IN W. GERMANY BY POLYGRAM," you’ve found the holy grail of KISS digital audio. Hold onto it. These are becoming harder to find as more people realize that the first generation of CDs actually had the best mastering before the "Loudness Wars" ruined everything in the mid-90s.
Go to a local independent record store. Ask if they have any "pre-remaster" KISS stuff in the bins. Often, they’ll be cheaper than the shiny new reissues, and they’ll sound twice as good. That’s the real secret of the KISS Double Platinum CD—it’s a time capsule of a moment when KISS was the biggest thing on the planet, and they wanted you to hear every single over-the-top detail.