“Strutter” by Kiss

"Strutter" comes off Kiss's self-titled 1974 debut, and it's a mission statement with a strut to match: a Stones-style swagger dipped in glam glitter. It's one of the rare songs Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley wrote together, with Stanley putting fresh words to music Simmons had composed for a tune called "Stanley the Parrot." Stanley sings about the sharp-dressed women the band saw on the streets of New York, with a touch of Bob Dylan in the wordplay, over climbing, syncopated verses, and the chorus is just 2 notes capped by the title hollered at full volume.

Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise produced it lean and punchy, with Ace Frehley and Stanley on guitars, Simmons on bass and Peter Criss on drums. Cash Box raved about its punch, yet as the album's third and last single it failed to chart. No matter: it became a concert staple and a fixture on the band's live and hits albums.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.