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Double Platinum
Greatest hits album by Kiss
Released	April 2, 1978
Recorded	1973–1978
Genre	Hard rock heavy metal pop metal
Length	69:45
Label	Casablanca
Producer	Kiss and Sean Delaney (album and "Strutter '78"), Kenny Kerner, Richie Wise, Neil Bogart, Eddie Kramer, and Bob Ezrin (original recordings)
Kiss chronology
Alive II (1977) Double Platinum (1978) Dynasty (1979)
Singles from Double Platinum
"Strutter '78" Released: April 1978

Double Platinum is the first greatest hits album by the American hard rock band Kiss, released in 1978. Many of the songs on Double Platinum were remixed and differed from their original versions: in the case of "Strutter," it was re-recorded with a slight disco beat and dubbed "Strutter '78." Other songs ("Hard Luck Woman," "Detroit Rock City") had sections completely removed, while the beginning of "Black Diamond" was repeated at the end, fading out at the start of the first verse and giving the song a "wrap around" feel.

The Japanese single release of "Strutter '78" includes a different version to that on the album: faster and shorter, with an altered guitar solo, plus a more prominent hi-hat (cymbal) sound throughout.

Release and reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	5/10
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Pitchfork	6.0/10
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Spin Alternative Record Guide	8/10
Uncut

The original vinyl release, in a gatefold sleeve, had an embossed, silver-foiled sleeve, with the band members in bas-relief inside. The album was packaged with a printed "Platinum Award" thanking the Kiss Army for making the band a "Double Platinum Success". Later reissues would retain the gatefold sleeve but replaced the logo with a printed, red-type version and the band members were now represented inside by photos rather than the base illustrations. When the album was remastered for CD in the US in 1997, it mimicked the original vinyl.

The album was certified Platinum on May 16, 1978, by the RIAA. In Canada, it was certified Gold on June 1, 1978, after shipping 50,000 copies. The album is one of the band's best catalog sellers, with 522,000 copies sold from 1991 to March 2012 only. It has been speculated that US sales have reached double platinum level (with at least 478,000 sold between 1978 and 1991), however it has not been re-certified since 1978.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic writes: "If 'Strutter' was represented by the original version, instead of a pointless 1978 remake—which was recorded only to entice collectors into buying an album of music they already owned—Double Platinum would have been a definitive collection, but as it stands, it's simply a very, very good overview."

Rolling Stone writes "Kiss's greatest-hits collections have all been conspicuously incomplete as if it hates the idea of anyone buying just one Kiss album, but Double Platinum is the most solid, though not as much fun as Alive!"

Track listing

All credits adapted from the original release.

Personnel

Kiss

• Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar, first guitar solo (track 10), guitar solo (track 18), 12-string acoustic guitar (tracks 3, 10 and 20), bass (track 6)
• Gene Simmons – vocals, bass
• Peter Criss – drums, vocals
• Ace Frehley – lead guitar, acoustic guitar (tracks 3, 14 and 18), backing vocals

Additional personnel

• Bob Ezrin – keyboards (tracks 7 and 16)
• Dick Wagner – acoustic guitar (track 16)
• New York Philharmonic – orchestra (track 16)
• Eddie Kramer – keyboards (track 6)
• Warren Dewey – fire engine sound effects (track 8)

Production

• Sean Delaney and Mike Stone – remixing of all tracks at Trident Studios, London, England
• Jimmy Ienner – executive producer

Charts

Certifications

References

1. Blender Staff (May 2003). "500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die!". Blender. New York: Dennis Publishing Ltd. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
2. Blender Staff (May 2003). "500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die!". Blender. New York: Dennis Publishing Ltd. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
3. "Deconstructing Double Platinum pt. 1". October 14, 2020.
4. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Kiss - Double Platinum review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
5. Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 164. ISBN 978-1894959025.
6. Larkin, Colin (2006). Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4 (4 ed.). Muze. p. 875. ISBN 0195313739.
7. Josephes, Jason. "Kiss: Double Platinum: Pitchfork Review". pitchforkmedia.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2003. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
8. "Kiss: Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
9. Cohen, Jason (1995). "Kiss". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 212. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
10. Kulkarni, Neil (December 1997). "Made up for it". Uncut. No. 7. p. 100.
11. 1997 Remaster at KISS FAQ
12. ^ "American album certifications – Kiss – Double Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America.
13. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Kiss – Double Platinum". Music Canada.
14. "Kiss: Selected Discography". Rolling Stone. January 1, 1978. Archived from the original on July 26, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
15. Kiss (1978). Double Platinum (LP Sleeve). Los Angeles, California: Casablanca Records. NBLP 7100.
16. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
17. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4598a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
18. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
19. "Charts.nz – Kiss – Double Platinum". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
20. "Kiss Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
21. "Offiziellecharts.de – Kiss – Double Platinum" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 20, 2024.

• 1978 greatest hits albums
• Albums produced by Bob Ezrin
• Albums produced by Eddie Kramer
• Kiss (band) compilation albums
• Casablanca Records compilation albums