"Lick It Up" is a song by American rock band Kiss. It is the title track to the group's 1983 album of the same name. The song was released as the album's first single, with musicians Paul Stanley and Vinnie Vincent having composed the track. It was a Top 40 hit in the United Kingdom, although it failed to chart as highly in the band's native U.S. "Lick It Up" is a staple of the band's live performances. Due to its popularity among fans, Kiss has performed the song over 1,500 times as of June 2023, making it one of the group's top ten most-played pieces.

Song information

A video was made to promote the single. It was the first music clip to feature the band without its makeup. The video premiered on MTV on September 18, 1983, in a half-hour special hosted by J. J. Jackson. Despite the hype and promotion for the single, it stalled at #66 on the American Billboard Hot 100. However, the song broke into the Top 40 in several other countries. Kiss has performed "Lick It Up" on most of its tours since the single's release. The track was featured on the group's live albums Alive III and Kiss Symphony: Alive IV. It also appears on 2001's The Box Set. While a few others have been played in limited to rare occasions over the years, it is the only song from the band's unmasked era that has been regularly played live as a setlist staple since they returned to wearing their trademark makeup in 1996.

Reception

The American trade publication Cash Box stated that "high lead and backup vocals over a slowly throbbing guitar and drum rhythm set up an instructive lesson in feeling good." The single was named as one of the journal's 'Feature Picks'.

Personnel

Kiss

Charts

In Popular culture