KISS catalog sees sales, streaming bump following Ace Frehley’s death

The KISS catalog saw a streaming boost following the Oct. 16 death of the band’s founding guitarist, Ace Frehley, at the age of 74.

Billboard reports that, compared to the three days prior to Ace’s death, the three days after his passing saw 4,500 digital songs sold, an increase of 1,664%. The catalog also saw a 187% increase in on-demand streams.

As for the song that got the biggest bump, that was actually Frehley’s 1978 solo recording of “New York Groove,” which was a #13 hit for the rocker. It sold over 700 copies, a 4,217% increase, and had 318,000 streams, a 530% increase.

And fans were apparently looking to listen to more of Frehley’s solo work in the three days following his death, as his solo catalog saw a 2,940% streaming boost and a 5,140% sales boost.

Frehley’s death came just weeks after he canceled the remainder of his 2025 tour dates “due to some ongoing medical issues.” In a statement, his KISS bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley said they were “devastated” by Ace’s death, while drummer Peter Criss said that his heart was “broken” by the news.