I didn't really know much about them when I was a kid, but a friend in elementary school absolutely loved them. I do remember they had their own TV movie on one of the big networks, but only saw bits and pieces of it when channel surfing.
They have maybe one Billboard Top 10 single and a couple of RIAA Gold Records. I looked at their chart success, and they were bigger with album sales than with singles, although that might have been because of relative lack of radio airplay at the time was huge in terms of the chart position. Album chart position was only based on sales.
But yeah - they were more a spectacle that had to be witnessed rather than listened to. They tried to make their money with concerts. This explains it to some degree, where their live album actually saved them with huge sales.
In the meantime, Kiss’s live show was in full bloom. Spitting fire and blood, smoking guitars, costumes and make-up, it was all there. As a consequence, the costs to stage a show were high. During a stop in the first tour, the band recorded album Hotter Than Hell, which was released on October 22nd, 1974. Once again, sales were disappointing. Money was growing tighter and tighter. The tour was cut short, ensuring a new album could be recorded as quickly as possible, that was produced by Casablancaowner Neil Bogart. The third album, Dressed To Kill, was released on March 19th, 1975, and, although it sold better than both preceding albums, sales were relatively slow.
Contrary to the record sales, Kiss was an extremely successful live act. The show had grown even more outrageous, including drums going up in the air, fireworks, firebombs going off, smashing guitars, etc. A huge adrenaline rush radiating from the stage making audiences go wild.
But, the money had run out. Kiss had no money, Casablanca had no money as well and was on the brink of bankruptcy. It was so bad that Casablanca wasn’t capable of paying the band their royalties, the Dressed To Kill tour was paid for by Bill Aucoin and the band sued Casablanca for breach of their contract. For all parties concerned, there was only one more chance available to turn things around for the better. Neil Bogart had an idea: why not release a live-album? Bill Aucoin was interested, recording the band’s energy, avoid high studio costs and no pressure on the band to come up with yet another batch of songs. But, as logical as it may sound nowadays, it was an enormous gamble. At the time live-albums weren’t very common and usually didn’t sell that well. A double live-album was deemed a career suicide. But, when you have nothing left to lose, gambling is all part of the game. It wouldn’t turn out well, very well, but astronomically well for the band, Neil Bogart, Casablanca Records and the concept of live-albums.
Still in therapy over that and my intense jealousy of 
