Kiss Celebrates '40' Years On The Billboard 200 

KISS perform at Perth Arena on February 28, 2013 in Perth, Australia.

The iconic rockers boast the third-most charted albums among American bands

Kiss celebrates the 40th anniversary of its debut release, as its new retrospective "Kiss 40" arrives at No. 30 on the Billboard 200 chart. The 40-track collection sold 7,000 copies in its first week (ending June 1), according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Kiss 40" is the 35th charted album for the recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honorees on the Billboard 200, marking the third-highest total among American bands. Kiss breaks out of a tie with Pearl Jam (34) and trails only the Grateful Dead (60) and the Beach Boys (48).

Forty years ago this month, Kiss was in the middle of its maiden chart run with its self-titled debut album, which was released to retail on Feb. 18, 1974. The set arrived on the April 20 chart at No. 192 (marking the band\'s Billboard chart debut) and went on to reach No. 87 on the June 8 list. The band would visit the top 10 for the first of (so far) nine times with the live effort "Alive" in 1975. (It peaked at No. 9.)

"Kiss 40" includes one track from each of the act\'s "major album" releases (as described in a press release), in addition to live cuts and one previously unreleased demo recording.

Of Kiss\' 34 previously charted albums, all but four are represented on "Kiss 40," and with good reason: the four absent titles are all hits compilations or box sets.

There\'s little doubt that Kiss will be playing many of the "Kiss 40" tracks when the group heads out on the road this summer. The band\'s North American tour with Def Leppard begins June 23 in West Valley City, Utah, and wraps Aug. 31 in Houston.

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