Gene Simmons: 'Lady Gaga can save rock'

Kiss rocker Gene Simmons believes Lady Gaga is the future of good music - if she can cut out the disco and pole dancing.

The KISS star was being interviewed by Rolling Stone to mark the 40th anniversary of the band's acclaimed album Destroyer, when he took aim at today's artists for failing to produce the same quality of music as he and his bandmates did years ago.

"As far as I'm concerned, rock is dead," he told the magazine. "There ain't no new bands."

But Gene insists there's still a little hope - in the form of Gaga, adding, "As far as I'm concerned, if Lady Gaga dropped the disco and the pole dancing and all that stuff and put together a rock band, that would be legitimate, because she's got the musical goods.

"She can write songs, play instruments and can actually sing. And she understands the fearless quality of spectacle. I'd love to see her do Queen-style music. She can do it."

Gene also has time for Jennifer Lopez, Ciara, Shakira, and Madonna and "all the girls with names that end in 'a'." He adds, "They're very talented in their own way - but it's dishonest. They have a backing track. It's really a karaoke bar. Karaoke is more honest, because you know it's karaoke."

The outspoken 66-year-old also attacked rap music, stating, "I am looking forward to the death of rap. I'm looking forward to music coming back to lyrics and melody, instead of just talking. A song, as far as I'm concerned, is by definition lyric and melody... or just melody.

"Rap will die next year, 10 years from now, at some point, and then something else will come along... I think rap is OK... (but) I don't have the cultural background to appreciate being a gangsta. Of course that's not what it's all about, but that's where it comes from. That's the heart and soul of it. It came from the streets."

And Gene's distaste for rap and rock doesn't stop there, admitting he's confused as to why artists have kept up the trend of not making music for profit.

"I hate the Internet," he says. "I make a living, but to be a new band now and just give out your music for free, it's the crime of the century."