ZZ Top
Left to Right
Elwood Francis - Bass*
Frank Beard - Drums
Billy Gibbons - Guitar, Vocals
*Original bassist - Dusty Hill (death in 2021)
American rock band formed in Houston, Texas in 1969
Genres considered - Blues Rock, Hard Rock, Boogie Rock, Southern Rock
Known for live performances, humorous lyrics, and matching appearances with sunglasses, hats, and beards
Early singles "La Grange" and "Tush" are now staples on classic rock radio
International fame with Eliminator (1983) and Afterburner (1985)
Established influences from new wave, punk, and dance rock
Music videos for such songs as "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man," and "Legs" gained strong exposure on MTV and made ZZ Top prominent in 1980s pop culture
Noteworthy year -
2018 - Guinness World Record for the longest-running active group with no lineup changes (Hill's wishes for replacement by the band's guitar tech, Elwood Francis)
15 albums
50 million records sold
3 MTV Video Music Awards
Inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk (1994)
6 No. 1 singles on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart
4 Gold/3 Platinum/2 Multi-Platinum/1 Diamond by RIAA
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2004)
Billy Gibbons - 31nd Greatest Guitarist of All Time (Rolling Stone, 2015)
- History -
Formation
Early Years (1969 - 1972)
- ZZ Top's First Album (1971)
- Rio Grande Mud (1972)
- "Francine" - ZZ Top's first charting single
(No. 69 Billboard Hot 100 ... No. 81 Cash Box Top 100)
First Decade of Success and Signature Sound (1973 - 1982)
- Tres Hombres (1973)
No. 8 Billboard 200
- 1978 hiatus
Gibbons traveled to Europe
Beard traveled to Jamaica
Hill traveled to Mexico
- Returned to the studio in 1979
Gibbons and Hill had now signature chest-length beards
- Experimented with synthesizers in this time
Eliminator (1983)
- 8th album ... Released in March
- "Gimme All Your Lovin'" & "Legs" - Top 40
- Most successful at 11 million in sales & Diamond by RIAA
- First ZZ Top album to reach international success
- No. 398 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
- Review Scores:
AllMusic - 4.5/5 Stars
Robert Christgau - B+
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music - 5/5 Stars
The Rolling Stone Album Guide - 3.5/5 Stars
- Certifications:
Gold in Austria, Belgium, & the Netherlands
3x Gold in Germany
Platinum in Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, & Switzerland
2x Platinum in France
4x Platinum in Australia & the UK
Diamond in Canada
Afterburner and Recycler (1985 - 1991)
Afterburner:
- 9th album ... Released in 1985
- "Sleeping Bag" - No. 8 on Billboard Hot 100
- Review Scores:
AllMusic - 3/5 Stars
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music - 4/5 Stars
Kerrang! - 4/5 Stars
Q - 3/5 Stars
The Rolling Stone Album Guide - 3/5 Stars
The Village Voice - B
- Charts:
No. 1 in New Zealand
No. 4 on Billboard 200
No. 2 on UK Albums
No. 6 in Australia
- Certifications:
Gold in France & Japan
3x Gold in Germany
Silver in Norway
Platinum in Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, & UK
2x Platinum in Australia
3x Platinum in Canada
5x Platinum in the U.S.
-------------------------------
Recycler:
- 10th album ... Released in October 1990
- Review Scores:
AllMusic - 2/5 Stars
Robert Christgau - 1 Star
Entertainment Weekly - B+
Rolling Stone - 4/5 Stars
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide - 3/5 Stars
- Charts:
No. 6 on Billboard 200
No. 8 on UK Albums
No. 27 in Australia
- Certifications:
Gold in New Zealand
2x Gold in France
Silver in the UK
Platinum in Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, & the U.S.
Return to Guitar-driven Sound (1992 - 2003)
- Antenna
Critical Acclaim & Retrospective Releases (2004 - 2011)
- Eliminator Collector's Edition (CD/DVD)
(25th anniversary)
- Appearance on VH1's Storytellers to celebrate four decades as recording artists
La Futura (2012 - 2020)
- 15th album ... Released in September 2012
- Last album released in bassist Dusty Hill's lifetime
- Review Scores:
AllMusic - 4.5/5 Stars
The Austin Chronicle - 2.5/5 Stars
American Songwriter - 3.5/5 Stars
Daily Express - 1/5
The Guardian - 4/5 Stars
Mojo - 4/5 Stars
Rolling Stone - 3.5/5 Stars
The Sydney Morning Herald - 4.5/5 Stars
Q - 3/5 Stars
Uncut - 3.5/5 Stars
- Certification:
Gold in Germany
Hill's Death and Upcoming Album (2021 - Present)
- Raw ... Released in July 2022
Soundtrack to ZZ Top's 2019 documentary, That Little Ol' Band from Texas
- Tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd, 2023/2024
- Frank Beard briefly left in 2025 due to illness...Replaced by ZZ Top's longtime drum technician, John Douglas
Other Appearances
Musical Style
Drug Use
- Frank Beard had an addiction to pills and heroin throughout the 1970s, admitting that his heroin use was because he "just liked it"
- Beard entered rehabilitation in the 1980s and has been sober since 2020
In part, I read my research source. In part, I skimmed my research source. In part, I glossed over my research source. In whole, I noticed that ZZ Top is different from previous trios featured on Wednesdays in this month of January.
Aside from a year-long hiatus in 1978 to break from the band's recording and touring schedule, I did not get the sense of tension and disagreement. Hill requested his replacement prior to his passing. Beard's brief replacement was chosen in agreement. I did not get the sense of heated exchanges over recording, arrangements, or direction.
All in all, ZZ Top is one to note in comparison to contemporary duos, trios, and larger bands.
I wonder why that is.
Follow the research source link above to read more.
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