GetWiki

{{short description|American rock band}}{{use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}

factoids

| discography = ZZ Top discography| years_active = 1969–presentAmerican Recordings (record label)>RCA Records>Warner Bros. Records>London}}Moving Sidewalks|American Blues}}| current_members = *Billy Gibbons

• Frank Beard
• Elwood Francis| past_members =
• Lanier Greig
• Dan Mitchell
• Billy Ethridge
• Dusty Hill

zztop.com}}}}ZZ Top{{efn|Pronounced “Zee Zee Top”.}} is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. For 51 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill, until Hill’s death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sound based on Gibbons’ blues style and Hill and Beard’s rhythm section. They are known for their live performances, sly and humorous lyrics, and the matching appearances of Gibbons and Hill, who wore sunglasses, hats and long beards.ZZ Top formed after Gibbons’ previous band, Moving Sidewalks, disbanded in 1969. Within a year, they signed with London Records and released ZZ Top’s First Album in 1971. Subsequent releases, such as Tres Hombres (1973) and Fandango! (1975), and the singles “La Grange” and “Tush”, gained extensive radio airplay. By the mid-1970s, ZZ Top had become renowned in North America for their live act, including the Worldwide Texas Tour (1976–1977), which was a critical and commercial success.After a hiatus, ZZ Top returned in 1979 with a new musical direction and image, with Gibbons and Hill wearing sunglasses and matching chest-length beards. With the album El Loco (1981), they began to experiment with synthesizers and drum machines. They established a more mainstream sound and rose to international stardom with Eliminator (1983) and Afterburner (1985), which integrated influences from new wave, punk, and dance-rock. The popularity of these albums’ music videos, including those for “Gimme All Your Lovin’”, “Sharp Dressed Man”, and “Legs”, gave them mass exposure on television channel MTV and made them prominent artists in 1980s pop culture. The Afterburner tour set records for the highest-attended and highest-grossing concert tour of 1986.After gaining additional acclaim with the release of their tenth album, Recycler (1990), and its accompanying tour, the group’s experimentation continued with mixed success on the albums Antenna (1994), Rhythmeen (1996), XXX (1999), and Mescalero (2003). They most recently released La Futura (2012) and Goin’ 50 (2019), a compilation album commemorating the band’s 50th anniversary. By the time of Hill’s death in 2021, ZZ Top had become the longest-running band with an unchanged lineup in the history of popular music.WEB, Brett, Milano, Oldest Bands in Music: Acts That Defy the Laws of Age and Time, uDiscover Music, August 10, 2021, August 20, 2021,www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/oldest-bands-in-music-history/, en-US, Per Hill’s wishes, he was replaced by their longtime guitar tech, Elwood Francis, on bass.ZZ Top has released 15 studio albums and sold an estimated 50 million records worldwide.NEWS, Gabriel, Falcon, ZZ Top: After 50 years they’ve still got legs, CBS News, July 21, 2019, March 4, 2020,www.cbsnews.com/news/zz-top-goin-50-dusty-hill-frank-beard-billy-gibbons/, NEWS, Peter, Blackstock, ZZ Top at 50: Billy Gibbons takes us back to the beginning, Austin American-Statesman, May 15, 2019, May 15, 2019,www.austin360.com/entertainmentlife/20190515/zz-top-at-50-billy-gibbons-takes-us-back-to-beginning, They have won three MTV Video Music Awards, and in 2004, the members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked Gibbons the 32nd-greatest guitarist of all time.MAGAZINE, 100 Greatest Guitarists, Rolling Stone, December 8, 2015, March 4, 2020,www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-guitarists-153675/billy-gibbons-153118/, The band members have supported campaigns and charities including Childline, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and a fundraiser for the Delta Blues Museum.

History

Early years (1969–1972)

The original line-up was formed in Houston and consisted of Gibbons, bassist/organist Lanier Greig,NEWS, Andrew, Dansby, Greig, early ZZ Top member, dies at 64, Houston Chronicle, February 16, 2013, July 28, 2014,www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Lanier-Greig-musician-and-early-ZZ-Top-member-4284956.php, and drummer Dan Mitchell. The name of the band was Gibbons’ idea. The band had a small apartment covered with concert posters and he noticed that many performers’ names used initials. Gibbons particularly noticed B.B. King and Z. Z. Hill and thought of combining the two into “ZZ King”, but considered it too similar to the original name. He then figured that “king is at the top” which gave him the idea of naming the band “ZZ Top”.WEB, Uncle Joe Benson – The Story: ZZ Top 9-11-15 The Stor, SoundCloud, September 13, 2015,soundcloud.com/uncle-joe-benson/the-story-zz-top-9-11-15, October 7, 2015,web.archive.org/web/20151007205644/https://soundcloud.com/uncle-joe-benson/the-story-zz-top-9-11-15, ZZ Top was managed by Bill Ham, a Waxahachie, Texas, native who had befriended Gibbons a year earlier. They released their first single, “Salt Lick”, in 1969, and the B-side contained the song “Miller’s Farm”. Both songs credited Gibbons as the composer. Immediately after the recording of “Salt Lick”, Greig was replaced by bassist Billy Ethridge, a bandmate of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Mitchell was replaced by Frank Beard of American Blues. Due to lack of interest from the major American record companies, ZZ Top accepted a record deal from London Records, the American affiliate of the British Decca Records label. Unwilling to sign a recording contract, Ethridge quit the band and Dusty Hill, Frank Beard’s American Blues bandmate, became his replacement in late 1969. At this moment, all three members of the band were 20 years old. After Hill moved from Dallas to Houston, ZZ Top signed with London in 1970. They performed their first concert together at a Knights of Columbus Hall in Beaumont, Texas, on February 10, 1970. The show was booked by KLVI radio personality Al Caldwell, who was also instrumental in broadcasting the band’s first recordings.WEB, Craig, Hlavaty, ZZ Top played its first show together 50 years ago, houstonchronicle.com, February 10, 2020, May 25, 2022,preview.houstonchronicle.com/music/zz-top-first-concert-1970-6073072, In addition to assuming the role as the band’s leader, Gibbons became the main lyricist and musical arranger. With the assistance of Ham and engineer Robin Hood Brians, ZZ Top’s First Album (1971) was released. It featured “barrelhouse” rhythms, distorted guitars, double entendres, and innuendo. The music and songs reflected ZZ Top’s blues influences. Following their debut album, the band released Rio Grande Mud (1972), which produced their first charting single, “Francine”.WEB, Matthew, Wilkening, Revisiting ZZ Top’s Second Album, ‘Rio Grande Mud’, Ultimate Classic Rock, April 4, 2015, June 5, 2019,ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-rio-grande-mud-turns-40/,

First decade of success and signature sound (1973–1982)

{{more citations needed section|date=March 2023}}(File:ZZ Top (1976).png|230px|thumb|right|ZZ Top performing live in 1976)ZZ Top released Tres Hombres in 1973, which reached the No. 8 position on the Billboard 200 albums chart by early 1974. The album’s sound was the result of the propulsive support provided by Hill and Beard, and Gibbons’ “growling” guitar tone. Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the album “brought ZZ Top their first Top Ten record, making them stars in the process”.BOOK, Woodstra, Chris,books.google.com/books?id=YZ2bT1mu97kC&dq=Stephen+Thomas+Erlewine+brought+ZZ+Top+their+first+Top+Ten+record,+making+them+stars+in+the+process&pg=PA256, All Music Guide Required Listening: Classic Rock, Bush, John, Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, 2007, Hal Leonard Corporation, 978-0-87930-917-6, 256, en, The album included the boogie-driven “La Grange” (written about the Chicken Ranch, a notorious brothel in La Grange, Texas, that also inspired the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas). On the subsequent tour, the band performed sold-out concerts in the US. During this tour, ZZ Top recorded the live tracks that would fill one side of their 1975 album, Fandango!. Fandango!, which also contained one side of new studio songs, was a top-ten album; its single “Tush” peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.ZZ Top began the Worldwide Texas Tour in May 1976 to support Fandango!, and the tour continued through 1977 with 98 shows over 18 months.WEB, Live Rattlesnakes and Rock n’ Roll: The Story of ZZ Top’s “Worldwide Texas Tour”, Moreno, Ricky, stmuscholars.com, October 22, 2020, May 25, 2022,stmuscholars.org/live-rattlesnakes-and-rock-n-roll-the-story-of-zz-tops-worldwide-texas-tour/, Tejas, recorded during a break in the tour and released in November 1976, was the final ZZ Top album under their contract with London Records. It was not as successful or as positively received as their previous two efforts, but reached number 17 on the Billboard 200.WEB, Tejas – Awards, AllMusic, July 28, 2014,www.allmusic.com/album/tejas-mw0000193395/awards, The singles from Tejas, “It’s Only Love” and “Arrested for Driving While Blind”, both failed to crack the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.In 1978, after almost seven years of touring and a string of successful albums, ZZ Top went on hiatus while Beard dealt with addiction problems. Gibbons traveled to Europe, Beard went to Jamaica, and Hill went to Mexico.MAGAZINE, di Perna, Alan, July 2, 2008, ZZ Top: Cars, Guitars, & Three Unlikely Rock Stars,www.guitarworld.com/article/zz_top_cars_guitars_three_unlikely_rock_stars?page=0,8,www.guitarworld.com/article/zz_top_cars_guitars_three_unlikely_rock_stars?page=0,8," title="web.archive.org/web/20081030192921www.guitarworld.com/article/zz_top_cars_guitars_three_unlikely_rock_stars?page=0,8,">web.archive.org/web/20081030192921www.guitarworld.com/article/zz_top_cars_guitars_three_unlikely_rock_stars?page=0,8, October 30, 2008, Guitar World, Hill also spent 3 months working at DFW Airport, saying he wanted to “feel normal” and “ground himself” after years spent performing.WEB, Lifton, Dave, August 31, 2019, Why Dusty Hill Spent ZZ Top’s ‘70s Hiatus Working at an Airport,ultimateclassicrock.com/dusty-hill-day-job/, live,web.archive.org/web/20210730230222/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/dusty-hill-day-job/, July 30, 2021, 2021-07-30, Ultimate Classic Rock, en, In 1979, ZZ Top returned to record a new album. Gibbons and Hill were now sporting chest-length beards. ZZ Top signed with Warner Bros. Records and released the album Degüello in late 1979. While Degüello went platinum, it only reached number 24 on the Billboard chart.WEB, Degüello – Awards, AllMusic, July 28, 2014,www.allmusic.com/album/deg%C3%BCello-mw0000651021/awards, The album produced two popular singles: “I Thank You”, a cover of the David Porter/Isaac Hayes composition originally recorded by Sam & Dave, and the band original “Cheap Sunglasses”. The band remained a popular concert attraction and toured in support of Degüello. In April 1980, ZZ Top made their first appearances in Europe, performing for the German music television show Rockpalast (later included on the 2009 DVD (Double Down Live: 1980 & 2008))MAGAZINE, William, Pinfold, Double Down Live 1980/2008 – ZZ Top, Record Collector, 372, January 15, 2010, May 3, 2022,recordcollectormag.com/reviews/dvd/double-down-live1980-2008, and the BBC show The Old Grey Whistle Test.NEWS, ZZ Top - Old Grey Whistle Test Session (1980), BBC Radio 2, April 1980, October 11, 2021,www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00lb4zh, The band shared the BBC’s studio with English electronic group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), whom Gibbons felt “were great”.BOOK, Mike, West, 1982, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Omnibus Press, 19, 42, 0-7119-0149-X, Inspired by OMD, ZZ Top introduced a jerky dancing style to their live show and began to experiment with synthesizers,MAGAZINE, Sylvie, Simmons, Sylvie Simmons, Over the Top!, Kerrang!, 19, July 1–15, 1982, 6, [Billy Gibbons:] We steal our [dance] moves heavily off Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark., MAGAZINE, Tom, Breihan, ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill Dead at 72, Stereogum, July 28, 2021, August 22, 2021,www.stereogum.com/2155612/zz-tops-dusty-hill-dead-at-72/news/, live,web.archive.org/web/20210728203727/https://www.stereogum.com/2155612/zz-tops-dusty-hill-dead-at-72/news/, July 28, 2021, which featured prominently on the October 1981 album El Loco.WEB, Joe, Bosso, Billy Gibbons talks ZZ Top: The Complete Studio Albums (1970-1990), MusicRadar, June 3, 2013, October 30, 2020,www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/billy-gibbons-talks-zz-top-the-complete-studio-albums-1970-1990-575728/8/, July 12, 2014,www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/billy-gibbons-talks-zz-top-the-complete-studio-albums-1970-1990-575728/8/," title="web.archive.org/web/20140712094453www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/billy-gibbons-talks-zz-top-the-complete-studio-albums-1970-1990-575728/8/,">web.archive.org/web/20140712094453www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/billy-gibbons-talks-zz-top-the-complete-studio-albums-1970-1990-575728/8/, The album peaked at number 17 on the Billboard chart, and featured the singles “Tube Snake Boogie”, “Pearl Necklace”, and “Leila”.WEB, El Loco – Awards, AllMusic, July 28, 2014,www.allmusic.com/album/el-loco-mw0000197282/awards, Their albums from this period showed a more modern sound.NEWS, Stephen Thomas, Erlewine, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill dies at 72, Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2021, August 22, 2021,www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-07-28/zz-top-dusty-hill-bassist-dies-72, Eliminator, Afterburner, and Recycler (1983–1991)“>

Eliminator, Afterburner, and Recycler (1983–1991)

(File:ZZTop.jpg|thumb|230px|right|Hill and Gibbons in 1983)Gibbons pushed the band into a more modern direction for Eliminator, released in March 1983. The album featured two Top-40 singles (“Gimme All Your Lovin’” and “Legs“), and two additional Top Rock hits (“Got Me Under Pressure” and “Sharp Dressed Man“), with the extended dance mix of “Legs” peaking at number 13 on the Club Play Singles chart.WEB, Eliminator – Awards, AllMusic, July 28, 2013,www.allmusic.com/album/eliminator-mw0000192586/awards, The album became a critical and commercial success, selling more than 10 million copies while peaking at No. 9 in the U.S. Billboard pop charts. It is the only ZZ Top album to reach Diamond status in the US.WEB, Gold & Platinum – ZZ Top, Recording Industry Association of America, August 22, 2021,www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=zz+top&adv=SEARCH#search_section, Several music videos from the album were in regular rotation on MTV, attracting many new fans. The band won their first MTV Video Music Awards in the categories of Best Group Video for “Legs”, and Best Direction for “Sharp Dressed Man”. The music videos were included in their Greatest Hits video, which was later released on DVD and quickly went multi-platinum.Eliminator retained Gibbons’s signature guitar style while adding elements of new wave music; electronic band Depeche Mode have been cited as an influence on the album.MAGAZINE, David, Fricke, David Fricke, Billy Gibbons: My Life in 15 Songs, Rolling Stone, November 10, 2015, November 1, 2020,www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/billy-gibbons-my-life-in-15-songs-151784/sharp-dressed-man-1983-142974/, To compose the songs, Gibbons worked closely with live-in engineer Linden Hudson at the band’s rehearsal studio in Texas, setting a faster tempo with drum machines and synthesizers. The main recording sessions were once again supervised in Memphis by Terry Manning who collaborated with Gibbons to replace much of the contributions from Hill and Beard. Singer Jimi Jamison joined Manning to provide backing vocals for the album.NEWS, Mitch, McCracken, Where are they now: Jimi Jamison of Survivor, The Sun Times, November 20, 2009, October 31, 2020,www.thesuntimes.com/article/20091120/NEWS/311209981, April 4, 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190404160555/https://www.thesuntimes.com/article/20091120/NEWS/311209981, Stage manager David Blayney described how Hudson co-wrote much of the material on the album without receiving credit. The band recorded Hudson’s song “Thug” without permission, finally paying him $600,000 in 1986 after he proved in court he held the copyright.BOOK, David, Blayney, 1994, Sharp Dressed Men, New York, Hachette Books, Hyperion, 196–203, 0-7868-8005-8, BOOK, Deborah, Frost, 1985, ZZ Top - Bad and Worldwide, 103, 106–107, 115, New York, Rolling Stone Press, 0020029500, BOOK, David, Sinclair, 1986, Tres Hombres: The Story of ZZ Top, 76, Virgin Books, Virgin, 0-86369-167-6, MAGAZINE, Staff, March 1987, Who Writes the Songs?, Texas Monthly, 15, 3, 82,books.google.com/books?id=6CkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA82, The band had previously used other people’s work without credit, for instance, in 1972 ZZ Top claimed sole writing credit for the hit song “Francine” from the album Rio Grande Mud, cutting out two co-writers, Steve Perron and Kenny Cordray. Hudson’s extensive contributions to the song “Groovy Little Hippie Pad” went uncredited in 1981 for the album El Loco.MAGAZINE,archive.creem.com/article/2023/6/1/beard-science, Beard Science, Scott, Grace, 52–59, Creem, June 2023, October 23, 2023, subscription, Despite selling fewer copies than Eliminator, Afterburner (1985) became ZZ Top’s highest-charting album (No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard chart),WEB, Afterburner – Awards, AllMusic, July 28, 2013,www.allmusic.com/album/afterburner-mw0000196478/awards, with sales of five million copies. All of the singles from Afterburner were Top-40 hits, with “Sleeping Bag” and “Stages” reaching number one on the Mainstream Rock chart. The music video for “Velcro Fly” was choreographed by pop singer Paula Abdul.NEWS, Paula Abdul – Times Topics, The New York Times, August 5, 2009, December 19, 2010,topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/a/paula_abdul/index.html, In 1987, ZZ Top released The Six Pack, a collection of their first five albums plus El Loco. The albums were remixed with new drum and guitar effects for a more “contemporary” sound similar to Eliminator.WEB, Stephen Thomas, Erlewine, ZZ Top – Six Pack, AllMusic, August 22, 2021,www.allmusic.com/album/six-pack-mw0000651365, Recycler, released in 1990, was ZZ Top’s final studio album under contract with Warner Records. Recycler was also the last of a distinct sonic trilogy in the ZZ Top catalogue, marking a return towards a simpler guitar-driven blues sound with less synthesizer and pop bounce than the previous two albums. This move did not entirely suit the fan base that Eliminator and Afterburner had built up, and while Recycler did achieve platinum status, it never matched the sales of those albums. However, the single “My Head’s in Mississippi” did reach No. 1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart that year.MAGAZINE, Mainstream Rock: Dec 08, 1990, Billboard, November 28, 2013, July 21, 2019,www.billboard.com/biz/charts/1990-12-08/hot-mainstream-rock-tracks,

Return to guitar-driven sound (1992–2003)

In 1992, Warner released ZZ Top’s Greatest Hits, along with a new Rolling Stones-style cut, “Gun Love”, and an Elvis-inflected video, “Viva Las Vegas”. In 1993, ZZ Top inducted a major influence, Cream, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.In 1994, the band signed a $35 million deal with RCA Records,WEB, VH1 Rock Honors 2007 – Honorees, VH1, 2007, December 19, 2010,www.vh1.com/shows/events/rock_honors/_2007/honorees.jhtml, July 3, 2012,www.vh1.com/shows/events/rock_honors/_2007/honorees.jhtml," title="web.archive.org/web/20120703065056www.vh1.com/shows/events/rock_honors/_2007/honorees.jhtml,">web.archive.org/web/20120703065056www.vh1.com/shows/events/rock_honors/_2007/honorees.jhtml, releasing the million-selling Antenna. Subsequent RCA albums, Rhythmeen (1996) and 1999’s XXX (the second album to feature live tracks) sold well, but did not reach the levels enjoyed previously. In 2003, ZZ Top released a final RCA album, Mescalero, an album thick with harsh Gibbons guitar and featuring a hidden track—a cover version of “As Time Goes By.” RCA impresario Clive Davis wanted to do a collaboration record (in the mode of Carlos Santana’s successful Supernatural) for this album. In an interview in Goldmine magazine, Davis stated that artists Pink, Dave Matthews, and Wilco were among the artists slated for the project. ZZ Top performed “Tush” and “Legs” as part of the Super Bowl XXXI halftime show in 1997.A comprehensive four-CD collection of recordings from the London and Warner Bros. years, Chrome, Smoke & BBQ, was released in 2003. It featured the band’s first single (A- and B-side) and several rare B-side tracks, as well as a radio promotion from 1979, a live track, and several extended dance-mix versions of their biggest MTV hits. Three tracks from Billy Gibbons’ pre-ZZ band, the Moving Sidewalks, were also included.

Critical acclaim and retrospective releases (2004–2011)

File:ZZ Top, 26Jun2010.jpg|thumb|left|ZZ Top at the Crossroads Guitar FestivalCrossroads Guitar FestivalIn 2004, ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones gave the induction speech. ZZ Top gave a brief performance, playing “La Grange” and “Tush”.File:Dusty hill and billy gibbons finland 2010.jpg|thumb|Hill and Gibbons performing at Puistoblues in Järvenpää, FinlandFinlandIn 2006 Tres Hombres and Fandango! received releases of expanded and remastered versions, which used the original mixes free from echo and drum machines and included additional bonus live tracks.The Eliminator Collector’s Edition CD/DVD, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band’s iconic RIAA Diamond Certified album, was released September 10, 2008. The release includes seven bonus tracks and a bonus DVD, including four television performances from The Tube in November 1983.WEB, “Eliminator” Reissue Coming March 25th!, ZZtop.com, January 14, 2008, July 18, 2011,www.zztop.com/index.php?module=news_item&news_item_id=116,www.zztop.com/index.php?module=news_item&news_item_id=116," title="web.archive.org/web/20110718161726www.zztop.com/index.php?module=news_item&news_item_id=116,">web.archive.org/web/20110718161726www.zztop.com/index.php?module=news_item&news_item_id=116, The band performed at the 2009 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on the final night on March 22, 2009. In July, the band appeared on VH1’s Storytellers, in celebration of their four decades as recording artists.PRESS RELEASE, VH1 to Premiere ZZ Top “Storytellers”, All Headline News, AHN, June 10, 2009, December 18, 2010,www.icelebz.com/gossips/tv/vh1_to_premiere_zz_top_storytellers_/, July 25, 2011,www.icelebz.com/gossips/tv/vh1_to_premiere_zz_top_storytellers_/," title="web.archive.org/web/20110725114633www.icelebz.com/gossips/tv/vh1_to_premiere_zz_top_storytellers_/,">web.archive.org/web/20110725114633www.icelebz.com/gossips/tv/vh1_to_premiere_zz_top_storytellers_/, La Futura (2012–2020)“>

La Futura (2012–2020)

File:ZZ.TOP 2 rkent at mac dot com.jpg|thumb|ZZ Top at the AlamodomeAlamodomeFile:ZZ Top 2015.jpg|thumb|ZZ Top performing at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio in 2015]]Billy Gibbons stated in an interview in August 2011 that a new album had been recorded, with initial recording taking place in Malibu, California, before moving to Houston, but was still unnamed and had yet to be mixed and mastered. Gibbons said that the expected release date was sometime in March or April 2012 but, later, a late summer or early fall release date was announced.WEB, ZZ Top ‘Sowing and Stitching Away’ at New Album, Says Billy Gibbons, Ultimate Classic Rock, August 23, 2011, September 22, 2011, live,ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-new-album-march-2012/, December 25, 2011,ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-new-album-march-2012/," title="web.archive.org/web/20111225070034ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-new-album-march-2012/,">web.archive.org/web/20111225070034ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-new-album-march-2012/, The album was subsequently released on September 11, 2012.WEB, La Futura Arrives This September from ZZ Top, ZZtop.com, August 3, 2012,zztop.com/news/90461, October 14, 2012,zztop.com/news/90461," title="web.archive.org/web/20121014013711zztop.com/news/90461,">web.archive.org/web/20121014013711zztop.com/news/90461, Entitled La Futura, the album was produced by Rick Rubin.MAGAZINE, David, Fricke, Eric, Helton, Matthew, Murphy, Billy Gibbons on the band’s next album, Rolling Stone, November 29, 2011, July 28, 2014,www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/zz-top-billy-gibbons-on-the-bands-next-album-20111129, WEB, La Futura by ZZ Top, MP396, September 13, 2012, July 28, 2014,mp396.com/la-futura-by-zz-top.html, December 28, 2013,mp396.com/la-futura-by-zz-top.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20131228004844mp396.com/la-futura-by-zz-top.html,">web.archive.org/web/20131228004844mp396.com/la-futura-by-zz-top.html, The first single from the album, “I Gotsta Get Paid”, debuted in an advertising campaign for Jeremiah Weed Whiskey and appears on the soundtrack of the film Battleship.WEB, Battleship (2012) – Soundtracks, Internet Movie Database, July 28, 2014,www.imdb.com/title/tt1440129/soundtrack, The song itself is an interpretation of “25 Lighters” by Texan hip hop DJ DMD and rappers Lil’ Keke and Fat Pat.WEB, Jeff, Giles, ZZ Top’s New Single Based on ‘90s Rap Song, Ultimate Classic Rock, May 30, 2012, July 28, 2014,ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-new-single-based-on-90s-rap-song/, The first four songs from La Futura debuted on June 5, 2012, on an EP called Texicali.WEB, Release Day!, ZZtop.com, July 7, 2012,www.zztop.com/news/81091%20Texicali, July 29, 2014,www.zztop.com/news/81091%20Texicali," title="web.archive.org/web/20140729014435www.zztop.com/news/81091%20Texicali,">web.archive.org/web/20140729014435www.zztop.com/news/81091%20Texicali, DJ Screw was a major influence on the album as well, particularly because Gibbons and Screw both worked with engineer G. L. Moon during the late 1990s.NEWS, Ben, Ratliff, Traveling at the Speed of Molasses, The New York Times, September 6, 2012, July 28, 2014,www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/arts/music/for-zz-top-new-album-la-futura-and-a-tour.html?_r=2&, On March 3, 2015, ZZ Top began a North American tour in Red Bank, New Jersey, at the Count Basie Theatre. After rescheduled dates and additions, the tour ended in Highland Park, Illinois, at the Ravinia Festival on August 27, with the opening act Blackberry Smoke. Jeff Beck joined ZZ Top for seven concerts.WEB, ZZ Top 2015 North American Tour Schedule with Jeff Beck & Blackberry Smoke, Zz-top.concerttournewshub, March 29, 2015,ZZ-Top.concerttournewshub.com/, October 6, 2015,zz-top.concerttournewshub.com/," title="web.archive.org/web/20151006085950zz-top.concerttournewshub.com/,">web.archive.org/web/20151006085950zz-top.concerttournewshub.com/, WEB, Upcoming Tour Dates, Zztop.com, March 29, 2015,www.zztop.com/tour/, On September 9, 2016, ZZ Top released Tonite at Midnight: Live Greatest Hits from Around the World. In 2017, they began the 2017 Tonnage Tour,WEB, Jeff, Giles, ZZ Top Announce 2017 ‘Tonnage’ Tour, Ultimate Classic Rock, October 25, 2016, October 1, 2018,ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-2017-tour/, but canceled the last few dates due to Hill’s declining health.WEB, Matthew, Wilkening, ZZ Top Cancel Remaining 2017 Tour Dates, Ultimate Classic Rock, October 17, 2017, October 1, 2018,ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-cancel-2017-tour/, In 2018, the band announced their six-day Las Vegas run of shows to be held at the Venetian, starting from April 20, 2019.WEB, ZZ Top returning to Venetian in 2019, KTNV-TV, September 24, 2018, October 1, 2018,www.ktnv.com/positivelylv/zz-top-returning-to-venetian-in-2019, Gibbons told Las Vegas Review-Journal in April 2020 that ZZ Top had been preparing another album.NEWS, Katsilometes, John, April 20, 2020, Billy Gibbons says ZZ Top ‘cooking up’ new album, Las Vegas Review-Journal,www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/entertainment-columns/kats/billy-gibbons-says-zz-top-cooking-up-new-album-2010400/, May 9, 2020, On June 21, 2020, Gibbons stated interest in having Beck appear.WEB, Kielty, Martin, June 21, 2020, New ZZ Top Album Could Contain Song They Started 50 Years Ago,ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-new-album-old-song/, July 4, 2020, Ultimate Classic Rock,

Hill’s death and upcoming album (2021–present)

In July 2021, Hill was forced to leave a tour after a hip injury. ZZ Top performed without him at the Village Commons in New Lenox, Illinois, with Hill’s guitar tech Elwood Francis on bass.WEB, Matthew, Wilkening, Dusty Hill Insisted ZZ Top Not Break Up Following His Death, Ultimate Classic Rock, July 28, 2021, July 28, 2021,ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-not-breaking-up/, Five days later, on July 28, ZZ Top announced that Hill had died at his home in Houston at the age of 72.MAGAZINE, Andy, Greene, ZZ Top Bassist Dusty Hill Dead at 72, Rolling Stone, July 28, 2021, July 28, 2021,www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/zz-top-bassist-dusty-hill-dead-obit-1203694/, His wife later reported that he had suffered from chronic bursitis.NEWS, Dusty Hill’s Widow Thanks Fans for Their Support Following ZZ Top Bassist’s Death, Blabbermouth.net, August 3, 2021, August 3, 2021, Early Wednesday morning my world and yours would lose a great musician and I would lose my greatest love. He woke me up and we talked and as he was sweetly chatting with me he suddenly stopped and he was gone in an instant.,www.blabbermouth.net/news/dusty-hills-widow-thanks-fans-for-their-support-following-zz-top-bassists-death/, Per Hill’s wishes, ZZ Top continued with Francis on bass. Hill had already recorded bass and vocals for ZZ Top’s upcoming sixteenth studio album.WEB, Kevin, Johnson, Dusty Hill’s Bass and Vocals Will Be on Next ZZ Top Album, No Treble, August 7, 2021, August 9, 2021,www.notreble.com/buzz/2021/08/07/dusty-hills-bass-and-vocals-will-be-on-next-zz-top-album/, On July 22, 2022, ZZ Top released Raw, the soundtrack for the band’s 2019 documentary That Little Ol’ Band from Texas, via Shelter Records/BMG. It was one of their final live albums with Hill.WEB,www.loudersound.com/news/zz-top-announce-new-live-album-raw-and-share-2022-tour-details, ZZ Top Raw live album and new tour announced | Louder, Loudersound.com, 2022-03-08, 2022-08-02, On December 12, 2022, ZZ Top announced a co-headlining tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd for summer 2023, titled The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour, due to commence on July 21 in West Palm Beach and to conclude on September 17 in Camden.On November 6, 2023, it was announced the continuation in 2024 of the co-headlined Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd, due to kick off in March and cover most of the U.S. throughout the year with two legs. Debuting on March 8 in Savannah, Georgia, the first (20-date) leg will focus on the Southeast and Midwest, ending up in Corpus Christi, Texas on April 20. After a four month break, the second (16-date) leg will kick off on August 9 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and hit the Northeast and some more Midwest before jumping to the West Coast for three more dates with the final show slated for September 22 in Ridgefield, Washington.www.notreble.com > article “ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd Announce ‘Sharp Dressed Simple Man’ 2024 Tour Dates” (by Kevin Johnson - November 6, 2023)

Other appearances

File:ZZTopEliminator.jpg|thumb|ZZ Top Eliminator at the Rock and Roll Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of FameZZ Top appeared in a cameo in Back to the Future Part III as an Old West band, playing an acoustic version of their song “Doubleback” with a large fiddle band.MAGAZINE, Andy, Greene, Flashback: ZZ Top Visit Hill Valley in ‘Back to the Future Part III’, Rolling Stone, July 25, 2019, May 3, 2022,www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/zz-top-back-to-the-future-cameo-863220/, ZZ Top played Super Bowl XXXI in 1997, along with the Blues Brothers and James Brown.NEWS, Doriean, Stevenson, Best and worst Super Bowl halftime shows, CBS News, January 25, 2021, March 5, 2021,www.cbsnews.com/pictures/best-worst-super-bowl-halftime-shows/, They also performed at the 2008 Orange Bowl game in Miami, as well as the Auto Club 500 NASCAR event at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. On June 23, 2008, the band celebrated the release of their first live concert DVD titled Live from Texas with the world premiere, a special appearance, and charity auction at the Hard Rock Cafe in Houston.WEB, Events, June 23, 2008, Hardrock.com, October 2, 2011,www.hardrock.com/Locations/Cafes3/events.aspx?LocationID=56&MIBenumID=3&EventID=31464, September 28, 2011,www.hardrock.com/Locations/Cafes3/events.aspx?LocationID=56&MIBenumID=3&EventID=31464," title="web.archive.org/web/20110928224155www.hardrock.com/Locations/Cafes3/events.aspx?LocationID=56&MIBenumID=3&EventID=31464,">web.archive.org/web/20110928224155www.hardrock.com/Locations/Cafes3/events.aspx?LocationID=56&MIBenumID=3&EventID=31464, The DVD was officially released on June 24, 2008. The featured performance was culled from a concert filmed at the Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie, Texas, on November 1, 2007. On January 22, 2010, Billy Gibbons, Will Ferrell, and Beck joined a band playing Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” on Conan O’Brien’s last Tonight Show appearance. O’Brien joined in on guitar.PRESS RELEASE, Natalie, Rotman, O’Brien ends run on ‘Tonight’ show after 7 months, Associated Press, January 23, 2010, May 9, 2015,newsok.com/obrien-ends-run-on-tonight-show-after-7-months/article/feed/126519, June 2, 2017,newsok.com/obrien-ends-run-on-tonight-show-after-7-months/article/feed/126519," title="web.archive.org/web/20170602182241newsok.com/obrien-ends-run-on-tonight-show-after-7-months/article/feed/126519,">web.archive.org/web/20170602182241newsok.com/obrien-ends-run-on-tonight-show-after-7-months/article/feed/126519, In June 2011, various media sources reported that the new song “Flyin’ High” would debut in space. Astronaut and friend of ZZ Top Michael Fossum was given the released single to listen to on his trip to the International Space Station.WEB, ZZ Top Debuts New Song in Space, Ultimate Guitar, August 6, 2001, July 28, 2014,www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/zz_top_debuts_new_song_in_space.html, WEB, Spencer, Kaufman, ZZ Top Premiere New Song ‘Flyin’ High’ on Russian Spacecraft, Ultimate Classic Rock, June 9, 2011, September 30, 2019,ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-flyin-high-russian-spacecraft/, On June 4, 2014, ZZ Top opened the CMT Awards ceremony, performing “La Grange” with Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line.

Musical style

{{Expand section|date=December 2021}}The Guardian described ZZ Top as “part traditional, part contrary, and part of the deep seam of Texas weirdness that stretched from the 13th Floor Elevators through to the Butthole Surfers”.NEWS, Michael, Hann, Dusty Hill’s voice, tone and passion for the blues lifted ZZ Top into greatness, The Guardian, July 29, 2021, July 30, 2021,www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jul/29/dusty-hill-lifted-zz-top-into-greatness, Texas Monthly described their music as “loud, macho, greasy, and distorted”, with “unrepentant misogynistic references”.MAGAZINE, Joe Nick, Patoski, Still ZZ After All These Years, Texas Monthly, December 1996,www.texasmonthly.com/articles/still-zz-after-all-these-years/, In the early 1980s, ZZ Top embraced synthesizers and drum machines, drawing inspiration from British electronic acts such as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Depeche Mode (while deriving their dance moves from the former).NEWS, Michael, Hann, Gimme All Your Lovin’ was a perfectly calibrated rock song — and was admired and covered by electronic acts, Financial Times, November 12, 2018,ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/gimme-all-your-lovin.html, August 9, 2021,archive.today/20210809025833/https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/gimme-all-your-lovin.html, Hill and Gibbons worked as a kind of double act, looking similar and employing simple stage choreography that Hill described as “low-energy, high-impact”.ZZ Top’s music has been classified as blues rock,WEB, Cub, Koda, ZZ Top – Artist Biography, AllMusic, July 28, 2014,www.allmusic.com/artist/zz-top-mn0000690254/biography, BOOK, Patricia, Bashe, Holly, George-Warren, 2001, The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, 3rd, Simon & Schuster, 978-0-7432-0120-9,archive.org/details/rollingstoneency00holl, registration, BOOK, Nick, Talevski, 2006, Rock Obituaries – Knocking on Heaven’s Door, Music Sales Group, Omnibus Press, 173, 978-1-8460-9091-2, WEB, How ZZ Top’s First Album Established an Unbeatable Blues-Rock Blueprint, Dig!, January 16, 2021, May 3, 2022,www.thisisdig.com/feature/zz-tops-first-album/, hard rock,BOOK, Mike, McPadden, 2012, If You Like Metallica..., Hal Leonard Corporation, Backbeat Books, ZZ Top,books.google.com/books?id=9o978TWC1hAC&pg=PT30, 9781476813578, BOOK, Ronald, Zalkind, 1980, Contemporary Music Almanac: 1980–1981, 1st, G. Schirmer Inc., Schirmer Books, 349,books.google.com/books?id=r4qfAAAAMAAJ&q=%22zz+top+texas%22, MAGAZINE, Marc, Myers, Marc Myers, ZZ Top’s ‘Rio Grande Mud’ at 50, The Wall Street Journal, April 4, 2022, May 3, 2022,www.wsj.com/amp/articles/rio-grande-mud-zz-top-southern-rock-billy-gibbons-dusty-hill-frank-beard-allman-brothers-band-lynyrd-skynyrd-marshall-tucker-band-11649106822, boogie rock,MAGAZINE, Fred, Bonson, Wea’s Greatest Hits, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, August 31, 1996, 108, 35, 34, 0006-2510, It was the band’s second album, ”Tres Hombres”, that established their boogie-rock credentials by peaking at No. 8 in 1974., WEB, Matt, Cibula, ZZ Top: Mescalero, PopMatters, January 4, 2004, February 20, 2014,www.popmatters.com/review/zztop-mescalero/, Southern rock,MAGAZINE, Josh Jackson & Paste Music Staff, The 50 Best Southern Rock Albums of All Time, Paste (magazine), Paste, February 26, 2018, June 20, 2018,www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/02/the-50-best-southern-rock-albums-of-all-time.html, December 6, 2019,web.archive.org/web/20191206124511/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/02/the-50-best-southern-rock-albums-of-all-time.html, dead, MAGAZINE, Steve, Apple, ZZ Top: Tres Hombres, Rolling Stone, September 13, 1973,www.rollingstone.com/artists/zztop/albums/album/111205/review/5945357/tres_hombres, October 2, 2007,www.rollingstone.com/artists/zztop/albums/album/111205/review/5945357/tres_hombres," title="web.archive.org/web/20071002002340www.rollingstone.com/artists/zztop/albums/album/111205/review/5945357/tres_hombres,">web.archive.org/web/20071002002340www.rollingstone.com/artists/zztop/albums/album/111205/review/5945357/tres_hombres, blues,MAGAZINE, Jim, Miller, ZZ Top: Fandango!, Rolling Stone, July 3, 1975,www.rollingstone.com/artists/zztop/albums/album/198546/review/5941643/fandango, November 12, 2007,www.rollingstone.com/artists/zztop/albums/album/198546/review/5941643/fandango," title="web.archive.org/web/20071112000947www.rollingstone.com/artists/zztop/albums/album/198546/review/5941643/fandango,">web.archive.org/web/20071112000947www.rollingstone.com/artists/zztop/albums/album/198546/review/5941643/fandango, and Texas blues.MAGAZINE, James, Hunter, La Futura, Rolling Stone, September 22, 2012, May 3, 2022,www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/la-futura-20120921,

Drug use

Beard struggled with addiction in the 1970s, claiming to have spent “every bit” of his money earned from ZZ Top’s tours on drugs. Beard explains that he had different reasons for taking different drugs, saying “the pills thing came about just from the workload. And the heroin thing came about because I just liked it. I mean, you ever done heroin? It’s great. It’s a fucking vacation for the mind, and I liked it. I liked it a lot.” Beard would eventually enter rehab in the 1980s and is sober to this day.WEB, Kielty, Martin, ZZ Top’s Frank Beard Details ‘70s Heroin Addiction: ‘A Regret’,ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-frank-beard-heroin/, 2023-01-16, Ultimate Classic Rock, February 26, 2020, en, Hill would “[occasionally] partake” in marijuana until one occasion in a hotel in Amsterdam when Hill was smoking marijuana with guitar tech Elwood Francis and Francis noticed that there was a metal bar embedded into the window frame of the hotel room. Francis, seeing an opportunity for a prank, jumped out the window and (unbeknownst to Hill) grabbed onto the metal bar, making it appear that he had committed suicide. Hill apparently never smoked marijuana again after the incident.WEB, Elwood Francis on Instagram: “So I’m in Dusty’s room on the 3rd floor of a hotel in Amsterdam. It’s early summer, fantastic weather outside and the windows were open. Dust didn’t smoke weed but on occasion in Amsterdam, he would partake. This was one of those occasions. It was only Dusty, the TM and myself armed with a single joint. We slowly puffed a drag or 2 each and we’re probably talking about Andy Griffith or something similar... just casual conversation. I walked over to the window and while looking out noticed this metal bar embedded in the concrete as part of the window frame. It was extended outside the window just below the bottom of the frame. I pulled around on the bar and checked its stability, then sat back down. After I passed the joint to Dusty on the next round, I got up and jumped out the window. They can’t see that I had grabbed the rail with my hand as I was passing over it and was just hanging there like I would on monkey bars. Dusty and Pablo freaked out and jumped up not knowing what the heck to do. They ran over to the window expecting to see me splattered on the sidewalk but found me hanging there laughing. They both just remained confused about what happened while I popped back inside. Dusty didn’t smoke weed anymore after that. Nor did he let me around any open windows. One of me best pranks, it was.”,www.instagram.com/p/CR5VMiDs4TM/, 2023-01-16, Instagram, en,

Band members

{{col-begin}}{{col-2}}Current members

• Billy Gibbons – guitars, lead and backing vocals {{small|(1969–present)}}
• Frank Beard – drums, percussion {{small|(1969–present)}}
• Elwood Francis – bass, backing and lead vocals {{small|(2021–present)}}

{{Col-2}}Former members

• Dan Mitchell – drums {{small|(1969)}}
• Lanier Greig – Hammond organ, bass {{small|(1969; died 2013)}}WEB, Jeff, Giles, Meet the Other Three Members of ZZ Top, Ultimate Classic Rock, February 21, 2014, September 16, 2017,ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-other-members/,
• Billy Ethridge – bass, keyboards {{small|(1969–1970)}}
• Dusty Hill – bass, backing and lead vocals, keyboards {{small|(1970–2021; died 2021)}}{{col-end}}

Timeline{{#tag:timeline|ImageSize = width:960 height:210PlotArea = left:80 bottom:80 top:5 right:10Alignbars = justifyDateFormat = dd/mm/yyyyPeriod = from:01/01/1969 till:{{#time:d/m/Y}}TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyyLegend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4ScaleMajor = increment:5 start:1969ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1969Colors = BarData = PlotData= LineData = }}

Discography

Studio albums{{div col}}

• ZZ Top’s First Album (1971)
• Rio Grande Mud (1972)
• Tres Hombres (1973)
• Fandango! (1975)
• Tejas (1976)
• Degüello (1979)
• El Loco (1981)
• Eliminator (1983)
• Afterburner (1985)
• Recycler (1990)
• Antenna (1994)
• Rhythmeen (1996)
• XXX (1999)
• Mescalero (2003)
• La Futura (2012)

{{div col end}}

Filmography

In addition to recording and performing concerts, ZZ Top has also been involved with films and television. In the eighth episode “Sweet Dreams” in the third season of the American television medical drama St. Elsewhere,WEB, St. Elsewhere (1984) – Trivia, Internet Movie Database, May 27, 2023,www.imdb.com/title/tt0707977/trivia/?ref_=tt_trv_trv, Luther Hawkins’s ( Eric Laneuville )dream sequence was a parody of the music video “Legs” with the group while taking a brief nap in a janitor’s closet;WEB,www.youtube.com/watch?v=byy00V8GGvc, St Elsewhere Luther’s ZZ Top Dream, YouTube, MAGAZINE, Glenn, O’Brien, Life at the Top, Spin (magazine), Spin, February 1986, 1, 10, 40, 0886-3032,books.google.com/books?id=8dHstWRgcM4C&pg=PA40, In 1990, the group appeared as the “Band At the Party” in the film Back to the Future Part IIIWEB, Back to the Future Part III (1990) – Full Cast & Crew, Internet Movie Database, July 28, 2014,www.imdb.com/title/tt0099088/fullcredits#cast, and played the “Three Men in a Tub” in the movie Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme.WEB, Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme (1990) – Full Cast & Crew, Internet Movie Database, July 28, 2014,www.imdb.com/title/tt0100192/fullcredits#cast, ZZ Top made further appearances, including the “Gumby with a Pokey” episode of Two and a Half Men in 2010WEB, “Two and a Half Men” Gumby with a Pokey (2010) – Full Cast & Crew, Internet Movie Database, July 28, 2014,www.imdb.com/title/tt1646007/fullcredits#cast, and the “Hank Gets Dusted” episode of King of the Hill in 2007.WEB, “King of the Hill” Hank Gets Dusted (TV episode 2007), 2007, Internet Movie Database, July 28, 2014,www.imdb.com/title/tt0995437/, The band also guest hosted an episode of WWE Raw.WEB, WWF Raw Is War – Episode dated 20 July 2009, Internet Movie Database, 2009, July 28, 2014,www.imdb.com/title/tt0995437/, Billy Gibbons had a recurring role as the father of Angela Montenegro in the television show Bones; though the character is never named, it is strongly implied that Gibbons is playing himself.WEB, Sean, Axmaster, The Love Story of Bones’ Booth and Brennan in 12 Episodes, Vulture.com, March 28, 2017, April 22, 2017,www.vulture.com/2017/03/bones-booth-brennan-love-story-primer.html, Their song “Sharp Dressed Man” was one of the theme songs used for the television show Duck Dynasty, and on the series finale of the show they appeared with Si Robertson as a vocalist to perform the song on stage during Robertson’s retirement party.WEB, Legendary Rock Band Makes Surprise Appearance on Final Episode of ‘Duck Dynasty’, Country Rebel, March 30, 2017, April 22, 2017,countryrebel.com/blogs/videos/legendary-rock-group-makes-surprise-appearance-on-final-episode-of-duck-dynasty, Black Dahlia Films, led by Jamie Burton Chamberlin, of Seattle and Los Angeles, has contributed documentaries and back line screen work (the footage on back screens during live shows) and has become an integral part of the band’s film-making.WEB, Black Dahlia Films + Seattle, WA, Blackdahliafilms.com, February 22, 2015,www.blackdahliafilms.com/releases.html,www.blackdahliafilms.com/releases.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20150204061921www.blackdahliafilms.com/releases.html,">web.archive.org/web/20150204061921www.blackdahliafilms.com/releases.html, February 4, 2015, NEWS, New ZZ Top tour features West Seattle talent, West Seattle Herald, September 7, 2012, February 22, 2015,www.westseattleherald.com/2012/07/09/features/new-zz-top-tour-features-west-seattle-talent, In November 2020, it was announced that the 2019 Netflix documentary That Little Ol’ Band from Texas was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Music Film with the award ceremony scheduled for March 2021.WEB, Category 84: Best Music Film, The Recording Academy, 53, November 20, 2020, November 30, 2020,www.grammy.com/sites/com/files/63rdpresslist_nov_20_2020.pdf,

Awards and achievements

ZZ Top’s music videos won multiple VMA awards during the 1980s, topping the categories of Best Group Video, Best Direction, and Best Art Direction for “Legs”, “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Rough Boy”, respectively.WEB, 1986 Video Music Awards, MTV, December 19, 2010,www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/1986/, Among high honors for ZZ Top have been induction into Hollywood’s RockWalk in 1994,WEB, Hollywood’s RockWalk – ZZ Top, 2007, Guitar Center, December 19, 2010,www.rockwalk.com/inductees/inductee.cfm?id=150, March 4, 2016,rockwalk.com/inductees/inductee.cfm?id=150," title="web.archive.org/web/20160304212051rockwalk.com/inductees/inductee.cfm?id=150,">web.archive.org/web/20160304212051rockwalk.com/inductees/inductee.cfm?id=150, dead, the Texas House of Representatives naming them “Official Heroes for the State of Texas”,NEWS, David, Yonke, ZZ Top: Rocking hard since ‘69, The Blade (Toledo, Ohio), Toledo Blade, September 9, 2009, December 18, 2010,www.deltabluesmuseum.org/high/press_090907.asp, a declaration of “ZZ Top Day” in Texas by then-governor Ann Richards on May 4, 1991,PRESS RELEASE, Member News Releases, Texas House of Representatives, September 29, 2005, December 18, 2010,www.house.state.tx.us/news/press-releases/print/?id=1468,www.house.state.tx.us/news/press-releases/print/?id=1468," title="web.archive.org/web/20110220113934www.house.state.tx.us/news/press-releases/print/?id=1468,">web.archive.org/web/20110220113934www.house.state.tx.us/news/press-releases/print/?id=1468, dead, February 20, 2011, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. They were also given commemorative rings by actor Billy Bob Thornton from the VH1 Rock Honors in 2007.ZZ Top has also achieved several chart and album sales feats, including six number-one singles on the Mainstream Rock chart. From the RIAA, ZZ Top has earned four gold, three platinum and two multiple-platinum album certifications, and one diamond album.

See also

• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{reflist}}

Bibliography

• BOOK, David, Thomas, Dave Thompson (author), 1985, Elimination – The ZZ Top Story, London, Omnibus Press, 0711907188,

External links

• {{Official website}}
• {{Curlie|Arts/Music/Bands_and_Artists/Z/ZZ_Top/}}
• {{Rockhall}}

{{ZZ Top|state=expanded}}{{2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}{{sister bar|d=Q136591|auto=1}}{{Authority control}}