 
ZZ Top formed in 1969 in Texas with members Billy
Gibbons on guitar and lead vocals, Dusty Hill on bass
and vocals, and Frank Beard on drums. Gibbons first
became involved with a band called 'The Coachmen' in
the mid-60s which later became 'Moving Sidewalks.' By
1970, ZZ Top was formed with Gibbons, Lanier Grieg
and Dan Mitchell who were soon replaced with Hill and
Beard. ZZ Top has transcended decades in the music
industry with their mix of rock, boogie and blues -
while keeping their music fun and their trademarks
beards and sunglasses.
ZZ Top performed together for the first time live in
Texas.
ZZ Top released ZZ
Top's First Album.
ZZ Top released Rio
Grande Mud.
ZZ Top released Tres
Hombres.
The LP became the group's first commercial success
and hit the Billboard Top 10.
 Tres
Hombres
was certified gold.
ZZ Top performed in front of 80,000 fans for the 'ZZ
Top's First Annual Texas Size Rompin' Stompin'
Barndance & Bar B.Q."
The LP Fandango was released. The LP contained
live tracks and new songs.
Fandango was certified gold.
ZZ Top released Tejas.
Tejas was certified gold.
The
Best Of ZZ Top was released.
The
Best Of ZZ Top was certified gold.
ZZ Top released Deguello.
ZZ Top hit the Top 40 with "I Thank You."
Deguello was certified gold.
ZZ Top released El
Loco.
El
Loco was
certified gold.
ZZ Top released what would become their biggest LP - Eliminator.
ZZ Top hit the Top 40 with "Gimme All Your Lovin'."
 Eliminator was certified gold.
Eliminator was certified platinum.
 # 78
Singles Artist of the Year
ZZ Top were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Duo or Group (Eliminator).
Deguello was certified platinum.
ZZ Top hit the Top 40 with "Legs."
ZZ Top hit the Top 10 with "Legs."
The video for "Legs" won a MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video and the video for "Sharp
Dressed Man" won for Best Direction. ZZ Top videos were also nominated for Best Group Video and Best Editing ("Sharp Dressed Man"), Best Editing ("Legs"), and Best Direction ("Gimme All Your Lovin'".)
Eliminator was certified 4x platinum.
 # 85
Singles Artist of the Year
ZZ Top released Afterburner.
ZZ Top hit the Top 40 with "Sleeping Bag."
ZZ Top hit the Top 10 with "Sleeping Bag."
During the year, ZZ Top topped the Billboard
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart with "Sleeping Bag."
 # 38
Singles Artist of the Year
Afterburner was certified 2x platinum.
ZZ Top hit the Top 40 with "Stages."
ZZ Top hit the Top 40 with "Rough Boy."
Afterburner was certified 3x platinum.
ZZ Top hit the Top 40 with "Velcro Fly."
The video for "Rough Boy" won a MTV Video Music Award for Best
Art Direction,
and was nominated for Best Direction, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Most Experimental Video and Best Special Effects.
During the year, ZZ Top topped the Billboard
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart with "Stages."
ZZ Top released the box set Six
Pack.
ZZ Top were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Duo or Group (Afterburner).
Eliminator was certified 6x platinum.
ZZ Top released Recycler.
ZZ Top hit the Top 40 with "Doubleback."
ZZ Top had a cameo performance and appeared on the
soundtrack for Back
To Future III.
 Eliminator was certified 7x platinum
ZZ Top were nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best
Video from a Film ("Doubleback").
During the year, ZZ Top topped the Billboard
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart with "Doubleback" and "My Head's In
Mississippi."
 Recycler was certified platinum.
The governor of Texas, Ann Richards, declared it 'ZZ
Top Day' in Texas.
 ZZ
Top Greatest Hits was released. The set included 2 new
tracks: "Viva Las Vegas" and "Gun
Love."
ZZ
Top Greatest Hits was certified gold.
 ZZ
Top Greatest Hits was certified platinum.
ZZ Top released Antenna.
ZZ
Top Greatest Hits was certified 2x platinum.
Antenna was certified gold.
 Antenna was certified platinum.
The
Best Of ZZ Top was certified 2x platinum and Afterburner was certified 4x platinum.
ZZ Top released One
Foot In The Blues. The compilation set focused on the
band's blues tracks.
During the year, ZZ Top topped the Billboard
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart with
"Pincushion."
Eliminator was certified 8x platinum.
Eliminator was certified 10x platinum.
ZZ Top released Rhythmeen.
Afterburner was certified 5x platinum.
ZZ Top released XXX.
MTV: 100 Greatest
Videos Ever Made included "Gimme All Your Lovin'" at # 43.
Hill was diagnoses with Hepatitis C which resulted in
tour dates being cancelled.
ZZ
Top Greatest Hits was certified 3x platinum.
VH1: 100 Greatest Artists of
Hard Rock included ZZ Top at # 44.
 VH1: 100 Greatest Videos included "Legs" at # 96.
Gibbons was honored by the Cancer League for his
cancer fund raising efforts in Texas.
ZZ Top released Mescalero.
The box set Chrome,
Smoke & BBQ: The ZZ Top Box was released.
American Music Awards
Rolling Stone: The 500
Greatest Albums of All Time included Eliminator (1983) at # 396
and Tres
Hombres
(1973) at # 498.
ZZ top were inducted into the Rock
& Roll Hall of Fame.
Rancho
Texicano: The Very Best Of ZZ Top was released.
# 292 on the Top Pop Artists of the Past 25
Years
chart.
 |
ZZ
Top's First Album
Released: January, 1971
Tracks: "(Somebody Else Been) Shakin'
Your Tree" - "Brown Sugar" -
"Squank" - "Goin' Down To
Mexico" - "Old Man" -
"Neighbor, Neighbor" - "Certified
Blues" - "Bedroom Thang" -
"Just Got Back From Baby's" -
"Back Door Love Affair" |
|
Rio
Grande Mud
Released: April, 1972
Billboard peak: # 104
Tracks: "Francine" - "Just
Got Paid" - "Mustmouth Shout" -
"Ko Ko Blue" - "Chevrolet" -
"Apologies To Pearly" -
"Bar-B-Q" - "Sure Got Cold After
The Rain Fell" - "Whiskey'n Mama"
- "Down Brownie" |
|
Tres
Hombres
Released: July, 1973
US: Gold
Billboard peak: # 8
Tracks: "Waitin' For The Bus" -
"Jesus Just Left Chicago" - "Beer
Drinkers & Hell Raisers" - "Master
Of Sparks" - "Hot, Blue And
Righteous" - "Move Me On Down The
Line" - "Precious And Grace" -
"La Grange" - "Shiek" -
"Have You Heard?" |
|
Fandango
Released: April, 1975
US: Gold
Billboard peak: # 10
Tracks: "Thunderbird" -
"Jailhouse Rock" - "Backdoor
Medley: Backdoor Love Affair/Mellow Down
Easy/Backdoor Love Affair No. 2/Long Distance
Boogie" - "Nasty Dogs And Funky
Kings" - "Blue Jean Blues" -
"Balinese" - "Mexican
Blackbird" - "Heard It On The X" -
"Tush" |
| | 
