It seems odd to say that a band that has sold more than fifty million records might be underrated, but then again, most bands aren’t like ZZ Top. Founded in 1969, they’ve enjoyed more than half a century of success, and they’re still going strong. Though founding member Dusty Hill passed away in 2021, the core spirit that defined the band continues to live on, and anyone who doubts that can go see them live in concert and find out for themselves.
Despite their success, it can feel as if the Texan band doesn’t quite get the respect they deserve. By all rights, they should be spoken about as one of the all-time great bands, yet they’re not. Below, we’ll take a look at just some of the reasons why ZZ Top should be talked about more frequently than they are.
They Were a Uniting Force
Most bands of yesteryear could firmly be placed in one category. It made it easier for fans to identify with. In ZZ Top’s era, most Texans were fans of either rock music or country music. It was rare that someone would like both, or at least like both equally.
ZZ Top upended conventions by being equally popular with rock fans and country music lovers. And when you listen to their songs, you’ll understand why. There are plenty of country music elements in there, yet they bring all the thunder associated with rock music too.
They’ve Got a Fantastic Discography
Not many bands make it to their fiftieth birthday. It’s an achievement that speaks for itself; you simply must have something that fans love.
And ZZ Top have got a lot of them. They’ve released fifteen studio albums during their career, and in truth, the vast majority of them are solid gold. The standout has to be Tres Hombres from 1973, which perfectly encapsulates what the band is all about and made them an icon of the seventies. Deguello from 1979 and Eliminator from 1983 are also classics.
Not that you have to fly back decades to find a ZZ Top song worth listening to. Their last release, 2012’s Futura, was good enough that fans would enjoy listening to it.
They Don’t Take Themselves Too Seriously
Most bands that make it big — and ZZ Top definitely made it big — tend to end up taking themselves too seriously. As such, they can become a little less fun; no one likes it when a band acts too superior, after all. ZZ Top has shown that, while they’re serious musicians, they also have a strong sense of fun. ZZ Top Roadside Riches, one of the most popular music-related online slots of the past few years, showed that they’re more than happy to branch out into other avenues, as did their appearance in Back to the Future.
They also appeared in a number of comedy TV shows, including King of the Hill and Two And a Half Men. Ultimately, this band was all about having fun — and we’re all the luckier for it.
Other Musicians Appreciated Their Talent
ZZ Top shouldn’t have been widely accepted by music critics, purely on the basis that most bands that look like ZZ Top tend to be overlooked by the music establishment. Yet in fact, ZZ Top’s discography is generally very well regarded by critics — and, perhaps most importantly of all, by fellow musicians. Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, an expert musician if there ever was one, said that ZZ Top was “the heartbeat of rock and roll,” which really says something.
Some People Only See The Look
Finally, perhaps the real reason that ZZ Top is underrated is that they look so outrageous. A true Texan band, their aesthetics drove interest in them but may have also caused many casual viewers to think they were a gimmick. Well, we’re here to say that they are not — once you listen to them, you’ll find that their musical prowess was very much intact.