ARTIST SPOTLIGHT = ZZ Top (3 songs)
This band formed in Houston TX in 1969 by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill & Frank Beard. It is 1 of a few major-label recording groups to have kept the same members for more than 40 years. Over the years, their musical style has changed, but the group is known for its strong blues roots.
#1
The band’s 1st Top 20 was 1973’s “La Grange”, which reached #18 in Australia. Their 1st Top 20 in the United States was 1975’s “Tush”, which peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Between 1976 & 1981, the band released 8 songs, only 1 of which notched in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40: 1980’s “I Thank You” (#34). Then, after releasing no new music in 1982, this song debuted in mid 1983 as the 1st single from their album ‘Eliminator’; it reached #37 on the Billboard Hot 100 & peaked in the Top 10 in Belgium (#9), Ireland (#9), Netherlands (#8 & #3) & England (#10).
#2
The band’s only 1984 single, this song was the 5th (& last) release from their 1983 album ‘Eliminator’; the video (which won the 1984 MTV Best Group Video Music Award) was the 3rd in a series of videos that introduced the now-iconic 1933 Ford. This song peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 (their 1st Top 10 there) & #3 on the Mainstream Rock chart (their 4th Top 10 there). Elsewhere, it peaked in the Top 10 in Australia (#6), Canada (#2 & #9) & New Zealand (#7). A parody version appeared in a 1984 episode of TV’s “St Elsewhere”, in which ZZ Top & the Eliminator girls appear.
#3
After success with 1985’s “Sleeping Bag” & 1985’s “Can’t Stop Rockin’”, this song was released in 1986 as the 3rd single from their 9th studio album ‘Afterburner’. It peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 & claimed #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart. Their only Top 10 in 1986 was “Rough Boy” (#5, Mainstream Rock chart). They released no new music 1987-1989, but scored 3 straight Mainstream Rock chart toppers in 1990: “Doubleback”, “Concrete & Steel” & “My Head’s In Mississippi”. 1991’s “Give It Up” stopped that streak, but peaked at #2. Their last chart topper was 1994’s “Pincushion”.