I POLLed It On The ILX! - ILM Artist Poll #110 - ZZ Top - Results Thread

fuck yeah

nice to get a late career track on here

they should've covered more texas rap tracks. would die to hear billy gibbons croak out "ridin dirty"

...or "Wanna Be A Baller"!

BTW, DJ DMD eventually went Born-Again, and this happened...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4X4NtcIzoA

yeah the idea was just sitting right there.

he should do an album with devin the dude

I probably would have voted for this if I had a few more slots, it shows how much their latter-day songs could benefit from actual memorable hooks.

https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/hbz-the-list-cowboy-boots-gettyimages-3241883-1502116131.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=480:*

17 (Tie). “It’s Only Love”
Tejas, 1976
132 Points (7 Votes)

The Track
Six Pack Version

driiives me craaaaaazayy

https://www.totalwine.com/dynamic/490x/media/sys_master/twmmedia/hcf/h79/13995640389662.png

16. “Brown Sugar”
ZZ Top’s First Album, 1971
142 Points (6 Votes, 1 #1)

The Track
Six Pack Version
Live 1997
Live From Gruene Hall 2019

I wonder why "It's Only Love" didn't appear on their 1977 Best of; it was actually their third highest-charting single up to that point. Possibly they already felt that Tejas was an outlier record?

brown sugar my #1

a perfect intro and drop

it's funny that "it's only love" (their "tumbling dice") places just ahead of "brown sugar" (which is not their "brown sugar")

*just behind

Love this song, the toughest removal from my ballot

https://medias.spotern.com/spots/w640/76/76106-1532336916.jpg

15. “Rough Boy”
Afterburner, 1985
155 Votes (7 Votes)

The Track
Live 1994
Billy W/Jeff Beck Live

155 Points, that is

this is the only afterburner song i return to. still didn't vote for it tho

I'm still disappointed that Billy never does tell us why he's a rough boy (unless the guitar solo is his explanation).

https://img.discogs.com/Sm0X8Lzayc-OAt-JxwxCvSsKw9Q=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4888073-1497827205-6124.jpeg.jpg

14. “I Thank You”
Degüello, 1979
163 Points (7 Votes)

The Track
Live 1979
Live On The Test 1980
Live In Germany 1980
Sam & Dave Original
Sam & Dave Live On Ed Sullivan 1969

a little late, but I had "I gotsta get paid" high on my ballot. i don't think 17 is wrong, but imho it's a top ten, kinda for the same reason I rated Eliminator so much higher than I planned to.

BFG has on the one hand stuck to a pretty narrow lane... but within that lane, even 40 years into a career and with nothing to prove he seems to never stop exploring or engaging with the broad landscape of pop. the riff is up there with his best, and fun as hell to play, and the "5 bixonic expandoras exploding at once" tone is epic af.

this isn't a great late career ZZ Top track; it's a great ZZ Top track.

"Rough Boy" made my ballot, but in retrospect I think I should have cut it for a more deserving track, maybe "I Gotsta Get Paid." It's okay, but not one of my favorites.

XP One of things that's great about it is that "25 Lighters"--lyrics aside--is actually a pretty breezy Hip Hop track, so Gibbons or Rubin or whomever gets the idea to present it ala "99 Problems".

It swags harder than basically all Nü Metal.

rough boy was my #1, it’s so great!

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-64x6GZg7pig/W-2KmvGLdTI/AAAAAAAAzi8/gdbkSXbCkywcd8aVYkXxOSmKKeX3f1ZjwCLcBGAs/s1600/15%2BSeco%2B2.jpg

13. “El Diablo”
Tejas, 1976
166 Points (7 Votes)

The Track
Six Pack Version
Live In Germany 1980

fucking love this song, especially the outro.

i love the way dusty's crude slap bass interacts gibbons' rippling arpeggios during those instrumental interludes.

and that weirdly frenetic 16th note shuffle that beard plays under the otherwise fairly laid-back piece.

Great point, beard's skittering really helps give the track an additional eeriness in a way I can't quite put a finger on

Love to see this track so high

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BBUxvfcVq68/TDZq1jKuntI/AAAAAAAABHg/4Yz6pcVq-Bk/s1600/zz.JPG

12. “Legs”
Eliminator, 1983
172 Points (8 Votes)

The Track
Single Mix
"Metal Mix"

https://barnfinds.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/1962-Mack-Front-View-630x473.jpg

11. “Master of Sparks”
Tres Hombres, 1973
179 Points (7 Votes, 1 #1)

The Track
Six Pack Version
Shinyribs Live Cover

...and that's it for today. Please enjoy this video of Billy Gibbons making guacamole.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9yvRv4Cazo

Rancho Texicano (my go-to ZZ Top if that hasn’t been apparent) includes both the original “Legs” and the dance mix, which seemed like a useless redundancy at first, but the remix I now realize is a sonic work of art.

"El Diablo" (my #7) and "Master of Sparks" (#1)! I love the minor-key ominous mood on both of these, the ethereal atmospheric guitars over the propulsive bottom that voodoo chili mentions. It helps that the lyrics are a little out of the ordinary as well, it makes the songs stand out.

are either of those canon zztop songs? seems like high placement but also pretty cool to see them this high

these BFG cooking ad/videos are so good thank you

Ikr? If they decide to slow down the touring he could totally carry a Food Network series.

idk if El Diablo is canon but it sure stood out on relistening, I wanna make a DJ edit of that outro

Don't know all the albums well enough to vote but Master of Sparks would have been my #1.

Recapping:

40 (Tie). “Enjoy And Get It On”
40 (Tie). “Sheik”
39. “Francine”
38. “Stages”
37. “HiFi Mama”
35 (Tie). “Mexican Blackbird”
35 (Tie). “Move Me On Down The Line”
34. “Arrested For Driving While Blind”
33. “Sure Got Cold After The Rain Fell”
32. “My Head’s In Mississippi”
31. “Blue Jean Blues”
30. “She Loves My Automobile”
29. “Asleep In The Desert”
28. “Ten Dollar Man”
27. “I Got The Six”
26. “Sleeping Bag”
25. “A Fool For Your Stockings”
24. “Nasty Dogs And Funky Kings”
23. “I Wanna Drive You Home”
22. “Pearl Necklace”
21. “Precious and Grace”
20. “Got Me Under Pressure”
19. “Tube Snake Boogie”
17 (Tie). “I Gotsta Get Paid”
17 (Tie). “It’s Only Love”
16. “Brown Sugar”
15. “Rough Boy”
14. “I Thank You”
13. “El Diablo”
12. “Legs”
11. “Master of Sparks”
10.?

https://alcalde.texasexes.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ZZtopBEST.jpg

10. “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers”
Tres Hombres, 1973
185 Points (8 Votes)

The Track
Six Pack Version
Live In Germany 1980
Motörhead Cover
Van Halen Live Cover

the top flirted with heaviness on tres hombres much more than they did on future albums. it's appropriate that motorhead covered this one, they didn't have to change much.

http://www.iamnotastalker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ScreenCap228.jpg

9. “Gimme All Your Lovin’”
Eliminator, 1983
202 Points (9 Votes)

The Track
Live On The Tube 1983
Live On Crossroads W/Brooks & Dunn

"Gimme All Your Lovin'" is one of the best "turn that sucker UP!" hits on classic rock radio for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozauyowDz3E

8. “Tush”
Fandango!, 1975
275 Points (10 Votes, 1 #1)

The Track
Six Pack Version
Live In Germany 1980
Live In 1982
Dazed and Confused Vandalism Scene
Joan Jett Cover
Roy Head Trio: "Tush Hog"

https://img.discogs.com/vAaEQO2Mwgj8aUe_xEwwaqSuOgw=/fit-in/500x486/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-3918085-1349187052-3372.jpeg.jpg

Pic sleeve is alltime. Song was my #2. There are 8 songs better than this?

my #1, easily

Sorry, 7 songs better? Math is hard...

https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/how-to-write-a-hard-rock-classic-in-five-minutes-billy-gibbons-tells-the-incredible-story-of-zz-tops-tush