ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons picks his 10 favourite songs
American rock band ZZ Top formed in the late 1960s in Texas, rising to acclaim due to their unique blues sound and look, which included the now-iconic lengthy beards of Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons. After the release of their debut album Tres Hombres, their acclaim and success only grew through the 1970s and 1980s, decades which saw them experiment with their sound.
Hailed by many within the music business, ZZ Top gained a number of accolades for their contributions to the genre, including an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and have sold around 50 million records. Their unique sound and fashion secured them a place in the history of rock music, and their influence endures to this day.
Guitarist Billy Gibbons was exposed to music from a young age, given that his father was in the entertainment industry, and he began playing guitar at age 13. At age five, his mother took him to see Elvis Presley. During an interview with Guitarist Magazine, he recalled: “When I was five years old, my mom took myself and my little sister out to see Elvis Presley live. I said, ‘Man, that’s what I wanna do!’”
He continues to detail the early influence of music in his childhood, sharing: “My dad was an entertainer. When I was seven years old, he said, ‘Listen, hop in the car. I wanna take you with me. I’ve got business to take care of at the recording studio’. So, between seeing Elvis Presley and BB King I thought, ‘Man, this is it. This is for me!’”
It’s no surprise, then, that Elvis makes the top ten tracks Billy Gibbons contributed to a Radio 2 show in 2016. He names the 1957 track ‘You’re So Square, Baby I Don’t Care’ from the film Jailhouse Rock (and EP of the same name) in his top ten.
While BB King doesn’t make the list, Gibbons does name several other blues-inspired tracks, including ‘When I Was Young’ by the Animals, The Yardbirds’ live version of ‘Stroll On’ (from the 1966 film Blowup) and Bo Diddley’s ‘Crackin’ Up.’ A number of rock and roll classics, unsurprisingly, also earn themselves a mention, including The Rolling Stones’ ‘Start Me Up’, Buddy Holly’s ‘Not Fade Away’, and The Ventures’ ‘Walk Don’t Run’.
But Gibbons also shouts out a couple of country artists, including ‘The Grand Tour’ by George Jones and ‘Candy Man’ by Roy Orbison. The most recent track included on Gibbons’ list is ‘Personal Jesus’ by Depeche Mode, which featured on their dark, synth-focused 1990 album Violater. This is also the most sonically divergent track on the list, perhaps reflecting Gibbon’s interest in synths and electronic drums, which came through in the later ZZ Top releases.
Gibbons’ top ten list reflects the genres and influences blended by ZZ Top throughout their discography, from blues to rock to synth-pop. It’s a playlist of guitar classics and artists who were pushing the boundaries of genre.
Check out the full list below.
Billy Gibbons’s 10 favourite songs:
- The Rolling Stones – ‘Start Me Up’
- George Jones – ‘The Grand Tour’
- Elvis Presley – ‘You’re So Square, Baby I Don’t Care’
- The Ventures – ‘Walk Don’t Run’
- Buddy Holly – ‘Not Fade Away’
- Depeche Mode – ‘Personal Jesus’
- The Animals – ‘When I Was Young’
- Roy Orbison – ‘Candy Man’
- Bo Diddley – ‘Crackin’ Up’
- Yardbirds – Stroll On (Live Version)
