ZZ Top

ZZ Top
ZZ Top (l-r: Dusty Hill, Frank Beard, Billy Gibbons) at St. Augustine Amphitheatre in St. Augustine, Florida, May 2008
Background information
Origin	Houston, Texas, United States
Genres	Blues rock boogie rock hard rock
Years active	1969–present
Labels	American RCA Warner Bros. London
Associated acts	Moving Sidewalks American Blues
Website	zztop.com
Members	Billy Gibbons Frank Beard Dusty Hill
Past members	Lanier Greig Dan Mitchell Billy Ethridge

ZZ Top /ˈziːziːtɒp/ is a rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. Current members are bassist and lead vocalist Dusty Hill, guitarist and lead vocalist Billy Gibbons (the band's leader, main lyricist and musical arranger), and drummer Frank Beard. One of just a few major label recording groups with the same lineup for more than 45 years, critics and fellow musicians praise ZZ Top for its technical mastery. "As genuine roots musicians, they have few peers," according to former musician, critic and collector Michael "Cub" Coda. "Gibbons is one of America's finest blues guitarists working in the arena rock idiom [...] while Hill and Beard provide the ultimate rhythm section support."

The band released its first album—called ZZ Top's First Album—in 1971. Beginning with blues-inspired rock, the band incorporated new wave, punk rock and dance-rock by using synthesizers. The band is also known for its humorous lyrics laced with double entendres and innuendo.

The band's top-selling album was the 1983 Eliminator, which sold more than 10 million copies in the United States. Total record sales of 25 million place ZZ Top among the top-100-selling artists in the United States, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. That includes 11 gold, seven platinum and three multi-platinum records as of 2016, according to the RIAA.