Next up we have I Gotsta Get Paid, a revamp of DJ DMD’s 1989 rap hit “25 Lighters” (which, fun fact, is Houston slang for taking a lighter apart and stuffing its innards with crack). Johnson may or may not have sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads but going by fan’s reaction to this 3.09-minute masterpiece, ZZ Top may well have.
In at number 20 we have Dust My Broom, an updated version of I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom by the blues legend Robert Johnson. The one thing we do know for certain is that you’re guaranteed to find at least a few of your favorites in this round-up of the 20 all-time best ZZ Top songs. In 2004, their contribution to music was given the recognition it deserved when Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones inducted them into the Rock and Roll of Fame as grand an honor this was, whether it not it competes with having one of their singles(“Flyin’ High, in case you didn’t know) debut in space being named “Official Heroes for the State of Texas” by the Texas House of Representatives being presented with commemorative rings by Billy Bob Thornton at the VH1 Rock Honors or having Paula Abdul choreograph their music video to “Velcro Fly”, who knows. Their success continued all the way through the 1980s and 1990s, with albums such as Eliminator and Afterburner racking up phenomenal records sales. After signing to London Records, they began pumping out hit after hit, quickly gaining a reputation for their bawdy lyrics, distorted guitar sounds, and humorous videos. They first joined forces (albeit with a slightly different line up) in 1969, with their debut single, Salt Lick, coming out that same year. Hailed by fans and critics alike as being some of the finest roots musicians around, ZZ Top has managed to bridge the divide between commercial success and critical acclaim to spectacular effect. Nevertheless, the undeniable highlights are the two tracks featuring cameos from Jeff Beck: he contributes lyrical solos to "Rough Boy" and helps with the heavy-footed boogie of "Sixteen Tons," pushing the trio just far enough out of its comfort zone to provide some crackle.The collective of vocalist/guitarist Billy Gibbons, bassist/vocalist Dusty Hill, and drummer Frank Beard has been showing what three men with a passion for rhythm (and a fine line in beards) can do for over 50 years. Older, the Lil' Ol' Band from Texas sounds thicker and heavier - and Billy Gibbons' growl is so gruff it seems tattered - but that helps distinguish these versions from the spit and polish of the studio versions not better, per se, but certainly the work of a band whose members happily settle into their advanced years, not wishing to change a thing about how they do things. During the 2000s and 2010s, ZZ Top released an excellent studio album called La Futura, but that's ignored here in favor for all the songs that are classic rock staples. There is no visual component to Live: Greatest Hits from Around the World, which may be how it skates around the first live album distinction - if there's no video, this is a pure album - but the record mines a similar musical vein, collecting highlights from latter-day ZZ Top tours. Assembled from various shows from various tours from around the world, 2016's Live: Greatest Hits from Around the World is billed as ZZ Top's first "full-length live album" - a matter of dispute considering how Eagle Rock released three CD/DVD/Blu-ray combo sets between 20.