10 Best ZZ Top Songs Picked By 10 Of The World’s Best Guitarist
ZZ Top live from Gruene Hall - Eagle Rock / Youtube
Everyone has a favorite ZZ Top song. Aside from their matching outfits, long beards, and charming personalities, they are among the few bands who defined a certain era of rock that will forever be embedded in the annals of our history.
In an interview from Classic Rock, fifteen guitarists managed to scour down their favorite ZZ Top tune. Below, we’ll highlight only 10 of these guitarists’ thoughts and show them to you. Enjoy!
Warren Haynes: “Blue Jean Blues”
Warren Haynes mentioned “Blue Jean Blues” as his pick for a ZZ Top tune: “Aside from being a really cool song, ‘Blue Jean Blues’ is the ultimate example of Billy Gibbons’ s guitar playing.”
Steve Vai: “Cheap Sunglasses”
Steve Vai discusses “Cheap Sunglasses” as his favorite. “The atmosphere of the song just makes you feel cool,” he added.
John Petrucci: “La Grange”
Petrucci mentioned how he fell in love with the song the moment he first heard it. He complimented the skills of Billy Gibbons and said that he frequently jams with this song among his friends.
Peter Frampton: “Jesus Just Left Chicago”
Frampton said that he has a lot of ZZ Top favorites, but, “Jesus Just Left Chicago” from Tres Hombres reminds him of the time he first saw the band play.
Paul Jackson from Blackberry Smoke: “Just Got Back From Baby’s”
“Just Got Back From Baby’s, because it’s just straight-up nasty blues done to perfection,” Paul explained.
Paul Gilbert: “Heard It On The X”
Gilbert had some experiences on ZZ Top’s “Heard It On The X” way back from his teenage years. “I love the trade-off vocals, the proto-‘Hot For Teacher’ rhythm guitar lick and twangy chromatic line,” he said.
Nils Lofgren: “Legs”
“I’ve always loved Legs,” Nils Lofgren expressed. He praised the driving-train groove of the song, the funky lead, and everything in between those wonderful moments.
Joe Satriani: “Loaded”
Joe Satriani mentions that everyone would pick “La Grange” but not him. He mentions that the most WTF Billy Gibbons’ guitar sound is “Loaded.” “Only the Rev. Billy Gibbons could dream up, figure out how to record, and make that beautifully broken guitar sound work. Pure genius,” he later added.
Jimmy Vaughan: “Lowdown In The Street”
It’s “Lowdown In The Street” that Vaughan is amused. He said he loves how Gibbons was kind enough to give him a shout-out on this wondrous track.
Dave Davies: “Sharp Dressed Man”
Dave Davies from The Kinks picked the ZZ Top’s classic “Sharp Dressed Man” as his favorite. “I really like the guitar tone and attitude,” he expressed.
