Album · Compilation
The Best of ZZ Top
The Best of ZZ Top is a compilation from the Texas trio, released on 26 November 1977 on London Records. It gathers material recorded between 1971 and 1975, and it leaves out anything from Tejas, the album they had put out the year before. The full title adds the line "10 Legendary Texas Tales", which tells you how the band chose to present it.
It arrived in the gap between Tejas and Degüello, so it works as a snapshot of the group's early years, before the sound that carried them through the 1980s with Eliminator. If you want to hear how ZZ Top built their blues rock and boogie foundations across their first run of records, from their debut through to Fandango!, this is a compact way in.
The Best of ZZ Top: tracklist, credits and charts
10 tracks · 34:21Tracklist
- 1TushBeard, Gibbons, Hill2:14
- 2Waitin’ for the BusBilly Gibbons and Dusty Hill2:59
- 3Jesus Just Left ChicagoBeard, Gibbons, Hill3:29
- 4FrancineCordray, Gibbons, Perron3:33
- 5Just Got PaidBeard, Gibbons, Ham4:27
- 6La GrangeBeard, Gibbons, Hill3:51
- 7Blue Jean BluesBeard, Gibbons, Hill4:42
- 8Backdoor Love AffairBilly Gibbons and Bill Ham3:20
- 9Beer Drinkers and Hell RaisersBeard, Gibbons, Hill3:23
- 10Heard It on the XBeard, Gibbons, Hill2:23
- Produced by
- Bill Ham
- Recorded at
- Ardent Studios, Robin Hood Studios, Brian studios
- Recorded
- 1970–1975
- Mixed by
- Terry Manning
- Engineered by
- Terry Manning, Robin Hood Brians, Robin Gibb, Terry Kane, Bob Ludwig, Jim Reeves
- Artwork
- Lucy Kleps, Phil Garner, John Kosh
- Label
- London Records
- Length
- 34:21
Line-up
- Frank Beard · drums (drum set), membranophone, percussion
- Billy Gibbons · electric guitar, guitar, lead vocals, slide guitar
- Dusty Hill · bass guitar, lead vocals, bass, background vocals
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1977 | 94 |
| Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ) · 2024 | 17 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1984 | 44 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia · 1987 | Gold |
| United States · 1994 | 2× Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
35.6
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
4
ListenBrainz listeners
34k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
—
Deezer fans (all editions)
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More from ZZ Top
Full discography →
ZZ Top’s First Album
1971
Rio Grande Mud
1972
Tres hombres
1973
La Grange
1974
Fandango!
1975
Tejas
1976
Degüello
1979
El loco
1981
Eliminator
1983
The ZZ Top Summer Holiday E.P.
1985
Afterburner
1985
The ZZ Top Sixpack
1987
ZZ Top Club 1987
Club
1987
Recycler
1990
Greatest Hits
1992
Antenna
1994
One Foot in the Blues
1994
Rhythmeen
1996
XXX
1999
Mescalero
2003
Chrome, Smoke & BBQ
2003
Rancho Texicano: The Very Best of ZZ Top
2004
Hi‐Five: ZZ Top
2005
Live From Texas
2008
Texicali
2012
La futura
2012
Live! Greatest Hits From Around the World
2016
The best of 1977
All of 1977 →
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac · 1977
Animals
Pink Floyd · 1977
Let There Be Rock
AC/DC · 1977
News of the World
Queen · 1977
Sin After Sin
Judas Priest · 1977
Draw the Line
Aerosmith · 1977
Motörhead
Motörhead · 1977
Love You Live
The Rolling Stones · 1977
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones · 1977
Queen’s First E.P.
Queen · 1977
The Best of Judas Priest
Judas Priest · 1977
More on London Records
The label →
Aftermath
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Sympathy for the Devil
The Rolling Stones · 1969
The Rolling Stones – Vol. 3
The Rolling Stones · 1968
Route 66
The Rolling Stones · 1965
Mother’s Little Helper
The Rolling Stones · 1966
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
The Rolling Stones · 1968
The Rolling Stones – Vol. 4
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The Rolling Stones – Vol. 5
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 1977 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 26 November 1977 | |
| Wikidata | 26 November 1977 | |
| US release | 1977 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 1977 | earliest UK or European date |
13 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | US | Lone Wolf Productions | other | |
| — | US | Warner Bros. Records | 075992738422 | other |
| — | US | Warner Bros. Records | 0208312796220 | other |
| — | XE | Warner Bros. Records | other | |
| — | XE | Warner Bros. Records | 075992738323 | other |
| — | DE | Warner Bros. Records | other | |
| 1977 | US | London Records | original | |
| 1977 | PT | Warner Bros. Records | original | |
| 1977 | GB | Warner Bros. Records | original | |
| 4 October 1978 | US | Warner Bros. Records | other | |
| 1984 | XE | Warner Bros. Records | other | |
| 21 December 1986 | JP | Warner Bros. Records | 4988014310833 | other |
| 1990 | XE | Warner Bros. Records | 075992738422 | other |
Cover art sources
fanarttv · upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| fanarttv ✓ | 1000×1000 | upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50) |
| coverartarchive | 599×602 | upscaled |