ZZ Top thrives on the live stage, where they truly feel at home. With a staggering history of touring that dates back to 1969, the iconic rock band has consistently mesmerized audiences across the globe. Despite their relentless touring schedule, they have still managed to release an impressive 15 studio albums. As of now, ZZ Top is actively touring, with performances lined up in various locations worldwide, captivating fans in every corner of the globe.

Billy Gibbons, the band’s charismatic frontman, reflected on their early days in an interview with MusicRadar in 2016, stating, “Going back to the early days, playing live for us, that was the warm-up fields. Not only did it get warm, we aimed for it to get hot.” This sentiment captures the essence of their electrifying performances, which have consistently drawn rock enthusiasts of all ages. Utilizing data from setlist.fm, we’ve analyzed their extensive set lists to reveal the most and least played songs from every studio album, providing insights into their dynamic musical journey.

For those songs that have graced their live performances, here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the most and least played tracks from each album.

Album: ZZ Top’s First Album (1971)
Most-played: “Brown Sugar”
Least-played: “Old Man”

When ZZ Top entered Robin Hood Studios in Tyler, Texas, during the fall of 1970, uncertainty loomed over their future. Gibbons shared with MusicRadar in 2013, “We weren’t certain if we’d get another chance in the studio, but we had high hopes.” Thankfully, they secured numerous opportunities, and their inaugural studio effort was nothing short of impressive. “Brown Sugar” emerged as the standout track, boasting an incredible 480 live performances. Interestingly, several songs from ZZ Top’s First Album have never made it to the stage, including “Squank” and “Bedroom Thang,” leaving “Old Man” as the next least-played track, with just one performance recorded in 1974.

Album: Rio Grande Mud (1972)
Most-played: “Just Got Paid”
Least-played: “Mushmouth Shoutin'”

From the 1972 album Rio Grande Mud, two tracks have been notably absent from live performances: “Apologies to Pearly” and “Sure Got Cold After the Rain Fell.” The latter is an instrumental, so it gets a pass. In contrast, “Mushmouth Shoutin’” has only been performed once in July 1974, while “Just Got Paid” boasts a remarkable 1,049 live renditions. Gibbons reminisced in his 2020 book Rock + Roll Gearhead, “We were gigging 350-odd days a year with some really wicked headliners,” highlighting how their onstage prowess evolved during that period.

Album: Tres Hombres (1973)
Most-played: “La Grange”
Least-played: Tie Between “Have You Heard?” and “Hot, Blue and Righteous”

The iconic riff from “La Grange” is not only a hallmark of the band’s sound but also the most-played song from Tres Hombres and in ZZ Top’s entire catalog. Gibbons shared with Rolling Stone in 2015, “The simplicity of that song was part of the magic — only two chords.” He further explained how the solo’s notes are inspired by Robert Johnson’s shuffle style. While “Shiek” is the only track from this album that has never been played live, a tie exists for the next least-played songs, “Have You Heard?” and “Hot, Blue and Righteous,” adding another layer of intrigue to their performance history.

Album: Fandango! (1975)
Most-played: “Tush”
Least-played: “Balinese”

According to setlist.fm data, “Long Distance Boogie,” a John Lee Hooker cover, shows as the least-played song from Fandango!. However, due to its inclusion in the “Backdoor Medley,” which ZZ Top performed 30 times, we designate “Balinese,” with only 25 performances, as the official least-played track. At the forefront is the beloved “Tush,” a classic hit that achieved No. 20 on the charts and remains a fan favorite.

Album: Tejas (1976)
Most-played: “Arrested for Driving While Blind”
Least-played: Tie Between “Asleep in the Desert” and “Avalon Hideaway”

Despite being an instrumental, “Asleep in the Desert” secured one performance in September 1980, tying it with “Avalon Hideaway,” which received its sole live rendition in October 1981. Notably, “Snappy Kakkie” is the only song from Tejas that has yet to be performed live. Leading the pack is “Arrested for Driving While Blind,” with 177 performances. Gibbons reflected on this album, stating, “It’s fair to say that this is a transitional record,” highlighting the evolution of their sound during this period.

Album: Deguello (1979)
Most-played: “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide”
Least-played: “Lowdown in the Street”

It appears that ZZ Top’s live performances have unintentionally overlooked certain tracks, as “Esther Be the One” from Deguello has never been played live. “Lowdown in the Street,” with 20 performances, claims the title of least-played track, while “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide” shines with an impressive 1,320 live renditions. Gibbons recounted the inspiration for the latter, revealing, “He and I stumbled out of the Vulcan Gas Company, a nightclub in Austin. We’d just seen Freddie King,” which led to the catchy phrase that stuck with him.

Album: El Loco (1981)
Most-played: “Tube Snake Boogie”
Least-played: Tie Between “Don’t Tease Me” and “I Wanna Drive You Home”

With El Loco, ZZ Top ventured into the realm of synthesizers, marking a significant shift in their musical style. Gibbons noted, “Linden [Hudson, who plays synths on the album but was left uncredited] had no fear and was eager to experiment in ways that would frighten most bands.” This exploration led to the creation of various tracks, yet “Leila” and “It’s So Hard” remain unperformed. “Tube Snake Boogie” has garnered 864 performances, while both “Don’t Tease Me” and “I Wanna Drive You Home” have been played just nine times each.

Album: Eliminator (1983)
Most-played: “Sharp Dressed Man”
Least-played: “Bad Girl”

Among all of ZZ Top’s albums, 1983’s Eliminator stands out as their most commercially successful release, featuring not just one or two hit singles, but a total of four. However, three tracks from this album—”Thug,” “Dirty Dog,” and “If I Could Only Flag Her Down”—have never been performed live. “Bad Girl” follows closely as the least-played track with only three performances, while “Sharp Dressed Man” leads the charge with an astounding 1,706 plays, making it the fourth most-performed song in ZZ Top’s entire repertoire.

Album: Afterburner (1985)
Most-played: “Rough Boy”
Least-played: “Delirious”

Fans of tracks like “Woke Up with Wood,” “I Got the Message,” and “Dipping Low (In the Lap of Luxury)” from the 1985 album Afterburner have yet to hear these songs live. “Delirious” takes the title for least-played with 17 performances, most of which occurred in 2011. Meanwhile, “Rough Boy” stands tall with 295 live renditions. Hill once shared with The Oklahoman in 2007 that he loved this song so much that he had it played at his wedding, showcasing the personal connection many fans have with their music.

Album: Recycler (1990)
Most-played: “My Head’s in Mississippi”
Least-played: “Penthouse Eyes”

With Recycler, ZZ Top began to shift back towards a more organic sound, moving away from the polished synthesizer style of previous albums. Gibbons referred to Recycler as “our Tres Hombres/Eliminator album.” The least-played track, “Penthouse Eyes,” has only three live performances, while “My Head’s in Mississippi” shines as the most-played, with an impressive 965 performances, demonstrating the band’s ability to blend new influences with their classic sound.

Album: Antenna (1994)
Most-played: “Pincushion”
Least-played: “Cover Your Rig”

The 1994 album Antenna features four songs that remain unperformed live, but most hover around 50 performances. However, “Cover Your Rig” is an outlier, managing only two performances in 1994. On the other hand, “Pincushion” has amassed 945 performances. Interestingly, “Cover Your Rig” played a pivotal role in shaping the album’s direction, as Gibbons noted, “after we did that we saw the direction to take,” emphasizing its significance in their creative process.

Album: Rhythmeen (1996)
Most-played: “Vincent Price Blues”
Least-played: Tie Between “Black Fly,” “Hairdresser,” and “Zipper Job”

The album Rhythmeen marks the final collaboration between ZZ Top and their longtime producer Bill Ham. Interestingly, the last four tracks of the album have never been performed live, including “My Mind Is Gone,” “Loaded,” “Prettyhead,” and “Humbucking, Pt. 2.” Meanwhile, “Vincent Price Blues” stands out as the most-played song, with only 129 performances, a modest count compared to other tracks in their catalog, illustrating the album’s unique position in their discography.

Album: XXX (1999)
Most-played: “Fearless Boogie”
Least-played: “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear” by Elvis Presley

In 2015, UCR characterized ZZ Top’s 1999 release XXX as “a wrongly overlooked, dirty little comet of an album.” While it neither wildly impressed nor disappointed, the album’s uniqueness was noted by The Austin Chronicle, which described it as “the 1999 model: millennium blues — slick, steely, modern.” Few songs from this album have made it to the live stage, with the cover of Elvis Presley’s “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear” at the bottom of the list, having only nine performances. The most-played song, “Fearless Boogie,” has a modest yet notable count of 37 performances.

Album: Mescalero (2003)
Most-played: “Buck Nekkid”
Least-played: “Piece”

It might sound surprising, but only two songs from the 2003 album Mescalero have ever been played live: “Buck Nekkid” and “Piece.” Consequently, they hold the titles for most and least played tracks from the album, respectively. If you’re a fan of ZZ Top songs featuring Hill on lead vocals, “Piece” is a gem you won’t want to miss.

Album: La Futura (2012)
Most-played: “I Gotsta Get Paid”
Least-played: “Heartache in Blue”

Creating an album with Rick Rubin is almost a rite of passage in rock ‘n’ roll, and ZZ Top’s turn came with 2012’s La Futura. Gibbons recalled, “When we got together with Rick Rubin, he said, ‘My idea of ZZ Top is three guys playing together at the same time with the red light turned on,'” a concept that resonated perfectly with the band. Out of the album’s ten tracks, only four have seen live performances: “I Gotsta Get Paid” (865 plays), “Chartreuse” (406), “Flyin’ High” (227), and “Heartache in Blue” (42).