According to that infallible source Wikipedia, ZZ Top created its signature sound during its first decade, 1973-1982. Let’s use 1978 as our half-way mark thorough that decade and do a little arithmetic.
In 1978 I was a 19 year old undergraduate.
2014 – 1978 = 36
1978 – 36 = 1942
Somewhere I have a crappy old book (or maybe two) listing top ten songs, popular bands and singers, and so on from years gone by. I’ll see if I’m able to find out who was marching in the hit parade in 1942.
That was the #1 song in 1942. Other top-selling bands/artists include such rocking names as Glen Miller, Woody Herman, and Jimmy Dorsey along with their respective orchestras.
I did find the book I was looking for– The Encyclopedia of American History (1965) which I’ve written about, it’s a great book. It put me on the trail of White Christmas which I’ve written about. Wikipedia confirmed the song’s status for ’42.
So to recap…
ZZ Top : undergraduates in 2014 = Bing Crosby : undergraduates in 1978
I don’t know what to say other than go see ZZ Top in concert at Mississippi State University October 30th.
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