10 Best American Classic Rock Bands Of All Time

10. ZZ Top

At the tail end of the 1960's, many rock fans were still immersed in the psychedelic haze. Out of all the trippy music to come from places like San Francisco, something a bit more organic was festering out of Texas.

Starting out as a psych-rock act called The Moving Sidewalks, ZZ Top quickly abandoned their more mind-expanding vision and created some of the most earthy blues rock that had ever been produced. The grooves that were laid down on tracks like "Tush" and "La Grange" could always get any rock audience moving. Though the group is known best as a collective, the undisputed star is Billy Gibbons, who uses his Les Paul to create some of the tastiest blues licks that would leave any guitarist itching to play.

That didn't necessarily mean the band was a one-trick pony either. As the band made their way through the video era, they quickly adapted to the 80's look with bright synths and some of the most luscious beards that have ever been achieved in the rock scene. There were certainly many musicians looking to use their music as an escape from their everyday life, but ZZ Top were the blues masters who taught every self-respecting rocker how to boogie.