Diamond Status: ZZ Top, ELIMINATOR

22 years ago today, the members of ZZ Top officially became the proud owners of a diamond certification for their 1983 album ELIMINATOR.

By the time Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard had gone diamond with their eighth studio album, they’d already earned no end of acclaim for their efforts: ELIMINATOR seemed to be filled from top to bottom with hit singles. Three of those singles hit the Billboard Hot 100 – “Gimme All Your Lovin’” (#37), “Sharp Dressed Man” (#56), and “Legs” (8) – and they also climbed to respectable spots on the Mainstream Rock chart as well, along with “Got Me Under Pressure” and “TV Dinners.”

In other words, it was hardly a surprise to find that the album had the requisite 10 million copies to earn the band the much-vaunted diamond certification.

For as much success as ZZ Top achieved both before and after releasing ELIMINATOR, there’s no question that it’s ELIMINATOR that remains their signature LP. If you haven’t taken it for a spin lately, there’s no time like the present, because it still holds up.