Band Battle, 1970's - ZZ-Top v.s. Sabbath

Which band gets your vote

  • ZZ-Top

    Votes: 11 40.7%
  • Black Sabbath

    Votes: 16 59.3%

  • Total voters
    27
  • Poll closed .

TVvoodoo

Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
Country flag
Floyd takes purple by three, but the AC/DC vs The Who contest is still very close, after being extended due
to what I thought was a tie at the end of 24 hours. that battle ends tomorrow morning, will it be tied again?
OMG I hope not LOL!

In fact, with 30 votes in, as of tonight, it is the single most voted for battle so far between this battle and the
battle of the hair bands we finished weeks ago. Amazing! Thank you to the lurkers coming in and having a voice.

There just are no good mechanics I can think of to break a tie, that won't break hearts.
It's heartbreaking enough to see your heroes fall to a perceived lesser band, by the hands of democracy, never
mind having the make the toughest choice of picking between two favorites.

so now we head to the right side of the ladder, for Black Sabbath vs ZZ Top.

tourney ladder .jpg

While I *** think *** I know how this will go, at this point my personal record in this game is abysmal. I don't care if I vote for the winners, for the
most part, I'm voting with my heart almost every time, and what I believe is the more musically moving group, both to me, and as a contribution
to rock music in general, though they aren't always the same. This contest for example, many might argue that one group had an ENORMOUS
affect on future musicians, basically grandfathering a whole new more specific branch of genres from a very blues-based origins, darkened over time.
The other outfit attained decent commercial success for years, but still would still not attain not biggest success during the 1968-1980 time period.
That group still, however, will likely be favoured by those with more traditional heavy blues tastes, a format they honed, but stayed closer to over the years.


 
Gotta go with Sabbath on this one, just too much OG mojo and legacy. I myself was really not a huge follower and can’t even say I remember even owning a Sabbath record. But they just have too much pedigree to overcome. As I already said once I do love me some ZZ but I must vote the other way.
 
With all due respect for ZZ Top; Black Sabbath's influence is incalculable. Literally, they birthed an entire genre that despite the pushback from certain people, has sustained for over 50 years and is still going strong. They are to metal what The Beatles were to rock.

Detuned guitars? Check. Tritones aka Diablous In Musica? Check. Unsettling themes and the idea that the world isn't one big sunshine, love fest? Check. They literally started all of this.

While ZZ Top is as tight of a band as you could imagine and I adore and respect them? This has to go to Black Sabbath. And since hard rock/metal has been absolutely $hit on during the entirety of this contest, even having having defeat snatched from the jaws of victory in a recent battle: if they don't progress? Then this is meritless.

Sorry folks, that's just the way it's got to be lol

 
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Black Sabbath has been credited with defining what heavy metal would become.
My go-to for when I want a little of the dark side.
The opening of Sweet Leaf is one of my favorite riffs to play with my SG through a cranked Marshall. :yesway:

But I'm more of a bluesy kinda hard rock guitar aficionado.
ZZ by a slim margin for me.
Because of tunes like this...
 
Sabbath.
ZZ Top is fantastic. Great blues based band.
Sabbath though essentially started (although with a few others, sort of) a new genre of music. Granddads of metal. The influence and library they have is beyond anything else in the 70s.
Slack Babbath!
 
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Alrighty....

When it comes to who I'd rather listen to, ZZ Top easily wins that contest. I'm not a Black Sabbath fan. I do like the song, Paranoid, though.

ZZ Top was instrumental in bringing Texas rock into the mainstream and was influential, in that sense. They made rock very fun and excitable. Party on the Patio is a great tune that doesn't get a lot of attention.

But, when it comes to who is more significant and influential...well, I gotta admit that credit goes to Sabbath.

That group has been the single most influential band in the development of heavy metal. Though Deep Purple is sometimes cited as providing some inspiration for metal, sort of a "proto-metal", if you will, Black Sabbath essentially birthed the genre.

Scores of bands credit Black Sabbath, including Christian metal bands. Even Michael Sweet of Stryper credits them for inspiration.

So, whether you like metal or not, and although both bands were very successful from 1968-1980, I really think the greater force here is Sabbath.

(NOTE: I mentioned Christian metal only as a point of context. DO NOT go off the rails and turn this into a religious discussion or argument.)
 
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