When you think about ZZ Top, the first thing that springs to mind is long, chest-length beards and zany stage antics. But that wasn’t always the case. During the band’s early days in the 1970s, they were more of just a ‘little act from Texas’, without the beards or the same vibe they cultivated in the 80s.

ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill tragically passed away in 2021, but before that, they had the same lineup for an unbroken fifty years, which, as rock bands go, is pretty much unheard of. This gallery takes a look at the earlier era of those fifty years, to a nostalgic time when ZZ Top were still kind of figuring out their aesthetic.

Check out these pics of ZZ Top rocking out, preferably while listening to some of their music.