As part of the 2018 hennemusic Rock News Awards, the daily news site is counting down the Top 10 Rock News Artists of the past year.
Finalists for the 9th annual hennemusic Rock News Awards are chosen by readers: the Rock News Story Of The Year is determined by page views, while the Rock News Artist Of The Year is based on the combined total page views of the top 50 hennemusic rock news stories of the past twelve months.
The 2018 hennemusic Rock News Awards winners will be announced on Thursday, December 27.
2018 Rock News Artist Of The Year – Top 10
10 – VAN HALEN
09 – SAMMY HAGAR
08 – FOO FIGHTERS
07 – GUNS N’ ROSES
06 – AEROSMITH
Rock News Artist of The Year No. 5 – ZZ TOP
ZZ Top began 2018 by announcing dates for a spring residency at The Venetian Theatre inside The Venetian Las Vegas; the six-show run in April would see the band return to the stage for the first time since postponing the final 18 dates of their 2017 Tonnage Tour last October following doctor’s orders that bassist Dusty Hill take time off to address a stomach issue.
More tour news followed in February when the group detailed plans to team up with John Fogerty for a month-long series of US shows on the “Blues And Bayous" trek, which would run from late May to the end of June.
Fogerty and ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons gave fans a sneak preview of what was to come when they issued video of a jam session that saw the pair trade hits by both bands – including classic Creedence Clearwater Revival tunes.
When the tour opened in Atlantic City, NJ on May 25, Gibbons joined Fogerty during his set to present the live debut of their forthcoming single, “Holy Grail”, which would be issued in early June.
On June 1, ZZ Top released “Cinco No. 2: The Second Five LPs”, a vinyl box set delivering the group’s first five albums; the collection picks up where 2017’s “Cinco: The First Five LPs” set left off, beginning with the group’s first US platinum record, “Deguello”, and ending with 1990’s “Recycler.”
Following the Fogerty run, the Texas trio mixed headline shows over the summer with appearances on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s farewell tour, while Gibbons streamed his cover of the Muddy Waters classic, “Rollin’ And Tumblin’”, as the lead single to his forthcoming solo album, “The Big Bad Blues”, which would arrive in September as the follow-up to his 2015 set, “Perfectamundo.”
In sync with the record’s release, Gibbons hit the road for a five-week solo tour on the continent as the project debuted on three US charts, entering at No. 1 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk chart, No. 2 on the Blues chart, and No. 5 in Current Rock chart.
In November, ZZ Top announced the first dates for a planned 50th Anniversary tour in 2018, including summer shows in UK and Europe.
Gibbons ended the year with another guest appearance – this time joining William Shatner on the seasonal classic, “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer”, from the actor’s first-ever holiday album, “Shatner Claus.”
ZZ Top will begin 2019 with a pair of warm-up dates in California in the middle of January prior to the launch of the Las Vegas residency next month.
See also:
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