Billy Gibbons didn't need a pair of $500 gold-rimmed aviators to change rock and roll history. He just needed a gas station rack and a fistful of crumpled singles. It's kinda wild when you think about it. Most rock stars of the late 70s were leaning into the "excess" of the decade—limousines, velvet suits, and high-end boutique fashion—but ZZ Top went the other way. They went to the drug store.
Cheap sunglasses by zz top isn't just a song title; it's a philosophy. It is the definitive anthem of "cool on a budget."
Released in 1979 on the Degüello album, the track solidified the band's transition from standard Texas blues-rockers into the bearded, sharp-dressed icons that would eventually dominate MTV a few years later. But before the fuzzy guitars and the Eliminator coupe, there was just this greasy, low-slung groove about buying plastic shades.
Let's be real. There is a specific kind of confidence that comes from wearing something you aren't afraid to lose. You ever buy an expensive pair of Ray-Bans and spend the whole day terrified you’ll sit on them? It ruins the vibe. Billy, Dusty, and Frank knew that. If you drop your "cheap sunglasses" in the dirt at a backyard BBQ, you just wipe 'em on your shirt and keep moving. That’s the energy of the song.
The story behind the shades
The legend goes that the band used to see these massive displays of "Darker than Night" sunglasses at truck stops and pharmacies while touring across the Southwest. We're talking about those rotating racks where everything costs roughly the same as a gallon of gas.
Billy Gibbons has often mentioned in interviews that the song was inspired by the simplicity of that aesthetic. It wasn't about being rich. It was about looking like you didn't care.
Musically, the track is a masterclass in space. The opening riff is sparse. It breathes. You’ve got that iconic, slightly overdriven guitar tone that sounds like it’s being played through a small amp on the verge of exploding. Then the bass kicks in. Dusty Hill’s bass line on this track is essentially the heartbeat of Texas.
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What people often get wrong about ZZ Top is thinking they were just a "party band." If you listen to the middle section of "Cheap Sunglasses," you’ll hear a transition into a jazz-influenced, funky breakdown that most rock bands of that era couldn't touch. It’s sophisticated playing masked by a blue-collar lyric.
Why the 1970s loved a "gas station" look
You have to remember the context of 1979.
Punk was happening in New York and London. Disco was peaking. Everything was loud, fast, or expensive. Then come these three guys from Houston singing about stuff you can find at a 7-Eleven. It was relatable. It was the ultimate "everyman" flex.
- It defied the glitz of the era.
- It created a visual brand that cost almost nothing to replicate.
- It paved the way for the "Sharp Dressed Man" era where the sunglasses became permanent fixtures on their faces.
Honestly, the "cheap sunglasses" became as much a part of their uniform as the beards. It’s a bit ironic, really. The band eventually became wealthy enough to buy any eyewear brand on the planet, yet they stuck to the aesthetic of the budget rack. That’s commitment to the bit.
The gear that made the "cheap" sound
If you're a guitar nerd, you know Billy Gibbons is famous for his "Pearly Gates" 1959 Gibson Les Paul. But to get the specific sound on "Cheap Sunglasses," he used a bit of studio magic.
He’s been quoted saying he used a digital delay but set it so short that it created a "doubling" effect, making the guitar sound thicker and more "plastic-y" to match the theme. It’s a lo-fi sound achieved with high-level technique.
The vocals are equally important. Billy’s delivery isn't screaming; it’s a whisper-growl. It’s the voice of a guy leaning against a brick wall at 2:00 AM. When he hits those lines about "Go out and write a classic / Oh wait, I mean, go out and get some plastic," he’s inviting the listener into the joke.
The lasting legacy of the plastic frame
Most songs about fashion become dated. Songs about bell-bottoms or powdered wigs don't really hold up. But cheap sunglasses by zz top stays relevant because the product never went away. You can go into a CVS right now, in the year 2026, and find the exact same style of shades they were talking about in '79.
They are timeless because they are disposable.
There’s also a deeper layer to the song’s popularity. It’s about anonymity. When you put on a pair of dark, cheap shades, you disappear a little bit. You can watch the world without the world watching you. For a band that was becoming increasingly famous, that bit of "plastic" was a shield.
Practical ways to live the ZZ Top philosophy
You don't need a stylist. You don't need a fashion degree. To actually embody the spirit of the song, you just need to follow a few basic rules of "budget cool."
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First, stop overthinking the brand. If the frames look good and they’re dark enough that people can’t see your eyes, you’ve won. Second, wear them with confidence. The whole point of the song is that the person wearing the glasses makes the glasses look good, not the other way around.
Third, keep a spare pair in the glove box. Billy didn't sing about "one pair of expensive sunglasses." He sang about the ones you pick up because you "forgot your real ones" or you just felt like a change.
Common misconceptions about the song
Some people think the song is a literal advertisement. It's not. Others think it’s a parody of fashion. It’s not that either. It’s a genuine appreciation for the grit and grime of American road life.
It’s about the things we buy when we’re on our way to somewhere else.
Also, despite the lyrics mentioning "shades," the band didn't actually start wearing their signature glasses all the time until after this song became a hit. It was the success of the track that convinced them that the sunglasses should be a permanent part of the ZZ Top image. They leaned into their own mythology.
What to do next if you want that Texas blues vibe
If you want to actually capture the essence of what Billy, Dusty, and Frank were talking about, don't go to a designer boutique.
Go to a local thrift store or a gas station off the main highway. Look for the rack that looks like it hasn't been dusted since the Bush administration. Find a pair of black, oversized frames—the kind that feel a little too light in your hand.
Put them on.
Turn up the treble on your car stereo.
Drive.
The goal isn't to look like a rock star. The goal is to feel like you don't have to answer to anybody. That is the real power of cheap sunglasses by zz top. It’s a three-minute and forty-eight-second reminder that style is an attitude, not a price tag.
If you're looking to dive deeper into their discography, don't just stick to the hits. Check out the rest of the Degüello album. It’s got a cover of "I Thank You" that will melt your face off and some of the tightest drumming Frank Beard ever put to tape.
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Once you have your twenty-dollar shades and the right soundtrack, the road looks a lot different. It looks better. It looks like Texas.