SMILER members helped prove Rod had the best Legs song by voting for Hot Legs In the Ultimate Classic Rock Clash of the Titans, which put Rod up against the ZZ Top hit Legs in the latest battle
Rod struck first in this battle, releasing ‘Hot Legs’ as a single from his 1977 album ‘Foot Loose & Fancy Free.’ A medium-sized hit in the U.S., it peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard charts during its radio run although it was more successful in the U.K., where it reached No. 5.
ZZ Top’s ‘Legs’ didn’t arrive until 1983, when it surfaced as a track on the band’s ‘Eliminator’ album. Released as a single in 1984, it peaked at No. 8, also spinning off a hit dance remix that emphasized the song’s synth-driven sound.
Separated by several years and a major difference in sound, the two songs still boast a handful of similarities; for one thing, they both boast leg-centric videos, and ZZ Top’s ‘Legs’ clip — one of several starring the band members as sort of mojo-dispensing rock ‘n’ roll genies — was one of the more heavily played hits of the early ’80s. Both songs were also later covered by Tina Turner, who knows a thing or two about hot legs and how to use them
As usual Rod”s fans voted him the winner although it was a close run thing.