Music Makers Encyclopedia: Z

Click on a letter to choose an act ("S" for Bruce Springsteen, "B" for Beatles, etc.). Shown with the act are its major awards, short bios for select acts (generally adapted from Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 and Top Pop Singles: Billboard books), and links to albums and songs reviewed by the DMDB.

Zager & Evans

Song(s):
In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) (1969)

Gheorghe Zamfir

Zapp

Song(s):
More Bounce to the Ounce (1980)

Frank Zappa

Experimental singer/songwriter, guitarist, and activist born Francis Vincent Zappa Jr. on 12/21/1940 in Baltimore, MD. Died 12/4/1993 of prostate cancer. Rock music's leading satirist. Born of Sicilian parentage. Raised in California. Formed The Mothers of Invention in 1965. In the movies 200 Hotels and Baby Snakes. Father of Dweezil and Moon Unit Zappa.

Song(s):
Brown Shoes Don't Make It (1967)
Trouble Every Day (Mothers of Invention, 1967)
Let’s Make the Water Turn Black (Mothers of Invention, 1968)
Montana (1973)

Album(s):
Freak Out! (The Mothers of Invention, 1966)
We're Only in It for the Money (The Mothers of Invention, 1968)
Hot Rats (1969)
200 Motels (1971)

Zayn

Song(s):
Pillow Talk (2016)
I Don't Wanna Live Forever (with Taylor Swift, 2016)
Dusk Till Dawn (with Sia, 2017)

Zedd

Song(s):
Break Free (2014) – see Ariana Grande
Starving (2016) – see Hailee Stenfield
Stay (with Alessia Cara, 2017)
The Middle (with Maren Morris & Grey, 2018)

Arizona Zervas

Song(s):
Roxanne (2019)

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Song(s):
All That Jazz (with Renee Zellweger, 2002)

Warren Zevon

Rock singer/songwriter and musician born in Chicago on 1/24/1947. He died 9/7/2003. He worked as a session musician, jingle writer, and touring musician with the Everly Brothers before finding success as a solo artist, thanks to Linda Ronstadt covering several of his songs, including "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me."

Song(s):
Werewolves of London (1978)
Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner (1978)
Dirty Life and Times (2003)

Hans Zimmer

Album(s):
The Lion King (soundtrack: 1994, musical: 1997) - see Elton John

David Zippel

Album(s):
City of Angels (musical: 1989) – see Cy Coleman

Zombie Nation

Song(s):
Kernkraft 400 (2000)

The Zombies

Song(s):
She’s Not There (1964)
Tell Her No (1965)
Time of the Season (1969)

Album(s):
Oddessey & Oracle (1968)

ZZ Top

Boogie-rock trio formed in Houston, TX. Active: 1969-2003 Members: Billy Gibbons (v/g – Moving Sidewalks; ZZ Top), Dusty Hill (v/b), and Frank Beard (d).

Song(s):
La Grange (1973)
Tush (1975)
Cheap Sunglasses (1979)
Gimme All Your Lovin’ (1983)
Sharp Dressed Man (1983)
Legs (1984)
My Head's in Mississippi (1990)

Album(s):
Tres Hombres (1973)
Eliminator (1983)
Goin' 50 (box set: 1969-2012, released 2019)

Click on a letter to choose a recording act ("S" for Bruce Springsteen, "B" for Beatles, etc.). Shown with the act are its major awards, short bios for select acts (generally adapted from Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 and Top Pop Singles: Billboard books), and links to albums and songs reviewed by the DMDB.