Eric Clapton: the 100 most inspiring musicians of all time
British rock musician Eric Clapton (born Eric Patrick Clapp (b. March 30, 1945, Ripley, Surrey, Eng.) was a highly influential guitarist in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later became a major singer-songwriter.
Eric Clapton was raised by his grandparents after his mother abandoned him at an early age. He began playing the guitar in his teens and briefly studied at the Kingston College of Art. After playing lead guitar with two minor bands, in 1963 he joined the Yardbirds, a rhythm-and-blues group in
which his blues-influenced playing and commanding technique began to attract attention.
Clapton left the Yardbirds in 1965 when they pursued commercial success with a pop-oriented style. That same year he joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, and his guitar playing soon became the group’s principal drawing card as it attracted a fanatic following on the London club scene.
In 1966 Clapton left the Bluesbreakers to form a new band with two other virtuoso rock musicians, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. This group, Cream, achieved international popularity with its sophisticated,
high-volume fusion of rock and blues that featured improvisatory solos. Clapton’s mastery of blues form and phrasing, his rapid runs, and his plaintive vibrato were widely imitated by other rock guitarists.
The high energy and emotional intensity of his playing on such songs as “Crossroads” and “White Room” set the standard for the rock guitar solo. Cream disbanded in late 1968, however, after having recorded such albums as Disraeli Gears (1967), Wheels of Fire (1968), and Goodbye (1969).
In 1969 Clapton and Baker formed the group Blind Faith with keyboardist-vocalist Steve Winwood and bassist Rick Grech, but the group broke up after recording only one album. Clapton emerged as a capable vocalist on his first solo album, which was released in 1970. He soon
assembled a trio of strong session musicians (bassist Carl Radle, drummer Jim Gordon, and keyboardist Bobby Whitlock) into a new band called Derek and the Dominos, with Clapton as lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter.
The guitarist Duane Allman joined the group in making the classic double album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970), which is regarded as Clapton’s masterpiece and a landmark among rock recordings. Disappointed by Layla’s lackluster sales and addicted to heroin, Clapton
went into seclusion for two years. Overcoming his addiction, he made a successful comeback with the album 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974), which included his hit remake of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff.” On the album, Clapton adopted a more relaxed approach that emphasized his songwriting
and vocal abilities rather than his guitar playing.
Over the next 20 years Clapton produced a string of albums, including
Slowhand (1977), Backless (1978), Money and Cigarettes (1983), August (1986), Unplugged (1992)—which featured the Top Five hit “Tears in Heaven,” written after the death of his son—and From the Cradle (1994). He explored his musical influences with a pair of Grammy-winning collaborations:
Riding with the King (2000) with blues legend B.B. King and The Road to Escondido (2006) with roots guitarist J.J. Cale. The critical and commercial success of these albums solidified his stature as one of the world’s greatest rock musicians. Clapton, an autobiography, was published in 2007. In 2000 Clapton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Download and Play Along with Eric Clapton’s sheet music here.
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ABRSM Piano Exam 2023-24 Grade 3 C3 THE ENTERTAINER – SCOTT JOPLIN | ||
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ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 1 2013 & 2014 syllabus | ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 1 2013 & 2014 syllabus | |
ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 1 2023 2024 | ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 1 2023 2024 | |
ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 1 2025 2026 | ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 1 2025 2026 | |
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ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 3 2023 2024 | ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 3 2023 2024 | |
ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 3 2025 2026 | ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 3 2025 2026 | |
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ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 4 2023 2024 | ||
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ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 8 2025 2026 | ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 8 2025 2026 | |
ABRSM Piano Mix 3 for Easy Piano Grades 3-4 | ABRSM Piano Mix 3 for Easy Piano Grades 3-4 | |
ABRSM Piano Prep Test | ||
ABRSM Piano Scales And Arpeggios from 2021 Guide For Practical Grades | ||
ABRSM Selected Piano Exam 2011 2012 Grade 1 | ||
ABRSM Selected Piano Exam Grade 2 (2011 2012 ) | ||
ABRSM Specimen Aural Tests Grade 1 to 3 | ||
ABRSM Specimen Aural Tests Grade 4 & 5 | ||
ABRSM Teaching notes on piano exam pieces (2013 & 2014) | ||
ABRSM The Manual Of Scales Broken Chords And Arpeggios For Piano | ||
ABRSM Theory of Music Exams Grade 8 (The Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music) 2010 | ||
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AC/DC – Jam With AC/DC (PDF with MP3 audio tracks Guitar Tab Songbook) | Jam With ACDC | |
AC/DC Rock Score | ||
AC/DC, Best of (Guitar & Tablature) | Best Of ACDC (Guitar) | |
Ace Of Base – Beautiful Life | ||
Ace Of Base – Dont Turn Around | ||
Ace Of Base – Living In Danger | ||
Acoustic 33 TOP Guitar Hits (Guitar Songbook) with Tablature – sheet music | Acoustic 33 TOP Guitar Hits (Guitar Songbook) – sheet music | |
Acoustic Blues Guitar By Kenny Sultan Guitar Tab | Acoustic Blues Guitar | |
Acoustic Blues Guitar Keith Wyatt with TABs | Acoustic Blues Guitar Keith Wyatt with TABs | |
Acoustic Blues Guitar Styles (Larry Sandberg) (with Tablature) | Acoustic Blues Guitar Styles (Larry Sandberg) | |
Acoustic Classics 42 songs Piano Vocal Guitar | Acoustic Classics 42 songs Piano Vocal Guitar | |
Acoustic Guitar Bible (35 great songs) Guitar with TABs | Acoustic Guitar Bible (35 great songs) Guitar with TABs | |
Acoustic Rock (Guitar) Rolling Stones, Green Day, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan (Songbook Guitar Tab) with Tablature | ||
Acoustic Rock 90’s, Best of – Guitar with Tablature | Acoustic Rock 90’s, Best of – Guitar | |
Acqua azzurra acqua chiara (Battisti) | ||
Ad Te Levavi (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Adagio (Lara Fabian) | ||
Adagio MP3.zip | ||
Adah’s Theme (La femme avec les yeux lumineux) Sex and the City | ||
Adah’s Theme (Le femme avec les yeux lumineux) Sex and the Cit | ||
Adam – Adolphe Charles Holy Night Cantique-Nöel | ||
Adam – Cantique de Nöel Minuit Chretiens | Adam – Cantique de Noel Minuit Chretiens VS | |
Adam – Derniers souvenirs d’un musicien | ||
Adam – O Holy Night | Adam – O Holy Night | |
Adam – Souvenirs d’un musicien | ||
Adam (Cappeau) – Cantique de Noël. Easy Piano with voice or instrument (Paroles and lyrics) | Adam-Cappeau-Cantique-de-Noel- | |
Adam (Cappeau) – Cantique de Noel. Easy Piano with voice or instrument.mscz | ||
Adam Cantique de Nöel Christmas song | Adam Cantique de noel | |
Adam Carse – The History Of Orchestration Adam Carse | ||
Addams Family Theme (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Addams Family Theme (Easy Piano) | ||
Addio Colonnello (Ennio Morricone) | ||
Adele Songs from the Album 21 For SATB, SSA and Piano | Adele Songs from the Album 21 | |
Adele – 21 | ADELE 21 SONGBOOK | |
Adele – Chasing Pavements Piano Vocal guitar chords | ||
Adele – Easy on me (Piano solo with lyrics) | ||
Adele – Rolling in the Deep | ||
Adele – Rumor Has It | ||
Adele – Set Fire to the Rain | ||
Adele – Set Fire To The Rain (2) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Adele – Someone Like You | Adele – Someone Like You | |
Adele – Someone Like You easy piano | ||
Adele – The Best Of SongBook (12 songs arranged for easy piano) | Adele – The Best Of SongBook (12 songs arranged for easy piano) | |
Adele 19 [Piano, Guitar, Vocals] | Adele 19 [Piano, Guitar, Vocals] | |
Adele 25 Songbook | Adele 25 Songbook Contents — | |
Adele Best Of Adele Big Note Piano (Adele Adkins) | Adele Best Of Adele Big Note Piano (Adele Adkins) | |
Adele Easy On Me Sheet Music | ||
Adele Original Keys For Singers (Adele) | Adele Original Keys For Singers (Adele) | |
Adele Skyfall (Piano Vocal Guitar Chords) | Adele Skyfall (Piano Vocal Guitar Chords) | |
Adios Amor – Goodbye My Love as recorded by José Feliciano | ||
Adult All In One Course Level 1 With Audio Mp3 (Willard Palmer) | Lessons Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course Level 1 | |
Adult All In One Course Level 2 With Audio Mp3 (Willard Palmer) | Willard Palmer – Adult All-In-One Course Level 2 | |
Adult Greatest Movie Hits Piano Level 1 | Adult Greatest Movie Hits Piano Level 1 | |
Adult Piano Adventures ALL-IN-ONE PIANO COURSE 1 | ||
Adult Piano Adventures All-In-One Piano Course Book 2 Book With Media Online (Nancy Faber, Randall Faber) Sheet Music | ||
Adult Piano Adventures Christmas – Book 1 (Nancy Faber Randall Faber) | ||
Adult Piano Adventures Christmas – Book 2 | Adult Piano Adventures Christmas – Book 2 | |
Adult Piano Adventures Popular Book 1 – Timeless Hits and Popular Favorites (Adult Piano Adventures Popular) | Adult Piano Adventures Popular Book 1 – Timeless Hits and Popular Favorites (Adult Piano Adventures Popular) | |
Adult Piano Course Greatest Movie Hits Piano Level 1 Recordings Broadway Movies | Adult Piano Course Greatest Movie Hits Piano Level 1 Recordings Broadway Movies | |
Advanced Harmonic Concepts by Wayne Naus (with audio MP3) | Advanced Harmonic Concepts by Wayne Naus | |
Advanced Harmonic Exercises For Jazz Piano | advanced harmonic exercises | |
Advanced Piano Solos 1 Encyclopedia by Tom Roed | Advanced Piano Solos 1 Encyclopedia by Tom Roed | |
Advanced Piano Solos 2 Complete by Tom Roed | Advanced Piano Solos 2 Complete by Tom Roed | |
Advanced Sacred Music Piano Solos by John Kraus | ||
Advanced Scale Concepts and Licks for Guitar (PDF + MP3 audio tracks Play Along) with Tablature | ||
Aebersold – 110 – When I fall In Love – Romantic Ballads pdf with embedded audio MP3 Tracks | Jazz Play Along Vol 110 [When i Fall in Love] | |
Aebersold – 113 Embraceable You – Vocal Standards with audio MP3 Tracks | Jamey Aebersold – Vol 113 | |
Aebersold – 30 blues scale By Jamey Aebersold | Aebersold – 30 blues scale By Jamey Aebersold | |
Aebersold – A New Approach To Jazz Improvisation Gettin’it together vol. 21 | aebersold gettin all together vol 21 | |
Aebersold – Practice Procedures For Memorizing Scales And Chords | Aebersold – Practice Procedures For Memorizing Scales And Chords | |
Aebersold – Rapid Reference Vol 1-114 | Aebersold – Rapid Reference Vol 1-114 | |
Aebersold – Vol 01 – How to Play and Improvise Jazz (with audio MP3) | Aebersold – Vol 01 – How to Play and Improvise Jazz | |
Aebersold – Vol 03 – The II-V7-I Progression Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 | ||
Aebersold – Vol 105 – Dave Brubeck Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 | ||
Aebersold – Vol 118 – [Groovin Jazz] (with audio MP3) | ||
Aebersold – Vol 32 – Ballads Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 | ||
Aebersold – Vol 34 – Jam Session Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 | Includes MP3 Play along themes as Blue moon, The shadow of your smile, Over the rainbow, etc. | |
Aebersold – Vol 45 – [Bill Evans] Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 | Aebersold – Vol 45 – [Bill Evans] | |
Aebersold – Vol 58 – Unforgettable Standards Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 | aebersold unforgettable standards sheet music | |
Aebersold – Vol 76 – David Baker – How To Learn Tunes (A Jazz Musician’s Survival Guide) | how to learn tunes | |
Aebersold 25 How To Practice By Jamey Aebersold | Aebersold 25 | |
Aebersold Antonio Carlos Jobim Vol 98 – Bossa Nova Songbook Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 | Aebersold Antonio Carlos Jobim Vol 98 – Bossa Nova Songbook | |
Aebersold Anyone Can Improvise – 52 Points To Remember | Aebersold Anyone Can Improvise – 52 Points To Remember | |
Aebersold Jazz EAR training (with audio MP3) | Aebersold Jazz EAR train | |
Aebersold Jazz Handbook 09 Tips For Learning A New Tune & Practice Procedures For Memorizing | Aebersold Jazz HANDBOOK | |
Aebersold Jazz Play-Along Books & audio MP3 1st Part Full Collection – Vol 1- 40 (with MP3) for all instruments | Compressed file Aebersold Full Collection Part 1 – Vol 1- 40 | 40 volumes with MP3 Aebersold Book Index Vol.001-106 |
Aebersold Jazz Play-Along Books & audio MP3 2nd Part Full collection Vol 41- 75 for all instruments | Compressed fileAebersold Full Collection Part 2 – Vol 41- 75.. | 35 volumes with MP3 Aebersold Book Index Vol.001-106 |
Aebersold Jazz Play-Along Books & audio MP3 3rd Part Full Collection – Vol 76- 112 (with MP3) | Compressed fileAebersold Full Collection Part 3 – Vol 76- 112 | 37 volumes with MP3 Aebersold Book Index Vol.001-106 |
ERIC CLAPTON Live at Budokan, Tokyo, 2001 (Full Concert)
Live at Budokan, Dec 4, 2001
Eric Clapton – guitar / vocals Andy Fairweather Low – guitar / vocals David Sancious – keyboards / guitar / vocals Greg Phillinganes – keyboards Nathan East – bass / vocals Steve Gadd – drums
Key To The Highway 0:38 Reptile 3:41 Got You On My Mind 10:25 Tears In Heaven 14:21 Layla (acoustic) 18:51 Bell Bottom Blues 23:33 Change The World 28:37 River Of Tears 35:15 Goin’ Down Slow 44:04 She’s Gone 49:28 I Want A Little Girl 57:01 Badge 1:01:36 Hoochie Coochie Man 1:07:42 Five Long Years 1:12:39 Cocaine 1:20:57 Wonderful Tonight 1:25:44 Layla (electric) 1:32:58 Sunshine Of Your Love 1:43:05 Somewhere Over The Rainbow 1:50:00