Best Eric Clapton Performances

Whether its studio recording or live performance, whether its jaw dropping solos or deeply simple playing, which do you think is the best display of Clapton's talent?

The Top Ten

1 Crossroads

My reason for voting for this song is simple - The 2nd guitar solo on this song is quite simply the greatest live guitar solo ever played by anyone, if not the greatest guitar solo ever played by anyone anywhere!

Screw Hendrix - if he had to save his life he could never come up with that 2nd solo. He never had the technique, ability or "feel" for it.

The Wheels Of Fire version is incredible, but I prefer the arrangement he used in the mid-'90s during his all-blues period. So groovy! Live at the Fillmore in 1994.

I agree Clapton is much better than Hendrix especially on this solo in which he lit the Winter land Ballroom on fire!

Performed at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco 1968 with Cream. Recorded for the album Wheels of Fire

2 Layla

Played with Derek and the Dominoes, from album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Featuring Duane Allman

Love the original and the Unplugged performance.

3 I Shot the Sheriff

Absolute feeling melody and groove. Such a build up of passion and phrasing to culminate in an absoltuly hypnotic final peak tO the solo. Best live solo I've heard.

Performed at 2004 Crossroads Guitar Festival in Cotton Bowl stadium in Dallas, Texas

Live In Hyde Park 1996, captivating from start to finish

I agree absolutely

4 While My Guitar Gently Weeps

This version as performed at the George Harrison tribute concert in England. An incredibly heartfelt lead. The best blues he has EVER played.

The ending solo is one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard.

5 Old Love

Great performance at The Spectrum, Philadelphia, May 4th 1992. Great Eric's solo, one of the best of this song and check Chuck Leavell on piano as well, he's brilliant

Performed at Bray Film Studios in Windsor, England in 1992 for MTV Unplugged

6 Tears In Heaven

7 Five Long Years

From the 1994 album From the Craddle

Live in the studio. Shocking.

8 Cocaine

From the 1977 album Slowhand

9 Groaning the Blues

Performed at Fillmore, San Francisco in 1994, featured in unreleased documentary Nothing but the Blues directed by Martin Scorcese

10 Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad

This song is simply perfect. Duane Allman performance here is simply awersome, and during the solo there is a moment when Allman is playing and suddenly Clapton joins and there are two of the best guitars in history playing a solo togeter. Also Clapton is perfect at vocals and the lyric is sooo damn good. My favorite song.

Performed with Derek and the Dominoes at Fillmore East in 1970. Released as an live album in 1994 Live at the Fillmore

Anyone who did not vote for this song (as performed on October 24th, 1970) has simply not listened to it. Do yourself a favor.

The Contenders

11 White Room