What Was Eric Clapton’s First U.S. Top-40 Hit as a Solo Artist?

Early in his career, Eric Clapton seemed reticent to step out to the forefront as a solo artist. More content was he to settle in as one of the band than to take the spotlight himself, even though he was more than capable of doing so.

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When he finally decided to put out a record under his own name, his first single, which turned into a Top-20 hit, was actually a cover song. And it did as much for the original performer’s popularity as it did for Clapton’s.

The Reluctant Solo Star

Eric Clapton’s predilection for jumping from band to band throughout the ’60s was borne of several factors. On the one hand, he liked the idea of collaboration, coming together with other musicians to see what transpired. He also didn’t feel all that comfortable out in front, in part because he wasn’t convinced his voice was that of a solo star.

No matter how Clapton tried to hide, however, he ended up being the main draw for the various bands he frequented, including The Yardbirds, Cream, and Blind Faith. His guitar work tended to grab the spotlight even when he wasn’t on the microphone.

When he started working with a bunch of musicians associated with the American act Delaney & Bonnie, his comfort level started to rise. It was with this bunch of collaborators he decided to release the first album under his own name in 1970. But in a nod to the notion that he probably still didn’t feel all that comfortable as the headliner, he chose as a single one of the few songs on the record he didn’t have a hand in writing.

Thanks to Cale

The story goes that Delaney Bramlett introduced Clapton to the music of Tulsan J.J. Cale. Cale had released some singles and an album to no commercial impact in the late ’60s. One of those was a song called “After Midnight,” to which Clapton took a shine.

Clapton revved up the pace a bit on his version of the song, which benefited from the presence of some incredible session players (more on them in a bit). The rollicking song about after-hours revelry gave Slowhand an immediate success, hitting No. 18 on the pop charts.

Cale allegedly had no idea Clapton was going to record his song, only realizing it when he heard it on the radio. Needless to say, the exposure helped the relatively anonymous musician immensely as he built his own recording career. It also began a long-standing association between the two men, as Clapton would go on to record several more Cale songs over the years.

After “After Midnight”

Despite having that taste of success with “After Midnight,” Clapton once again sought the give-and-take atmosphere of a band in its wake. He took many of the same musicians who played on the track, added a few more (including Duane Allman), and formed Derek and the Dominos.

That outfit essentially lasted for one landmark album. Since that point, Clapton has mostly settled on being a solo act, whether he likes the idea or not. In 1987, he would rerecord “After Midnight” in a smokier, bluesier fashion, and feature it in a Michelob commercial.

Clapton wouldn’t crack the U.S. charts again for another four years, but when he did, it was a biggie (and another cover song, as a matter of fact). His version of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff” gave him his first-ever U.S. No. 1 single, even when you include all his work with bands prior to that. To this day, it’s still his only chart-topper.

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