Photo of Eric Clapton
Photo: Raph_PH · CC BY 2.0

Solo Artist · Slowhand

Eric Clapton

Active1963-present
OriginRipley, Surrey, England
Albums28
Tracks319

Most frequent collaborator: Chris Stainton  ·  180 tracks

Blues RockRockBluesR&BPop
40%
Authorship
Co-Performer

Holds writing credit on 127 of 319 tracks

Did Eric Clapton write his own songs?

Partly. Eric Clapton wrote or co-wrote around 40% of this catalogue, including classics like 'Layla,' 'Wonderful Tonight,' and 'Bell Bottom Blues.' But he is also one of rock's great interpreters, and much of his work is covers: Robert Johnson blues, J.J. Cale's 'Cocaine' and 'After Midnight,' and Bob Marley's 'I Shot the Sheriff.'

By the Numbers

28
Studio Albums
319
Tracks Credited
40%
Self-Written
100M+
Records Sold
63
Years Active
202
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 127 / 319 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 319 tracks: how many Eric Clapton wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Eric Clapton has a writing credit40%
19%
20%
60%
Sole author62tracks19%
Co-written65tracks20%
Outside writers192tracks60%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Eric Clapton's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 319 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)40%
Composer (music)40%
Producer22%
Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 319 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Eric Clapton 1963-present
32%
32%
22%
100%
Jack Bruce Died October 25, 2014 1966-1969
4%
4%
0%
11%
Ginger Baker Died October 6, 2019 1966-1969
3%
3%
0%
13%
Steve Winwood Former 1969
1%
1%
0%
2%
Rick Grech Died March 17, 1990 1969
0%
0%
0%
2%
Bobby Whitlock Former 1970-1971
2%
2%
0%
4%
Carl Radle Died May 30, 1980 1970-1979
0%
0%
0%
26%
Jim Gordon Former 1970-1973
0%
0%
0%
4%
Nathan East 1985-present
0%
0%
0%
56%
Andy Fairweather Low 1988-present
0%
0%
0%
56%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Eric Clapton's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 40%
50%
73%
78%
67%
83%
64%
73%
30%
50%
50%
56%
40%
67%
60%
55%
45%
17%
0%
86%
0%
50%
0%
50%
14%
7%
0%
17%
29%
1966Fresh Cream
1967Disraeli Gears
1968Wheels of Fire
1969Goodbye
1969Blind Faith
1970Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
1970Eric Clapton
1974461 Ocean Boulevard
1975There's One in Every Crowd
1976No Reason to Cry
1977Slowhand
1978Backless
1981Another Ticket
1983Money and Cigarettes
1985Behind the Sun
1986August
1989Journeyman
1994From the Cradle
1998Pilgrim
2000Riding with the King
2001Reptile
2004Me and Mr. Johnson
2005Back Home
2006The Road to Escondido
2010Clapton
2013Old Sock
2016I Still Do
2024Meanwhile
Early · 61% written
Mid · 40% written
Late · 20% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

69%
1960s
Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears +3 more
53%
1970s
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Eric Clapton +5 more
47%
1980s
Another Ticket, Money and Cigarettes +3 more
40%
1990s
From the Cradle, Pilgrim
22%
2000s
Riding with the King, Reptile +3 more
8%
2010s
Clapton, Old Sock +1 more
29%
2020s
Meanwhile

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Eric Clapton sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Eric Clapton
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Aretha Franklin14%
The Jacksons24%
Michael Jackson51%
Stevie Wonder64%
The Rolling Stones75%
Aerosmith86%
Prince96%
40%Eric Clapton
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Sunshine of Your Love
Disraeli Gears
Written by Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Pete Brown
Co-wrote
Strange Brew
Disraeli Gears
Written by Eric Clapton, Felix Pappalardi, Gail Collins
Co-wrote
White Room
Wheels of Fire
Written by Jack Bruce, Pete Brown
Co-wrote
Badge
Goodbye
Written by Eric Clapton, George Harrison
Co-wrote
Layla
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Written by Eric Clapton, Jim Gordon
Wrote it
Bell Bottom Blues
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Written by Eric Clapton
Wrote it
After Midnight
Eric Clapton
Written by J.J. Cale
Outside writers
I Shot the Sheriff
461 Ocean Boulevard
Written by Bob Marley
Outside writers
Willie and the Hand Jive
461 Ocean Boulevard
Written by Johnny Otis
Outside writers
Hello Old Friend
No Reason to Cry
Written by Eric Clapton
Wrote it
Lay Down Sally
Slowhand
Written by Eric Clapton, Marcy Levy, George Terry
Co-wrote
Wonderful Tonight
Slowhand
Written by Eric Clapton
Wrote it
Promises
Backless
Written by Richard Feldman, Roger Linn
Outside writers
Watch Out for Lucy
Backless
Written by Eric Clapton
Wrote it
I Can't Stand It
Another Ticket
Written by Eric Clapton
Wrote it
Another Ticket
Another Ticket
Written by Eric Clapton
Wrote it
I've Got a Rock 'n' Roll Heart
Money and Cigarettes
Written by Troy Seals, Eddie Setser, Steve Diamond
Outside writers
The Shape You're In
Money and Cigarettes
Written by Eric Clapton
Wrote it
Forever Man
Behind the Sun
Written by Jerry Lynn Williams
Outside writers
See What Love Can Do
Behind the Sun
Written by Jerry Lynn Williams
Outside writers
It's in the Way That You Use It
August
Written by Eric Clapton, Robbie Robertson
Co-wrote
Behind the Mask
August
Written by Chris Mosdell, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Michael Jackson
Outside writers
Tearing Us Apart
August
Written by Eric Clapton, Greg Phillinganes
Co-wrote
Pretending
Journeyman
Written by Jerry Lynn Williams
Outside writers
Bad Love
Journeyman
Written by Eric Clapton, Mick Jones
Co-wrote
No Alibis
Journeyman
Written by Jerry Lynn Williams
Outside writers

Discography 28 albums

This page covers Eric Clapton's complete studio discography: 4 albums with Cream (1966-1969), 1 with Blind Faith (1969), 1 with Derek and the Dominos (1970), and 22 solo albums (1970-2024). Live albums and compilations are not included.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Eric Clapton319 tracks
CS180 SC97 DS69 JO69 TD53 GJ31

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. CS Chris Stainton · SC Simon Climie · DS Dick Sims · JO Jamie Oldaker · TD Tom Dowd · GJ Glyn Johns

The Writers & Producers Behind Eric Clapton 6 key collaborators

CS
Chris Stainton
Performer
Money and Cigarettes / Behind the Sun / August / Journeyman180 tracks
SC
Simon Climie
Producer
Pilgrim / Riding with the King / Reptile / Me and Mr. Johnson97 tracks
DS
Dick Sims
Performer
Eric Clapton / 461 Ocean Boulevard / There's One in Every Crowd / No Reason to Cry69 tracks
JO
Jamie Oldaker
Performer
Eric Clapton / 461 Ocean Boulevard / There's One in Every Crowd / No Reason to Cry69 tracks
TD
Tom Dowd
Producer
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs / 461 Ocean Boulevard / There's One in Every Crowd / Another Ticket53 tracks
GJ
Glyn Johns
Producer
Slowhand / Backless / I Still Do31 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Eric Clapton's authorship story is defined by contrast and evolution. In his Cream years, Jack Bruce and Pete Brown were the primary songwriters; Clapton's co-writes ('Sunshine of Your Love,' 'Tales of Brave Ulysses,' 'Badge') stand out precisely because they are exceptions rather than the rule. With Derek and the Dominos, Clapton found his compositional voice, writing or co-writing most of Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs alongside Bobby Whitlock. His solo career is a genuine mix: albums like Slowhand and Journeyman feature strong original songwriting alongside covers, while From the Cradle and Me and Mr. Johnson are entirely covers, and Riding with the King is a collaborative blues album with B.B. King. The member credit table shows Clapton consistently strong as a performer across the full discography, with his authorship credits spiking in the Derek and the Dominos era and settling into a sustained but moderate presence in the solo years.

Quick Facts

  • Rock Hall x3The only three-time inductee, with the Yardbirds, Cream, and as a solo artist
  • GrammysWon 18 Grammy Awards
  • Clapton is GodFans spray-painted the phrase on a London wall in 1967
  • Blues interpreterRecorded whole albums of others' blues, from Robert Johnson to J.J. Cale
  • SlowhandNicknamed for the slow handclaps while he changed guitar strings in the Yardbirds

Creative Fingerprint

A guitar hero split between writing and interpreting: Eric Clapton wrote or co-wrote about 40% of this catalogue, including 'Layla' and 'Wonderful Tonight,' but built much of his legend on covers, from Robert Johnson's blues to J.J. Cale's 'Cocaine' and Bob Marley's 'I Shot the Sheriff.'

The Story

Eric Clapton is a British guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter whose career has spanned more than six decades and encompassed three defining bands (Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek and the Dominos) as well as a substantial and evolving solo catalog that has made him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. Born in Ripley, Surrey, in 1945, Clapton came to prominence as a teenage prodigy with the Yardbirds and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers before co-founding Cream in 1966, the first true rock power trio, with bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. His trajectory from sideman to bandleader to solo artist traces a complex relationship with songwriting: in Cream, Jack Bruce handled most of the compositional work while Clapton developed his virtuosity as a performer; by Derek and the Dominos and his subsequent solo career, Clapton had become a credible songwriter capable of 'Layla,' 'Bell Bottom Blues,' 'Wonderful Tonight,' and 'Tears in Heaven.' Three decades of solo recordings alternate between blues covers (from Robert Johnson and Elmore James to J.J. Cale and Bob Marley) and original songs that range from the intimate to the arena-ready. Clapton holds three Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions (with the Yardbirds, with Cream, and as a solo artist), a distinction no other musician holds.

Awards & Recognition

The only three-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with the Yardbirds, Cream, and as a solo artist
Won 18 Grammy Awards
Sold over 100 million records worldwide as a solo artist
Widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time
His songs 'Layla' and 'Tears in Heaven' are among the most celebrated in rock

Frequently Asked Questions Eric Clapton

Did Eric Clapton write his own songs?
Partly. Eric Clapton wrote or co-wrote around 40% of this catalogue, including classics like 'Layla,' 'Wonderful Tonight,' and 'Bell Bottom Blues.' But he is also one of rock's great interpreters, and much of his work is covers: Robert Johnson blues, J.J. Cale's 'Cocaine' and 'After Midnight,' and Bob Marley's 'I Shot the Sheriff.'
Who wrote 'Layla'?
'Layla' (1970) was co-written by Eric Clapton and drummer Jim Gordon, and recorded with his band Derek and the Dominos. It is one of his signature songs, inspired by his love for Pattie Boyd.
Did Eric Clapton write 'I Shot the Sheriff'?
No. 'I Shot the Sheriff' was written by Bob Marley. Clapton's 1974 cover, from 461 Ocean Boulevard, became a US number-one hit and helped introduce reggae to a wider audience.
Who wrote 'Cocaine'?
'Cocaine' was written by J.J. Cale, one of Clapton's biggest influences. Clapton recorded it on his 1977 album Slowhand, and it became one of his best-known songs, though it is Cale's composition.
Did Eric Clapton write 'Tears in Heaven'?
Yes. Clapton co-wrote 'Tears in Heaven' with Will Jennings after the death of his young son. It won three Grammy Awards, though it appears on soundtrack and live releases rather than the studio albums covered here.
Was Eric Clapton in Cream?
Yes. Before his solo career, Clapton played in the Yardbirds, then the supergroup Cream with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, and later Blind Faith and Derek and the Dominos. He is credited on Cream songs like 'Sunshine of Your Love.'
How many albums has Eric Clapton released?
This catalogue covers 28 albums spanning his career, from his work with Cream and Derek and the Dominos to his long solo run from Eric Clapton (1970) onward.
How many Grammys has Eric Clapton won?
18 Grammy Awards over his career, across his solo work and collaborations.
Is Eric Clapton in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Yes, three times, the only person to be inducted three times: with the Yardbirds (1992), with Cream (1993), and as a solo artist (2000).
What genre is Eric Clapton?
He is a blues and rock guitarist and singer, rooted in the blues but ranging across blues rock, reggae, pop, and R&B across his long career.

Sources

Wikipedia: Eric Clapton Wikipedia: Eric Clapton discography