On This Day in 1974, Eric Clapton Scored His Only No. 1 With a Cover That He Didn’t Want to Release–“I Just Knew We Weren’t Doing It Right”
On 14 September 1974, Eric Clapton topped the Billboard Hot 100 with "I Shot the Sheriff," his cover of the Bob Marley song. It remains the only single of his career, either as a solo artist or with a band, to reach No. 1 on the all-genre chart, despite Clapton himself having serious doubts about the recording at the time.
Clapton was introduced to the track by his guitarist George Terry, who persuaded him to record it, but Clapton felt he lacked genuine expertise in reggae despite growing up around ska and bluebeat in Britain's West Indian communities. He initially wanted to withhold the song from release, but was outvoted by others in the studio who believed it was a hit, leading RSO Records to issue it as the lead single from his album 461 Ocean Boulevard. It went on to become the first of six top-10 Hot 100 entries for Clapton, with his 1992 track "Tears in Heaven" coming closest to matching it by peaking at No. 2.
- Clapton's Marley cover hit No. 1 on 14 Sept 1974.
- His only chart-topper, despite his own doubts about it.
- Outvoted by studio colleagues who insisted it was a hit.