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Cover of 461 Ocean Boulevard by Eric Clapton
Cover: 461 Ocean Boulevard

Song · Eric Clapton

“I Shot the Sheriff” by Eric Clapton

From the album 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974)

“I Shot the Sheriff” by Eric Clapton appears on 38 radio countdowns from 21 stations between 1991 and 2025. It was first released in 1974 on the album 461 Ocean Boulevard. Its best result is #13 on the KISW 25 Greatest Rock Covers. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #2,955 alternative song of all time.

38countdowns
21stations
#13best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1991–2025years charted

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I Shot The Sheriff

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Eric Clapton took Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff", first heard on the Wailers' 1973 album Burnin', and cut it for 461 Ocean Boulevard, released in July 1974. Tom Dowd produced it with Karl Richardson engineering, and the band plays it cool and loping rather than hot: Clapton's lead vocal and guitar alongside George Terry's, Carl Radle's elastic bass, Jamie Oldaker's laid-back drums, Dick Sims on organ and Albhy Galuten on piano, with Yvonne Elliman and Terry filling in the backing vocals.

Marley said he'd really wanted to write about shooting the police but swapped in a sheriff to avoid trouble with the government; either way, he said, the idea was justice. Clapton's version keeps that simmering grievance and wraps it in a slinky, understated groove that lets the tune do the work.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1991 255 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1991) 500
1997 213 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (1997) 499
1997 661 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
2001 177 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2001 1207 WFPK WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time 2000
2002 489 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (2002) 500
2002 215 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2002) 923
2004 214 92.3 KGON KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2004) 923
2004 204 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2005 186 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2006 274 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2011 172 97.9 The Loop The Loop Rock N Roll 500 (2011) 500
2011 499 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) 1100
2012 501 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) 1200
2012 287 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2012) 500
2013 395 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2013) 500
2013 262 Big 100 BIG 500 Labor Day Countdown (2013) 500
2013 191 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR CT 500 (2013) 500
2014 426 Big 100 BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) 1000
2015 134 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2015) 500
2015 393 I-95 I-95 Memorial Day Weekend Top 500 (2015) 500
2016 402 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2016) 500
2016 401 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2016) 500
2016 216 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 1007
2016 295 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2016) 500
2017 412 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2017) 500
2018 462 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2018) 500
2020 284 Q105.7 Q105.7 Memorial Day 500 (2020) 499
2021 366 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2021) 499
2021 317 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021) 500
2021 13 KISW KISW 25 Greatest Rock Covers 25
2022 781 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2022) 1025
2022 248 97.1 The River River 500 (2022) 500
2023 764 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2024 208 KSHE 95 KSHE 95 Rock N' Roll 500 (2024) 500
2024 547 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2024 75 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Cover Songs 850
2025 922 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043

Also listed as: I Shot the Sherriff; I Shot The Sheriff; I Shot The Sherriff.

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