Album of the Day

Eric Clapton had a quarter-century of rock superstardom under his belt when he entered an English studio to tape an installment of MTV's UNPLUGGED series. The resulting Reprise album became a phenomenal success, topping the Billboard chart and later earning six Grammys. The haunting single “Tears In Heaven,” written in memory of Clapton's young son, accounted for three of those awards, and a stripped-down reworking of “Layla” was another winner, but the singer-guitarist is in peak form throughout the set. The 14 songs on the original album – and the six unreleased outtakes on the Deluxe Edition – reveal how ideally suited Clapton is for the role of acoustic blues troubadour. The three-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer turns 75 today, and we'll wish him a happy birthday with UNPLUGGED.