Originally posted by: SludgeFactory
I thought this was one of those lists with Cobain in a top 10 position. What a letdown. 😛
The "Clapton is God" graffiti photo was taken while Hendrix was still an anonymous R&B backup player. Most of Clapton's style came from guys like Freddie King, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Big Bill Broonzy, even Robert Johnson. Freddie King was a huge influence on Clapton, go listen to some of his music.
Of course Hendrix influenced everybody to some degree after he exploded on the scene, but the bulk of what made Clapton was laid down in his formative years in the late 50's/early 60's, listening to blues records. Most of the famous rock guitarists went to the woodshed during their teenage years and whatever they figured out then forms the core of their playing for their entire lives.
I'm not a Clapton superfan, but how can you say he didn't revolutionize rock, he was *the* guy who plugged a Les Paul into a Marshall and turned the knob to 10. Even if he was copping old blues licks when did it, his act had a lot to do with where rock music started heading post 1965/66 -- including <gasp> influencing Jimi Hendrix.