Is Eric Clapton’s classic hit, “Cocaine,” the greatest rock song ever?

As only one other poster has said, JJ Cale wrote and recorded the song which IMHO is way better than EC's version. All you other posters have strayed way to far from the original question. BTW, JJ was a huge master of the subtle guitar that EC copied.

GOAT ROCK:

Clapton is the most overrated rock guitar legend. Good, but still overrated.

It's not even the best version of the song, nevermind the best song ever. Don't get me wrong, I like the song but there would be literally 1000 sounds any rock aficionado would put in front of it.

Agree. I'd give my left nut to be able to play like him but he's massively overrated as a guitarist. No one who actually plays guitar would even consider him when talking about the all time greats.

For what it's worth, Rolling Stone has Clapton as #2 all time. BUT, when they have Prince all the way down at #33, the list is invalid.

rollingstone.com

100 Greatest Guitarists

Rolling Stone

Find out who our panel of top guitarists and other experts picked

Open link

Like a Rolling Stone-Bob Dylan

Johnny B. Goode-Chuck Berry

It won't matter what list you look at or what site you visit if talking the great guitarists you will see Clapton somewhere near to the top. If you can show me where that isn't true I'd love to see it. I own everything in my opinion Eric Clapton is about as goes as it gets. Yes yes can talk Charley Christian, Lonnie Johnson, T Bone Walker, Django Rhinehart, Wes Montgomery, Jimi Hendrix, Albert Lee, Jeff Beck, Duane Allman, SRV, Derek Trucks, Harry Manx, Buddy Guy,

I have heard it all and I put Clapton in the top 3 or 4. You got five who are better?

Not event a top 10 song that Clapton was associated with.

This is the respect Eric Clapton gets...

The 12 Most Influential Guitarists of All Time—and Their Signature Styles
ROBERT JOHNSON. Robert Johnson is the greatest blues guitarist of all time and one of rock's founding fathers from the pre-World War II Delta blues era. ...
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN. ...
B.B. KING. ...
CHET ATKINS. ...
CHUCK BERRY. ...
WES MONTGOMERY. ...
ERIC CLAPTON. ...
JIMI HENDRIX.

Who are the top 10 rock and roll guitarists of all times?
The 10 Greatest Rock And Roll Guitarists Of All Time
Jimi Hendrix (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) ...
Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds, Derek and the Dominos, Cream) ...
Stevie Ray Vaughan (Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble) ...
David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) ...
B.B. King. ...
Prince (Prince and The Revolution) ...

Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of his stuff and he's certainly influential in that he helped inspired a generation of guitarists but best? Are we talking technical? Melody? Phrasing?

There are literally thousands of better technical players, I think everyone can acknowledge that (and I admit that great technical skills do not a great guitar player make) but here are just a handful of well known guitarists that are all superior to Clapton in my opinion (again there are boatloads of lesser known virtuosos.

Lindsay Buckingham

Mark Knopfler

EVH

David Gilmour

Jimmy Page

Ty Tabor

Brian May

Eric Johnson

Then you've got your Vai's and Satriani's that sort of skirt on the edge of mainstream music that are not even in the same universe as Clapton.

That's exactly what I mean by "overrated."

One hit wonder unfortunately.

We can look at everything out there talking the great rock guitarists, some will toss the blues cats in there but no matter what we always find Eric Clapton mentioned somewhere from 2 to 6ish, yes Hendrix is Da Man. You can't talk rock guitar and not talk Eric Clapton.

I seriously doubt there are thousands of......nay!

It might be the greatest rock song ever if you happen to be snorting white lines whilst listening to it. Otherwise, no.

I suppose it all comes down to the fact that 'best' is totally subjective when it comes to music and guitarists.

I'll admit to not being a huge Hendrix fanboy myself but his style was revolutionary, you'll still hear his signatures in guitarists today so I guess that makes him great even though I wouldn't have him in my top 10 favourites. Clapton was less revolutionary but again influenced an entire generation, there are Clapton influences all over a bunch of classic songs so I guess that also makes him great. But again, not in my top 10.

The one choice in the 'greatest guitarists' that always gets to me though is Prince, I just don't hear what other people are hearing obviously. His sound isn't particularly unique and from a technical perspective he's quite sloppy. Clapton is 1000 times the musician than Prince was.