Eric Clapton, Me & Mr. Johnson

They say that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil for his genius skill on the guitar. They also used to say that Clapton is God, so maybe the two will cancel out on Slow Hand’s new homage to fourteen of Johnson’s gems. Clapton is best known for his blues-rock fusion, but his affinity for the early stuff goes way back (of course, he had a huge hit with the Johnson tune “Crossroads”), and his work in the last decade has played up his traditional-blues credentials. From the Cradle and Riding with the King won Grammies, sold millions, and even got some of the yo-yos to stop yelling for “Layla” at his concerts.