Tears in Heaven

Eric Clapton released Tears in Heaven as a standalone single in January 1992 after recording the track in late 1991. The song emerged from the soundtrack for the film Rush, but its creation was driven by personal tragedy following the death of his four-year-old son Conor, who fell from a 53rd-story window in New York City on March 20, 1991. Clapton wrote the lyrics with Will Jennings to process his grief, resulting in a sparse acoustic ballad that relies on gentle guitar work and raw vocal delivery rather than complex production.

The track became an international sensation, reaching number one in the UK, Australia, and over twenty other countries while peaking at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100. It remains Clapton's best-selling single in America and earned him three Grammy Awards in 1993: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. A live version recorded at Bray Studios for MTV Unplugged in January 1992 further cemented the song's legacy, appearing on the massive Unplugged album which defied Clapton's initial bet that it would not chart high. [edit]