Crossroads (Eric Clapton album)

Crossroads
Box set by Eric Clapton
Released April 18, 1988 (1988-04-18)
Recorded 1963–1987
Genre Blues rock
Length 293:03
Label Polydor
Compiler Bill Levenson
Eric Clapton chronology
The Cream of Eric Clapton
(1987)The Cream of Eric Clapton1987		 Crossroads
(1988)		 Journeyman
(1989)Journeyman1989

Crossroads is a 1988 music collection box set of the work of Eric Clapton released by Polydor Records.[1] The set includes his work with the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Blues Breakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends and Derek and the Dominos, as well as his solo career.

Several live or alternate studio recordings were previously unreleased. Anthony DeCurtis contributed the liner notes to the album, and The Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood painted the album's cover. Mitchell Kanner designed the package and, along with Michael Bays, art directed the package.[2] Crossroads was mastered by Greg Calbi and compiled by Bill Levenson.[3] the four-disc box set sold more than four million copies worldwide and was presented with six awards, including two Grammies awarded in 1989. With high commercial success and positive critical response, this is Clapton's most purchased box set to date.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Rolling Stone[4]
AllMusic[5]

The critics for Billboard magazine noted mostly the production work, besides the compilations track listing stating: "Compiler Levenson has unearthed some superb rarities for the set, and Anthony DeCurtis contributes intelligent annotation. Classy package and bounty of unheard material will attract Slowhand's legion of fans".[2] Rolling Stone journalist David Fricke really liked the boxed set and awarded the release an extremely rare five-star rating in April 1988.[4] In his review for the American music website AllMusic, critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine presented the album with five out of five possible stars, rating the release as an AllMusic top album and notes:

[…] Clapton's set was a bona fide blockbuster. And it's easy to see why. Crossroads manages to sum up Clapton's career succinctly and thoroughly, touching upon all of his hits and adding a bevy of first-rate unreleased material (most notably selections from the scrapped second Derek and the Dominos album). Although not all of his greatest performances are included on the set – none of his work as a session musician or guest artist is included, for instance – every truly essential item he recorded is present on these four discs. No other Clapton album accurately explains why the guitarist was so influential, or demonstrates exactly what he accomplished.
— Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic[5]

Awards

Year Ceremony Award Result Ref.
1988 Billboard First Double Platinum-selling Box Set Won [6]
First Platinum-selling Box Set Won [6]
Highest-charting Boxed Set Won [7]
1989 Grammy Awards Best Album Notes Won [8]
Best Historical Album Won [9]

Track listings

CD

Vinyl

Commercial success

Crossroads is Clapton's commercially most successful multi-disc boxed set, charting in both 1988 and 1989, selling a total of more than three million copies worldwide. In the United States, the 1988 box set was most successful. It peaked at number eight on Billboard magazines Top Pop Compact Disks chart in May 1988 and entered the magazines Top 200 albums chart at position 80. At that point, Clapton was the second artist ever to chart in the Top 100 field with a box set containing six discs, following Elvis Presley.[10] In its first week on chart, Crossroads was both the best- and fastest-selling box set, ever to be released, selling more than 240,000 copies in the first few weeks after its release in the United States. At that point, more than 120,000 copies which were sold were on CD formats, which was still quite rare at the time.[11] In 1988, the release topped the Top Pop Compact Disks chart[12] and reached number 34 on the Billboard 200 top albums chart, where Crossroads stayed a total of 26 weeks on chart.[13] In 2005, the compilation album was certified with a triple Platinum award by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), commemorating the sale of more than three million copies in the United States alone,[14] making it Clapton's best-selling box set in the country. In 1988, the Clapton record was the 26th most-purchased Pop music CD in the United States.[15] In Europe, the box set was a medium success, reaching the Top 20 in only two countries. In the Netherlands, the box set reached number 17 and stayed a total of nine weeks in the charts.[16] Crossroads also reached number 25 on the worldwide albums chart in 1988.[11]

Chart positions

Weekly charts

Chart (1988–2016) Peak
position
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[16] 17
Greek Albums (IFPI)[17] 44
Italian Albums (FIMI)[18] 29
US Billboard 200[13] 34
US Top Pop Compact Disks (Billboard)[12] 1
Worldwide Albums (IFPI)[11] 25

Year-end charts

Chart (1988) Position
US Top Pop Compact Disks (Billboard)[15] 26

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[14] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ Rosenbluth, Jean (April 2, 1988). "Super Acts Take April Breather – Clapton, Clash Sets Among Highlights" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 100 (14): 3, 75. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Haring, Bruce (April 30, 1988). "Clapton's Cream: 73 Tracks – Poly Gram Issues 5-Hour Compilation / Album Reviews – New & Noteworthy" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 100 (18): 19, 62. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  3. ↑ Schumacher, Michael (1995). "Chapter 12: Journeyman (1986–90)". Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton (1st ed.). New York City: Hyperion. ISBN 0-7868-6074-X.
  4. 1 2 Fricke, David (April 21, 1988). "Eric Clapton Crossroads Album Review | Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Rollingstone.com. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Crossroads – Eric Clapton | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Rock On The Net: Eric Clapton". Rock On The Net. Rockonthenet.com. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  7. ↑ Grein, Paul (January 6, 1990). "Consistent Collins Captures No. 1 Slots; Linda Bonstadt Logs 10th Top 10 Album" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 102 (1): 12. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Past Winners Search | GRAMMY.com". Grammy Awards. The Recording Academy. Type "Anthony DeCurtis" under Artist to see the results. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  9. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Crossroads – Eric Clapton | Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  10. ↑ Grein, Paul (May 7, 1988). "Chart Beat / Top Compact Disks Pop / Billboard 200 Albums" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 100 (42): 6, 46, 84. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 "Clapton 'Crossroads' Fuels Unexpected Sales Mileage" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 100 (23): 6, 41, 78. June 4, 1988. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  12. 1 2 "Top Compact Disks Pop" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 100 (20): 43. May 14, 1988. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Eric Clapton – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Eric Clapton. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  14. 1 2 "American album certifications – Eric Clapton – Crossroads". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 27, 2015. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  15. 1 2 "No. 1 Awards" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 100 (52): 86. December 24, 1988. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  16. 1 2 "Dutchcharts.nl – Eric Clapton – Crossroads" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Official IFPI Charts Top 75 Albums Sales Chart Week: 3/2016". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry of Greece. Archived from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  18. ↑ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 27 (dal 2016-07-01 al 2016-07-07)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
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