Which Bob Marley song was covered by Eric Clapton and became a 1974 US number-one hit?

Eric Clapton’s 1974 cover of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff” became a US number-one hit.

Marley originally recorded the song with The Wailers for the 1973 album Burnin’. The lyrics describe a narrator who says he shot a sheriff but did not shoot a deputy, creating a dramatic story often discussed in relation to authority and resistance.

Clapton’s rock interpretation introduced the composition to a much wider pop audience. His version topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in 1974 and helped increase international attention around Marley’s songwriting.

The original is sometimes confused with Clapton’s recording because many listeners first encountered the song through the cover. Marley’s version came first and appeared on Burnin’, while Clapton’s version was the major American chart success.