Recorded after he overcame his heroin habit, 461 Ocean Boulevard contains Clapton's biggest solo single, 'I Shot the Sheriff', which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The album marked his transition from flashy instrumental icon to well-rounded recording artist, downplaying sonic pyrotechnics in favor of a song-focused ensemble approach that would lay the groundwork for his successful solo career.
Dire Straits' minimalist interpretation of pub rock had already crystallized by the time they released their eponymous debut. Driven by Mark Knopfler's spare, tasteful guitar lines and his husky warbling, the album is a set of bluesy rockers.
Brothers in Arms brought the atmospheric, jazz-rock inclinations of Love Over Gold into a pop setting, resulting in a surprise international best-seller.
Money for Nothing, the first Dire Straits greatest hits collection (featuring songs from the band's first five albums), was originally released in October 1988.
“Isles In Indigo” both stays true to his established sound, and expands on the artistic vision; a luscious combination of aquatic ambient, lo-fi hip-hop, and mellow, melodic electronic.