X Post Claims Rolling Stone Dropped Clapton
An X post circulating on Saturday is alleging that Rolling Stone dramatically lowered Eric Clapton’s placement on its list of the greatest guitarists, tying the move to the musician’s public comments about COVID-19 vaccination and concert entry policies.
In the post, Robin Monotti wrote that Clapton was moved from the top 10 to No. 35 because he said he was “vaccine” injured and refused to restrict entry to his shows based on vaccination status, claiming the publication acknowledged that reasoning in its explanation.
The claim has been shared widely as debate continues online over how legacy media rankings are compiled and revised, and whether non-musical controversies can shape where artists land on major lists.
Clapton has faced public scrutiny in recent years for statements and songs related to pandemic-era restrictions, and Alternative Nation has previously reported on unrelated moments in his career, including when Eric Clapton was rejected alongside Phil Collins in a separate industry story.
Neither Rolling Stone nor Clapton had publicly responded in the post’s text itself, and the X post did not include a direct excerpt of Rolling Stone’s explanation beyond the allegation. Any clarification would likely depend on the specific version of the ranking being referenced and the criteria used in that list.
Rolling Stone moved Eric Clapton down from the top 10 of greatest guitar players of all time to 35 because he admitted to being Covid "vaccine" injured & refused to discriminate on entry to his concerts based on "vaccine" status. They even admit the reasoning in the explanation! pic.twitter.com/IMS5Z3iyxE
— Robin Monotti (@robinmonotti) May 3, 2026
