The compilation album has eleven tracks that Clapton recorded in the 1970s both as a solo artist and with Derek and the Dominos. Glyn Johns produced the album in association with Tom Dowd. Although the release sold 1,366,610 copies in the United States, it has not been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[1]
The AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine thinks that the compilation release "is an excellent distillation of his [Eric Clapton's] signature songs of the '70s". He continues, "While it focuses on his solo recordings, it's not limited to them, throwing in two cuts from Derek and the Dominos -- "Layla," of course, plus "Bell Bottom Blues"—which help complete the portrait of Clapton in the '70s." Erlewine also points the way to Clapton's massively successful compilation Timepieces: Best Of Eric Clapton by noting that "20th Century Masters is essentially a revised Time Pieces, both running 11 tracks, nine of which are shared between the two records." ("Bell Bottom Blues" and "Let It Rain" replace "Willie and the Hand Jive" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", respectively). He finishes his review by rating the album with 4.5 of possible 5 stars.[2]
