10 Huge Songs That Bands Refused To Play Live

10. Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton

For anyone who knows even the first thing about this song, you'll know exactly why this is a tough one for Eric Clapton to bust out.

In 1991, Slowhand suffered a horrific tragedy. His 4-year-old son Conor was staying with a family friend when he accidentally fell out of a window on the 53rd floor of an apartment block.

Traumatised by his infant son's sudden death, Clapton isolated himself away from the public before expressing his grief in song form.

Tears in Heaven was written for the movie Rush and drew on Clapton's experiences dealing with Conor's accident. Through the power of music, the guitarist was able to heal his broken heart and the song's powerful backstory resonated with millions around the world.

In 2004, Clapton retired the song from his live setlist, along with a song written for his dad called "My Father's Eyes". He said that "I didn't feel the loss anymore, which is so much a part of performing those songs."

Both tracks have subsequently worked their way back into his live performances, but nobody would have argued if they'd never been played again.