Few musical partnerships have shaped the landscape of American folk rock quite like Simon & Garfunkel. Their intricate harmonies, poetic lyricism, and masterful arrangements created a body of work that continues to resonate with listeners across generations. From their early folk beginnings to their sophisticated studio productions, Paul Simon’s songwriting genius paired with Art Garfunkel’s angelic tenor produced some of the most enduring recordings in popular music history. This exploration of their greatest hits reveals not just commercial success, but genuine artistic achievement that still sounds remarkably fresh decades after its creation.
The Sound of Silence
This haunting masterpiece stands as perhaps the duo’s most recognizable achievement, and for good reason. The electric version, produced by Tom Wilson without the duo’s initial knowledge, transformed their acoustic original into something transcendent—layering in electric guitars, bass, and drums that gave the song an urgency the folkie version lacked. Paul Simon’s cryptic lyrics about alienation and communication breakdown feel eerily prescient, while Garfunkel’s vocals float above the arrangement with ethereal precision. The song’s dynamics build brilliantly, starting sparse and growing into a full-band crescendo that still gives you chills on a quality sound system.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
The title track from their final studio album represents the peak of their studio ambition and Garfunkel’s vocal prowess. Recorded at Columbia Studios in Nashville, the song features Larry Knechtel’s gospel-influenced piano work that provides the foundation for one of the most emotionally powerful vocal performances in pop music history. The arrangement builds from intimate confession to full orchestral grandeur, with strings and horns that Phil Ramone engineered to perfection. Garfunkel’s voice navigates the song’s emotional terrain with stunning control, hitting those climactic high notes with a purity that’s genuinely moving even on the thousandth listen.
Mrs. Robinson
Originally written for “The Graduate” soundtrack, this track showcases Simon at his most playful and culturally observant. The song’s unconventional structure—those “dee dee dee” vocal hooks, the sudden tempo shifts, the seemingly disconnected verses—somehow coalesces into something instantly memorable and deeply satisfying. The production features some creative acoustic guitar work, with Simon’s fingerpicking style front and center in the mix, while Garfunkel’s harmonies add warmth to the somewhat cynical observations about American culture. It’s one of those rare songs that works both as pure pop entertainment and as genuine social commentary.
The Boxer
Clocking in at over five minutes, this epic ballad demonstrates Simon’s storytelling abilities at their finest. The production is notably lush, featuring multiple guitar overdubs, strings, and that legendary drum sound—supposedly recorded in a massive elevator shaft at Columbia’s 7th Avenue studio to achieve that cavernous reverb. The narrative follows a struggling immigrant through hardship and perseverance, with Garfunkel joining Simon on those soaring “lie la lie” choruses that provide emotional release after each verse’s struggle. The song’s patient pacing and dynamic build make it perfect for headphones, where you can appreciate every layer of the intricate arrangement.
Scarborough Fair/Canticle
This traditional English folk song received a sophisticated Simon & Garfunkel treatment that showcases their ability to reimagine ancient material for contemporary audiences. The duo’s arrangement layers two separate melodies—the traditional “Scarborough Fair” and Simon’s anti-war “Canticle”—creating a counterpoint that’s both musically complex and thematically rich. Garfunkel’s voice carries the traditional melody with Renaissance-fair delicacy, while Simon’s countermelody provides pointed commentary about war and violence. The harpsichord-like guitar work and subtle orchestration create an atmosphere that’s simultaneously medieval and distinctly 1960s.
America
Few songs capture the restless searching of youth quite like this narrative of a cross-country bus journey. The production is deceptively simple—mostly acoustic guitar and voices—but the arrangement’s space and breathing room allow the story to unfold with cinematic clarity. Simon’s lyrics paint vivid scenes of roadside America, from New Jersey Turnpike to Pittsburgh, while expressing a deeper search for meaning and connection. The song builds subtly, with percussion and bass entering gradually, and those final harmonized lines about looking for America carry genuine emotional weight. If you’re comparing headphones, this track reveals how well they handle vocal detail and spatial imaging.
Homeward Bound
Written by Paul Simon while waiting at a railway station in England during a solo tour, this song perfectly captures the loneliness of life on the road. The arrangement features that distinctive rhythm guitar pattern that drives the entire track, while Garfunkel’s harmony vocals provide comfort against Simon’s lead. The production is clean and direct, putting the focus squarely on the melody and lyrics rather than studio tricks. It’s the kind of song that sounds great blasting through car speakers on a long highway drive, the yearning in the vocals matching that feeling of wanting to be somewhere else.
I Am a Rock
This declaration of emotional isolation showcases Simon’s ability to write compelling first-person narratives. The electric arrangement features some excellent guitar work and a solid backbeat that gives the song forward momentum, while the duo’s harmonies remain pristine throughout. The imagery of books and poetry as protection from emotional pain resonates with a certain intellectual isolation that feels timeless. The production balances the folk-rock elements perfectly, never overwhelming the vocals but providing enough instrumental interest to keep things engaging through multiple verses.
Cecilia
This percussion-driven track stands out in their catalog for its sheer exuberance and rhythmic innovation. The story goes that much of the body percussion—hand claps, thigh slaps, and foot stomps—was recorded in a bathroom for natural reverb, giving the track its distinctive organic groove. The song’s loose, almost celebratory vibe contrasts with much of their more serious work, and there’s a joy in the performance that’s infectious. Despite the seemingly simple arrangement, there’s considerable craft in how the vocal harmonies and rhythmic elements interact, creating a track that sounds spontaneous yet carefully constructed.
The Only Living Boy in New York
This gorgeous meditation on loneliness and artistic partnership features some of their most beautiful harmonies. The production is wonderfully spacious, with echo and reverb creating a sense of vast emptiness that matches the lyrical themes. Many interpret the song as Simon’s reflection on Garfunkel’s acting career pulling him away from music, adding poignant subtext to lines about someone leaving town. The layered vocals toward the end create an almost choir-like effect, with multiple Garfunkel overdubs building into something transcendent. Through quality earbuds, you can really appreciate the stereo separation and vocal layering.
Kathy’s Song
One of Simon’s most nakedly emotional compositions, this acoustic ballad strips away all production flourishes to focus on pure vocal expression and fingerpicked guitar. Written about Kathy Chitty, Simon’s girlfriend during his time in England, the song’s vulnerability and honesty make it deeply affecting. Garfunkel’s harmony vocals are used sparingly, allowing Simon’s lead to carry the emotional weight of lines about loneliness and longing for connection. The simplicity of the arrangement—just voice and guitar—demands technical perfection, and both the performance and recording quality deliver completely.
For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her
This delicate love song showcases Garfunkel’s voice at its most pristine and controlled. The production is minimal—mainly acoustic guitar and vocals—allowing every nuance of the performance to shine through. Simon’s lyrics employ elevated, almost archaic language that could feel pretentious in less skilled hands but here creates genuine romantic beauty. The song’s gentle dynamics and patient pacing make it perfect for quiet, contemplative listening, revealing new vocal subtleties with each replay.
Bookends Theme/Old Friends
These companion pieces explore aging and mortality with touching honesty and musical sophistication. The production features subtle orchestration that supports rather than overwhelms the vocals, while the melodies unfold with unhurried grace. The imagery of old men on park benches and newspapers carrying yesterday’s news creates vivid, melancholic scenes. Garfunkel and Simon’s voices blend beautifully here, their harmonies conveying both the comfort of long friendship and the inevitable passage of time.
A Hazy Shade of Winter
Their hardest-rocking track features aggressive acoustic guitar strumming and a driving rhythm section that gives it genuine urgency. The song addresses the passage of seasons as a metaphor for aging and lost opportunity, but the energetic arrangement prevents it from becoming maudlin. The production is notably powerful, with the instruments mixed hot and the vocals cutting through with intensity. It’s a track that shows their versatility, proving they could deliver muscular folk-rock alongside their more delicate material.
Leaves That Are Green
This meditation on impermanence features some of Simon’s most poetic imagery. The fingerpicked guitar arrangement is intricate and memorable, providing a flowing foundation for vocals that navigate the song’s philosophical themes with grace. The production keeps things intimate, placing you right in the room with the performers. Multiple listenings reveal the craft in both the lyrics and the guitar work, with nothing wasted or superfluous.
April Come She Will
Clocking in under two minutes, this brief piece proves that duration doesn’t determine impact. The simple fingerpicked pattern supports vocals that float with almost supernatural lightness, while the lyrics chart a relationship’s progression through the months with economy and grace. It’s the kind of track that works perfectly as a palate cleanser in a longer listening session, its brevity leaving you wanting more rather than feeling shortchanged.
El Condor Pasa (If I Could)
Based on a traditional Peruvian folk melody by Daniel Alomía Robles, this track demonstrates their ability to incorporate world music elements into their sound. The arrangement features authentic Andean instrumentation—panpipes and charango—blended with Simon’s English lyrics about freedom and escape. The production balances the traditional instrumental elements with contemporary recording techniques, creating something that honors both traditions. Garfunkel’s harmonies soar over the melody with his characteristic purity.
Patterns
This introspective examination of routine and conformity features a hypnotic fingerpicked guitar pattern that perfectly matches the lyrical themes. The production is clean and focused, allowing the cyclical nature of the guitar work to create a meditative atmosphere. Simon’s vocals convey a sense of being trapped in life’s patterns with resignation rather than anger, while Garfunkel’s harmonies add depth to the existential observations.
Fakin’ It
This experimental track showcases their willingness to push boundaries in the studio. The arrangement incorporates unusual time signatures, sudden dynamic shifts, and creative overdubs that keep listeners slightly off-balance—perfectly matching lyrics about identity and authenticity. The production features some interesting stereo effects and unexpected instrumental choices, demonstrating that even at the height of their commercial success, they remained willing to take artistic risks.
At the Zoo
This whimsical track demonstrates their lighter side without sacrificing musical sophistication. The arrangement features creative orchestration and sound effects that bring the zoo setting to life, while the lyrics offer gentle social commentary through animal metaphors. The production is playful yet polished, with each instrumental element—from the brass to the woodwinds—clearly placed in the mix. It’s a track that reveals their range, showing they could craft perfectly realized pop confections alongside their more serious work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Simon & Garfunkel’s most successful song commercially?
“Bridge Over Troubled Water” stands as their biggest commercial achievement, topping charts worldwide and winning multiple Grammy Awards including Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 1971. The album of the same name sold over 25 million copies globally, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. While “The Sound of Silence” and “Mrs. Robinson” also achieved massive success, neither matched the sustained chart performance and cultural impact of “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” which remains a staple of adult contemporary radio formats decades after its release.
Why did Simon & Garfunkel break up?
The duo’s breakup stemmed from multiple factors including creative tensions, differing career ambitions, and personal friction that had built up over years of collaboration. Art Garfunkel’s acting career, particularly his role in “Catch-22,” created scheduling conflicts that frustrated Paul Simon. Additionally, Simon increasingly wanted full creative control over his music, while interpersonal dynamics between the perfectionistic partners became strained. They officially split in 1970 after completing “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” though they’ve reunited for occasional performances over the decades, most notably their 1981 Concert in Central Park.
What makes Simon & Garfunkel’s harmonies so distinctive?
The unique quality of their vocal blend comes from the contrast between Paul Simon’s earthier, more nasal tenor and Art Garfunkel’s pure, almost choirboy-like voice. Garfunkel typically sang the higher harmony parts with exceptional pitch accuracy and tonal purity, while Simon’s grittier voice provided grounding. Their years of singing together since junior high school created an intuitive understanding of each other’s vocal approaches, allowing them to blend seamlessly while maintaining individual character. The production also played a role, with engineers like Roy Halee carefully balancing their voices to maximize their complementary qualities.
Which Simon & Garfunkel album should beginners start with?
“Bridge Over Troubled Water” serves as the ideal entry point for new listeners, offering their most polished production, strongest songwriting, and greatest variety. The album includes several of their most beloved hits while demonstrating their range from intimate folk to orchestral pop. Alternatively, a greatest hits compilation provides an efficient overview of their evolution from early folk recordings through their sophisticated later work. “Bookends” also makes an excellent starting point, featuring both accessible hits and deeper album tracks that showcase their artistic ambitions.
Are there significant differences between the original mono and stereo mixes?
The original stereo mixes generally provide superior listening experiences on modern equipment, with better separation and spatial imaging that allows individual instruments and vocal parts to shine. However, some audiophiles argue certain tracks like “The Sound of Silence” have punchier impact in their mono versions, where the centered mix creates unified power. For critical listening through quality headphones or speakers, the stereo versions reveal production details and layering that mono mixes necessarily compress. Columbia’s various remasters over the years have improved clarity and dynamic range while preserving the character of the original recordings.
What guitar techniques does Paul Simon use in these recordings?
Simon employs sophisticated fingerpicking patterns throughout their catalog, often using altered tunings and capo placements to create distinctive voicings. His style incorporates elements of folk, classical, and even world music influences, with intricate right-hand patterns that maintain rhythmic drive while allowing melodic movement. Tracks like “The Boxer” and “Scarborough Fair” showcase his ability to create full, orchestral sounds from a single acoustic guitar. His rhythmic precision and harmonic vocabulary elevated folk guitar playing, influencing countless musicians who followed.