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Simon & Garfunkel

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Simon & Garfunkel was an American duo of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They met in 1953 at school in Queens, New York, and learned to harmonise together there, while Simon began writing songs. As teenagers they had a small success under the name Tom & Jerry with Hey Schoolgirl from 1957, an imitation of their heroes, the Everly Brothers. In 1963 they started again, this time with an interest in folk, and signed with Columbia Records. Their debut album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. from 1964 sold poorly, after which Simon went to England and Garfunkel continued his studies.

Music and breakthrough

In 1965 a new, remixed version of The Sound of Silence became a radio hit and reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The album Sounds of Silence followed in 1966, as did Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, on which they had more creative control. Their music was given a prominent place in the 1967 film The Graduate. In 1968 the soundtrack album topped the album chart, as did Bookends with Mrs. Robinson. Their last studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water, was released in January 1970, just before the split, and became one of the best-selling albums in the world. The Boxer, Cecilia and America are also part of their work.

Influence

The duo combined folk with rock, two-part harmony and poetic lyrics. After the split Simon had a successful solo career, with Graceland among others, and Garfunkel sang hits such as Bright Eyes. Their 1981 concert in Central Park possibly drew more than 500,000 people. In 1990 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to The Sound of Silence and notice how the two voices sing together at the same pitch. Follow how the accompaniment begins with a simple acoustic guitar and later adds more instruments.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsPop song, rock and compilation score