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Simon and Garfunkel were a popular folk duo in the 1960s, starting as Tom and Jerry in 1957. Their success peaked with the release of “The Sound of Silence” in 1965, leading to more hit albums and songs, including contributions to the soundtrack of The Graduate. They broke up in 1970 but have since reunited for tours.
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel are a folk singing duo. They recorded many albums together during the 1960s and were one of the most popular acts of that decade, with many chart-topping songs. They broke up in 1970, but have since reunited several times over the years.
Simon and Garfunkel had been close friends since elementary school when they started performing together. Initially, they called their band Tom and Jerry and their first album, Hey, Schoolgirl, was released under that name in 1957. The album reached number 49 on the Billboard charts and sold over 100,000 copies.
Other albums released under the Tom and Jerry name did not enjoy the same level of success, and the duo put the band on hold while they were in college. In 1964, however, they reformed under the name Simon and Garfunkel and released their first album on Columbia Records, Wednesday Morning, 3 AM. Upon its release, however, the album flopped. The duo went their separate ways and Paul Simon moved to England to work on a solo folk career.
In the summer of 1965, a track from Simon and Garfunkel’s first album, “The Sound of Silence,” became an unexpected hit. When radio stations started playing the song, their producer, Tom Wilson, decided to make the track more radio-friendly by adding electric guitars, bass and drums to the original folk song, creating a new genre: folk rock. The remixed single reached #1 on the music charts on January 1, 1966.
After the success of “The Sound of Silence”, Simon and Garfunkel got back together to record another album. The Sounds of Silence, which included their hit single, peaked at number 21 on the Billboard charts and a re-released version of their first album peaked at number 30. Many of the songs on this album are some of the most beloved in the discography of the duo, including the hit single “I Am A Rock”.
Simon and Garfunkel continued to release music throughout the rest of the 1960s and topped the charts several more times. One of their most famous songs was “Scarborough Fair”, based on an old English song. They were more successful, however, with the release of the film soundtrack, The Graduate. Simon and Garfunkel contributed songs to the film, which starred Anne Bancroft and Dustin Hoffman. The film was a success; helped the album to the top of the charts and made “Mrs. Robinson” one of their most famous songs.
Simon and Garfunkel’s last album together was the 1970s bestseller Bridge Over Troubled Water, which became hugely successful, selling over 14 million copies in the US and garnering multiple Grammy Awards. However, personal tensions and differing interests led the duo to break up in 1970. Since then, Paul Simon has embarked on a very successful solo career and the duo has performed on several reunion tours.
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