20 best Paul Simon songs, ranked [PHOTOS]
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One of the country’s most prolific musicians, Paul Simon was born on October 13, 1941, in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in Queens, New York City. His love for music and gift for songwriting began at a young age, and he has enjoyed a varied career for over six decades.
Simon’s first successes came as one-half of a duo formed with his childhood friend, Art Garfunkel. Their debut album in 1964, “Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.,” flopped. However, the counterculture movement of the 1960s was just beginning, and before long, the duo’s folk/rock blend would become the anthem for that generation, and “The Sound of Silence” became their first hit.
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Fueled by Simon’s masterful storytelling, their unique sound and contributions to the 1967 film “The Graduate,” Simon and Garfunkel became two of the most successful and notable musicians of the time. In 1970, the two released their fifth and final studio album, “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” which became the best-selling album up to that time. It also won numerous Grammys, including Album of the Year and wins for for the title track, and is still considered one of the greatest albums of all time. Despite the success, the two decided to part ways, and Simon went on to a very eclectic and successful solo career.
Throughout the 1970s, Simon experimented with various forms of music, releasing culturally diverse songs that ranged from the reggae-inspired “Mother and Child Reunion” to the gospel-infused “Loves Me Like a Rock” to the soulful “Still Crazy After All These Years.” In 1986, he collaborated with several South African artists, as well as several fellow Americans, to create what would become his most successful solo album, “Graceland.” Although there was controversy as some felt Simon had broken the worldwide cultural boycott against apartheid, Simon said he paid the artists that he worked with, and did not perform to white-only audiences. The album helped to bring international attention to South African musicians, and was praised for its innovative blend of cultures. “Graceland” won the Grammy for Album of the Year (1987), and the title track won Record of the Year (1988).
Simon has continued to perform, at times with Garfunkel, over the years, but retired from touring in 2018. He continues to pursue his love of music by writing and recording, most recently releasing the well-received “Seven Psalms” earlier this year. A longtime friend of Lorne Michaels, Simon has appeared as host and/or musical guest on “Saturday Night Live” 14 times, including the second episode.
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Considered one of the greatest American artists of the 20th century, Simon has earned numerous accolades, both as a solo artist and collaborator, including 16 Grammys. He has been entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame for “Bridge over Troubled Water” (1998), and has been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, both alongside Garfunkel (1990) and as a solo artist (2001). He is often named as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, and was selected for the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002. In 2007, he was the inaugural recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, presented by the Library of Congress, which has preserved “Sounds of Silence” and “Graceland” in the National Recording Registry.
As time marches on, styles and tastes change, and once-popular music often fades away. However, the beauty of Simon’s songwriting is his ability to blend feelings of nostalgia with timeless messages that appeal to the older generations while also attracting younger generations. More than half a century after their initial releases, “Sounds of Silence” and “Bridge over Troubled Water” remain two of the most moving rock ballads ever written. Tour our photo gallery ranking his 20 best songs, ranging from the upbeat “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard” to the reflective “The Boxer” to the iconic “Mrs. Robinson.”
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Launch Gallery: 20 best Paul Simon songs, ranked
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