About the duo: Simon and Garfunkel were responsible for me getting interested in music around 1970. They were active from 1964 until 1970, with occasional reunions since then. Both embarked on solo careers, with Paul Simon's being particularly successful. They are among the best-selling music artists, having sold more than 100 million records. My favourite act from the sixties. Simon and Garfunkel currently have five songs in my list of about 200 best pop/rock songs of all time.
About the song: this is the song launched the career of Simon and Garfunkel. It started as a simple folk song on the 1964 album Wednesday 3 AM, with just a guitar as accompaniment, and drew little attention. Two years later, a beefed up version was released as a single and it proved their commercial breakthrough - it is this version that is included in their 1966 album Sounds of silence. One of the best lyrics of all time, with immortal lines such as "silence like a cancer grows", still impress after over 50 years, and the melody is just as beautiful. Run time 3:03.
