Paul Simon, the #72 Artist of the Rock Era, Part One

"Our generation benefited so from this great artist."

"He is a ridiculously gifted lyricist, and a great vocalist. The combination is amazing."

"A Master in our day. His poetry is from another world."

"Mr Simon..... there is no one who so clearly and correctly captures the feelings and thoughts of so many people."

"Paul Simon, maybe the greatest lyricist of all time!"

"His music has been an inspiration for our lifetimes."

"So profound, deep, philosophical, Paul's and is transcendent and his lyrics will be taught in Englist Literature classes in 6016."

"Paul is a veritable gold mine of profound philosophical thinking and of life's vagaries."

"His music is carved on the billboards of everybody's mind."

"Paul Simon songs have dealt with relevant social issues for 40 + years in calming, harmonic melodies that are timeless and uplifting."

This genius was born October 13, 1941 in Newark, New Jersey.  He moved with his family to Queens, New York in 1945 and became interested in music and baseball.  He met Art Garfunkel when he was 11; they both performed in a school production of Alice in Wonderland and began singing together two years later.

Paul wrote his first song called "The Girl For Me", which he later copyrighted and is now in the U.S. Library of Congress.  A few years later, Simon & Garfunkel recorded "Hey, Schoolgirl" as Tom & Jerry, a #49 song.

Simon graduated from Forest Hills High School and earned an English literature degree at Queens College.  He briefly went to Brooklyn Law School but his love of music soon led him to pursue a career in Rock & Roll instead.  After writing nearly 30 songs, Paul's songwriting ability impressed the brass at Columbia Records and Simon & Garfunkel signed a recording contract in 1964.

With Garfunkel, Paul Simon enjoyed great success as a duo from 1964-1970, achieving three of The Top 15 Songs of the Rock Era* in "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "The Sound Of Silence" and "Mrs. Robinson", scoring eight Top 10 hits and winning 14 Grammy Awards.  The duo broke up in 1970 at the height of their popularity, and Simon began a solo career.

Simon released his debut album in January 1972, which was widely praised by critics for the variety of styles on the project.  This included Paul's Jamaican-inspired "Mother And Child Reunion", #3 in Norway, #4 in the United States and Canada, #5 in the U.K. and Australia and #6 in the Netherlands.  It has gone over two million in radio airplays.

 

"Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard" continued the momentum, reaching #6 on the Easy Listening chart although it's peak of #22 on the Popular chart easily makes it one of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.

 

The album sold over one million copies and reached #1 in the U.K. Finland, Norway and Sweden and #4 in the United States.  "Duncan" is another great track on the album.

Simon followed that album up with There Goes Rhymin' Simon, another Platinum album released in 1973.  The first single, "Kodachrome", became one of his biggest solo hits, soaring to #1 in Canada, #2 in the U.S. and #8 in France.  The song has now gone over three million in radio airplays.

"Loves Me Like A Rock", with the Dixie Hummingbirds on backing vocals, quickly becoming Simon's third solo Top 10, reaching #2 in the United States and #5 in Canada.

Another gem is "St. Judy's Comet".

The song has topped the three-million mark in radio airplay.  "American Tune" is another highlight of the album.

"Something So Right" was nominated for Best Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

Written in the wake of his divorce, the album Still Crazy After All These Years, one of Paul's finest works.  "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" topped charts in the U.S. and Canada and hit #2 in France.

Simon won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and a BMI Pop Award for two million radio airplays for "50 Ways".  The album, which went Gold, also highlights the memorable title song.  It features more amazing Simon lyrics but with a peak of #40, is another highly underrated song, as evidenced by the fact that it has exceeded one million radio airplays.  

The song "Gone At Last" received a BMI Pop Award.  Paul organized a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden to raise money for the New York Public Library, and over $30,000 was raised.

Simon also teamed up with mate Art Garfunkel for the Top 10 smash "My Little Town".

Simon wrote music for the movie Shampoo and starred in the movie Annie Hall.  In 1977, he released the compilation Greatest Hits, Etc., and from that album, the new song "Slip Slidin' Away" became a huge hit, going to #4 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #5 overall in the U.S. and #2 in Canada.

The classic song has topped two million in radio airplay.  Meanwhile, Simon joined with James Taylor and Garfunkel on Art's 1978 album Watermark.  The remake of "Wonderful World" became a huge Adult Contemporary hit that peaked at #17 overall.

Be sure to catch Part 2 of Paul Simon!