The Sounds of Silence

Paul Simon wrote the lyrics for a song about isolation in March 1964, recording a stark acoustic version that appeared on their debut album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.. Columbia Records released that collection to quiet shelves in October 1964, and the duo effectively went their separate ways. Paul Simon moved to England while Art Garfunkel returned to college to finish his degree. Radio stations in Boston and Florida began playing a new version of the track that included electric instruments and drums added by producer Tom Wilson without the artists' knowledge or consent.

This folk-rock arrangement transformed the song into a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 by January 1966. The unexpected success forced the pair to reunite for recording sessions to capitalize on the momentum. Columbia quickly titled this follow-up Sounds of Silence, a collection of twelve tracks that marked the duo's transition from pure folk to folk-rock. The record established their signature blend of poetic lyricism and melodic simplicity while introducing electric guitars and bass to their sound. [edit]