Simon & Garfunkel Songs Ranked

Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk-rock duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. One of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, their biggest hits—including “The Sound of Silence” (1965), “Mrs. Robinson” (1968), “The Boxer” (1969), and “Bridge over Troubled Water” (1970)—reached number one on singles charts worldwide. Bridge over Troubled Water is ranked at number 51 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Richie Unterberger described them as “the most successful folk-rock duo of the 1960s” and one of the most popular artists from the decade. They are among the best-selling music artists, having sold more than 100 million records. Here are all of Simon & Garfunkel’s songs ranked.

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20. Leaves that are Green (Sounds of Silence, 1966)

“Such an upbeat, folky ditty that never fails to get me smiling while reminding me of Paul Simon’s songwriting genius”

19. Bookends Theme (Bookends, 1968)

“It’s a minute and 15 seconds of pure beauty. The melancholy voice, the nostalgic lyrics… It makes me melt on the insides.”

18. Keep the Customer Satisfied (Bridge Over Troubled Water, 1970)

“I love this songs progression, and just everything about it. I love just about every Simon and Garfunkel song but this is just a cut above.”

17. Silent Night/7 O’Clock News (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, 1966)

“7 O’Clock News/Silent Night may seem dated today but at the time of its release it was a biting anti-war song as news of the day was issued against the background of the beauty of “Silent Night.” It is a memorable creation.”

See more: Simon & Garfunkel Albums Ranked

16. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy) (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, 1966)

“An anthem to youthful good spirits and to being carefree, from a bygone era when “groovy” was a word that people really used.”

15. El Condor Pasa (If I Could) (Bridge Over Troubled Water, 1970)

“The song has a mystical feeling about it that immerses you in reflections of visions that you have never witnessed. It is eerily beautiful and simply the best work of the brothers.”

14. The Only Living Boy in New York (Bridge Over Troubled Water, 1970)

“A song about their breakup. The multi-layered, smoothed screaming in a cupboard is just mind-blowing – their own version of scream therapy. Drums, lyrics, instrumentation all top notch.”

13. A Hazy Shade of Winter (Bookends, 1968)

“One of their best. 3rd best behind sounds of silence and I an a rock. Underrated for which I could could never understand. Folk rock at its best.”

12. Kathy’s Song (Sounds of Silence, 1966)

“This song is one of the most inspired composition of Paul Simon, with touching lyrics about his feelings towards his girlfriend and his life. His perfect mastery of singing and a great guitar playing contribute to make this song one of the most beautiful that I know.”

11. April Come She Will (Sounds of Silence, 1966)

“Just loved how when I was little my dad used to play the guitar and sing this song. It is a beautiful piece of music, and I still like to hear this song.”

10. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, 1966)

“Without the poetry, melody and understanding given to me by Simon and Garfunkel, my ability to understand music, love and myself would not be as developed as it is today. I give my thanks to Simon and Garfunkel for this song and others that have become and will always be a part of me, a part of my love for the world!”

9. Cecilia (Paul Simon’s Concert in the Park, 1991)

“”Cecilia” was a top 3 US hit and deserved to be – it’s bright, sunny and happy-go-lucky, a raucous and even bawdy singalong, with all types of percussion going on around it.”

8. Scarborough Fair / Canticle (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, 1966)

“I think of this as the “parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme” song. Beautiful traditional melody, and beautiful harmonies by S & G. Best song ever. Such an easy and heavy melody, and brilliant lyrics, mixed in a really nice ballad.”

7. Homeward Bound (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, 1966)

“I love this song, surprised to see it at number 6 as it has always seemed kind of underrated to me. Love the beginning guitar riff.”

See more: Paul Simon Albums Ranked

6. America (Bookends, 1968)

“One of the best tracks from the excellent “Bookends” album, I’m guessing “America” was released because it was an election year. Simon and his girl-friend ride a Greyhound bus on their American odyssey only to wind up disillusioned. It’s a fine tune with compelling words, the best of Simon.”

5. I Am a Rock (Sounds of Silence, 1966)

“I always knew that Simon and Garfunkel were good, but it was when I heard this song for the first time It felt comfortable and familiar. I knew I had discovered something magnificent. The depth of this song surpasses the best lyrics anyone could ever write…”

4. Mrs. Robinson (The Graduate, 1968)

“This song was from the 1967 movie The Graduate. The Mrs. Robinson of the title was a middle-aged married woman who seduced the movie’s hero, a recent college graduate (who was advised, in a famous scene, to go into “Plastics!”

3. The Boxer (Bridge over Troubled Water, 1970)

“This is the very definition of a fight song. It’s an anthem of perseverance through adversity, and it hits you harder than any song Simon & Garfunkel ever put out. The only one that tops it is “The Sound of Silence” because it had a way bigger impact on music, but this is one of the most powerful songs you will ever hear.”

2. Bridge Over Troubled Water (Bridge over Troubled Water, 1970)

“If there’s one song by Simon and Garfunkel that everyone knows, it’s this song. Paul Simon may have written one of the top ten greatest songs in the history of music with “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. The lyrics are iconic, the instrumentals are beautiful and almost tear-jerking, and it’s Simon and Garfunkel at it’s finest. I love “The Sound of Silence” a lot, but this song is something that people should be listening to until the human race goes extinct. This is an absolutely legendary song, and there will never be another song like this one ever again.

1. The Sound of Silence (Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., 1964)

“They’ve done so many great songs I was curious to see what number one was, and I totally agree. This was the first song of theirs I ever heard back in 1966 when I was 12, and it was so different from anything else on the radio at that time. I knew right away whoever these guys were they were going to be great.”