Simon & Garfunkel

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel both grew up in Queens, New York, became friends as children and performed together as teenagers under the name Tom & Jerry. In the 1960s they re-formed as Simon & Garfunkel, a folk-rock duo built on Simon's thoughtful songwriting and the pair's close, luminous harmonies. Their acoustic recording of "The Sound of Silence" attracted little attention until their producer overdubbed electric instruments without their knowledge; the new version reached number one in early 1966.

Director Mike Nichols became fascinated with their music while making The Graduate (1967), the story of Benjamin Braddock, a disillusioned college graduate drawn into an affair with the older Mrs. Robinson. Nichols used existing Simon & Garfunkel songs, including "The Sound of Silence," "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" and "April Come She Will," as an emotional commentary on Benjamin's drifting state of mind. Simon also wrote a new song for the film, "Mrs. Robinson," which in its complete version became a number-one hit in 1968 and won Grammy Awards. Additional instrumental music was composed by Dave Grusin.

The Graduate was one of the first major Hollywood films to use contemporary pop songs as its score, and its influence on movie soundtracks has been enormous. It marks a turning point between the orchestral traditions of the Golden Age and the song-driven soundtracks of the modern era.

Simon & Garfunkel went on to record Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970) before splitting to pursue solo careers. Simon became one of America's most celebrated songwriters, and the duo was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.