Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
Sggreatesthits.jpg
Greatest hits album by
Simon & Garfunkel
ReleasedJune 14, 1972 (1972-06-14)
RecordedMarch 1964–November 1969
Genre Folk rock
Length43:25
Label Columbia
Producer
Simon & Garfunkel chronology
Bridge over Troubled Water
(1970)		Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
(1972)		 Collected Works
(1981)

Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits is the first compilation album from Simon & Garfunkel, which was released on June 14, 1972, two years after Simon & Garfunkel had parted ways. [1]

Contents

The album is currently available on CD under Legacy's Playlist banner.

Overview

The album was a mix of original studio recordings and four previously unreleased live recordings. The album's minimalist packaging does not specifically date the latter; however, the live versions of "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" and "Kathy's Song" included on Greatest Hits were also included on the 2008 album Live 1969 . The liner notes to Live 1969 state that these two songs were both recorded at a November 1969 concert in St. Louis, Missouri. According to the liner notes from Collected Works , however, the version of "Kathy's Song" was taken from a 1968 concert in Vermont.

In a 1975 BBC Radio 1 interview, Roy Halee identified this version of "The 59th Street Bridge Song" as being from Simon & Garfunkel's 1970 performance at Carnegie Hall, "the last concert they did together" (prior to their disbanding later in 1970). A live version of "Homeward Bound" was also included on the album.

The remaining ten studio songs comprise nine singles released between 1965 and 1972, "America" being issued as a single several years after its appearance as a track on the Bookends album, and one album track, "Bookends" (without its parent song "Old Friends").

All the singles included, except "America," "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)," and "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" made the Top Ten, with the last peaking at No. 11. "Mrs. Robinson" topped the chart aided by its appearance in Mike Nichols' hit movie The Graduate . "The Sound of Silence" and "Bridge over Troubled Water" also peaked at No. 1 as singles in their studio versions, and "The Boxer" peaked as a single at No. 7.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Rolling Stone (favorable) [3]

Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits peaked on the U.S. albums chart at No. 5. On the UK Album Chart, it was a No. 2 hit. The album has proven a long and durable seller, currently being certified for 14 million units sold in the U.S. alone. It is easily their best-selling album in the U.S., and holds the record in the U.S. for the best-selling album by a duo.

In 2003, the album was ranked No. 293 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Track listing

All songs composed by Paul Simon unless otherwise noted.

Side one

  1. "Mrs. Robinson" (some pressings use the single mix with an early fade-out at 3:51; later pressings revert to the Bookends album version at 4:02) – 3:51 or 4:02
  2. "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" (Live) – 2:25
  3. "The Boxer" – 5:11
  4. "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" (Live with applause cross-fade into the studio version of "The Sound of Silence") – 1:50
  5. "The Sound of Silence" (Acoustic version with electric overdubs) – 3:11
  6. "I Am a Rock" – 2:53
  7. "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" (Traditional; arranged by Simon, Art Garfunkel) – 3:09

Side two

  2. "Homeward Bound" (Live with applause cross-fade into the studio version of "Bridge over Troubled Water") – 2:42
  3. "Bridge over Troubled Water" – 4:53
  4. "America" – 3:33
  5. "Kathy's Song" (Live) – 3:23
  6. "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)" (Daniel Alomía Robles; English lyrics by Simon, arranged by Jorge Milchberg) – 3:08
  7. "Bookends" (same track as "Bookends Theme" from the Bookends LP; although cross-faded from "Old Friends" on Bookends, on this album it is a stand-alone track) – 1:21
  8. "Cecilia" (some pressings use the single mix from 1970; reissues use a hybrid of the single and the album version from Bridge over Troubled Water) – 2:53

Charts

Peak positions

ChartPosition
Australian Kent Music Report [4] 10
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders) [5] 5
Canadian RPM Albums Chart [6] 2
Dutch Albums Chart [7] 1
German Media Control Albums Chart [8] 6
Japanese Oricon Albums Chart [9] 3
New Zealand Albums Chart [10] 12
Norwegian Albums Chart [11] 7
Spanish Albums Chart [12] 2
Swedish Kvällstoppen Chart [13] 2
UK Albums Chart [14] 2
US Billboard 200 [15] 5

Year-end charts

Chart (1972)Position
Dutch Albums Chart [16] 3
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [17] 3
UK Albums Chart [18] 3
US Top Pop Albums 72
Chart (1977)Position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [19] 13
Chart (1978)Position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [20] 29
Chart (1979)Position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [21] 16
Chart (1980)Position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [22] 48

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Belgium (BEA) [23] Gold25,000*
Canada (Music Canada) [24] 5× Platinum500,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [25] Gold33,092 [25]
France (SNEP) [26] Diamond1,000,000*
Germany (BVMI) [27] 2× Platinum1,500,000 [28]
Greece (IFPI Greece) [29] Gold50,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong) [30] Platinum20,000*
Ireland—25,000 [31]
Italy (FIMI) [32]
sales since 2009 		Gold25,000*
Japan—123,000 [9]
New Zealand (RMNZ) [33] Gold7,500‡
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [34]
Columbia/Sony 		4× Platinum200,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [34]
Columbia/Sony Music 		2× Platinum100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [35]
1972-2006 sales 		Platinum1,840,454 [36]
United Kingdom (BPI) [37]
reissue, 2011-2025 sales 		4× Platinum1,200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [38] 14× Platinum14,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>One Wild Night Live 1985–2001</i> 2001 live album by Bon Jovi

One Wild Night Live 1985–2001 is the first live album by the American rock band Bon Jovi, released on May 22, 2001. The album includes live covers of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" and performance of the Boomtown Rats' "I Don't Like Mondays", with a guest appearance by their lead singer Bob Geldof. The album charted at number 20 on the US Billboard 200 chart.

<i>Mutter</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Rammstein

Mutter is the third studio album by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. It was released on 2 April 2001 through Motor and Universal Music. The album's cover image is a photograph of a dead fetus, which was taken by Daniel & Geo Fuchs. The album has yielded six singles which, to date, are the most released from any Rammstein album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sound of Silence</span> Song by Simon & Garfunkel

"The Sound of Silence" is a song by the American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, written by Paul Simon. The duo's studio audition of the song led to a record deal with Columbia Records, and the original acoustic version was recorded in March 1964 at Columbia's 7th Avenue Recording Studios in New York City for their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., released that October to disappointing sales. An overdubbed electric remix was released the following year and went to number one on the Billboard singles chart.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Tupac Shakur album) 1998 greatest hits album by 2Pac

Greatest Hits is a posthumous double-disc greatest hits album by American rapper 2Pac, released by Amaru Entertainment, Death Row Records, Interscope Records, and Jive Records on November 24, 1998.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (ZZ Top album) 1992 greatest hits album by ZZ Top

Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in 1992.

<i>Paint the Sky with Stars</i> 1997 greatest hits album by Enya

Paint the Sky with Stars: The Best of Enya is the first greatest hits album by Irish singer-songwriter Enya, released on 3 November 1997 by WEA. Following her worldwide promotional tour in support of her previous album The Memory of Trees (1995), Enya began selecting tracks for a compilation album in early 1997, as her recording contract with WEA permitted her to do so. The album contains songs from her debut album Enya (1987) to The Memory of Trees (1995) and two new tracks, "Paint the Sky with Stars" and "Only If...".

<i>Old Friends: Live on Stage</i> 2004 live/video album by Simon & Garfunkel

Simon & Garfunkel's Old Friends: Live On Stage is the third live album and documentary from their highly successful "Old Friends" reunion concert tour of 2003, with The Everly Brothers as special guests. The "double album" was available as either a 2-CD set or a DVD, separately, or together as a 3-disc package. Both the 2-CD set and DVD were released in December 2004.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Lenny Kravitz album) 2000 greatest hits album by Lenny Kravitz

Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released on October 24, 2000.

<i>The Best of Simon and Garfunkel</i> 1999 greatest hits album by Simon & Garfunkel

The Best of Simon and Garfunkel is the fifth compilation album of greatest hits by Simon & Garfunkel, released by Columbia Records in 1999, containing 20 tracks.

<i>Best 1991–2004</i> 2004 greatest hits album by Seal

Best 1991–2004 is a 2004 compilation album by Seal, released by Warner Bros. Records. Several different versions of this album were released: one as a single disc containing Seal's greatest hits; a second with an additional disc of 13 acoustic versions of Seal's greatest hits; a third which included a DVD-Audio disc plus the two The Ultimate Collection discs; a fourth with surround sound mixes of both The Ultimate Collection discs and a collection of music videos as well as the DVD-Audio disc; a fifth, available only for France, containing the single disc of hits along with the track "Les Mots", a duet with French singer Mylène Farmer, as a bonus track.

<i>Piece by Piece</i> (Katie Melua album) 2005 studio album by Katie Melua

Piece by Piece is the second studio album by British jazz and blues singer Katie Melua. It was released on 26 September 2005 by Dramatico Records. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at #1 with 120,459 copies sold in its first week.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Robbie Williams album) 2004 compilation album by Robbie Williams

Greatest Hits is a hits compilation released by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams on 18 October 2004. The album includes two new songs, "Radio" and "Misunderstood", which were both released as singles. The album is his seventh overall release in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon & Garfunkel discography</span>

Simon & Garfunkel, an American singer-songwriter duo, has released five studio albums, fifteen compilation albums, four live albums, one extended play, twenty-six singles, one soundtrack, and four box sets since 1964. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel first formed a duo in 1957 as Tom & Jerry, before separating and later reforming as Simon & Garfunkel.

<i>The Greatest Hits</i> (Cher album) 1999 greatest hits album by Cher

The Greatest Hits is the second European compilation album by American singer-actress Cher, released on November 30, 1999, by Warner Music U.K.'s WEA label. The album was very successful worldwide, topping the charts in Austria, Germany, and Denmark. It peaked at #7 on the official UK Albums Chart, and reached the top 10 in several countries across Europe and the rest of the world. This compilation was not available in the United States, due to the release of the US-only compilation, If I Could Turn Back Time: Cher's Greatest Hits which was released that same year. The album sold 3 million copies as of January 2000.

<i>Dylan</i> (2007 album) 2007 greatest hits album by Bob Dylan

Dylan is a greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. The collection was released on October 2, 2007 by Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings with worldwide distribution through Sony BMG. It was released as a single-disc CD and a three-disc Deluxe Edition, which was released as a digipack and a box set presented in replica-vinyl packaging, along with 10 postcards and an extensive booklet. The Deluxe Edition includes the 1971 version of "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" although the album's liner notes erroneously state that it is the 1967 version.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Gipsy Kings album) 1994 greatest hits album by Gipsy Kings

Greatest Hits is a best of album by the French rumba catalana band Gipsy Kings, which was released in 1994 in Europe.

<i>The Platinum Collection</i> (Queen album) 2000 box set by Queen

The Platinum Collection: Greatest Hits I, II & III is a box set by British rock band Queen which comprises their three greatest hits albums, Greatest Hits, Greatest Hits II and Greatest Hits III. The album was originally released on 13 November 2000 on the Parlophone label. A booklet with song facts and images is also included with the three CD set. The US release was delayed by Hollywood Records until September 2002 and featured the 2001 Japanese release remastered versions of Greatest Hits Volumes 1 and 2 on the US and Canadian versions of The Platinum Collection. The album peaked at number 2 in the UK.

<i>Bridge over Troubled Water</i> 1970 studio album by Simon & Garfunkel

Bridge Over Troubled Water is the fifth and final studio album by the American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, released on January 26, 1970, by Columbia Records. Following the duo's soundtrack for The Graduate, Art Garfunkel took an acting role in the film Catch-22, while Paul Simon worked on the songs, writing all tracks except Felice and Boudleaux Bryant's "Bye Bye Love".

<i>The Simon and Garfunkel Collection: 17 of Their All-Time Greatest Recordings</i> 1981 compilation album by Simon & Garfunkel

The Simon and Garfunkel Collection: 17 of Their All-Time Greatest Recordings is the second compilation album of greatest hits by Simon & Garfunkel, first issued in November 1981, 2 months after performing at the landmark The Concert in Central Park.

<i>The Definitive Simon and Garfunkel</i> 1991 compilation album by Simon & Garfunkel

The Definitive Simon and Garfunkel is the fourth compilation album of greatest hits by the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel, released in UK & Europe in 1991.

References

  1. ↑ "Art Garfunkel Official Website - 1970-1974 Chronology". Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  2. ↑ Allmusic Review
  3. ↑ Stephen Holden (August 3, 1972). "Simon & Garfunkel: Greatest Hits". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on June 23, 2009.
  4. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  5. ↑ "ultratop.be Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits". Hung Medien (in Dutch). Ultratop. Archived from the original (ASP) on November 6, 2012. Retrieved 2014-01-10.
  6. ↑ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 18, No. 4, September 09 1972". RPM . Retrieved 2014-01-10.
  7. ↑ "dutchcharts.nl Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits" (ASP). Hung Medien. MegaCharts . Retrieved 2014-01-10.
  8. ↑ "Album Search: Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits" (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 2014-01-10.[ dead link ]
  9. 1 2 Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  10. ↑ "charts.nz Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits" (ASP). Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand . Retrieved 2014-01-10.[ permanent dead link ]
  11. ↑ "norwegiancharts.com Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits" (ASP). Retrieved 2014-01-10.
  12. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
  13. ↑ "Swedish Charts 1969–1972 / Kvällstoppen – Listresultaten vecka för vecka > Augusti 1972 > 15 Augusti" (PDF) (in Swedish). hitsallertijden.nl. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-05-23. Retrieved 2014-04-29.Note: Kvällstoppen combined sales for albums and singles in the one chart. Greatest Hits peaked at the number-four on the hit parade, next to two singles — "Sister Jane" by New World and "Beautiful Sunday" by Daniel Boone.
  14. ↑ "Simon & Garfunkel > Artists > Official Charts". UK Albums Chart . Retrieved 2014-01-10.
  15. ↑ "Billboard ((( Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". billboard.com. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  16. ↑ "Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1972" (ASP) (in Dutch). Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1976. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  18. ↑ "The Official UK Charts Company : ALBUM CHART HISTORY". 2007-12-17. Archived from the original on 2007-12-17. Retrieved 2014-04-19.
  19. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1977. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  20. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1978. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  21. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1979. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  22. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1980. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  23. ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2007". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Simon and Garfunkel – Greatest Hits". Music Canada.
  25. 1 2 "Simon & Garfunkel" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland . Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  26. ↑ "French album certifications – Simon & Garfunkel – Greatest Hits" (in French). InfoDisc.Select SIMON & GARFUNKEL and click OK. 
  27. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Simon & Garfunkel; 'Greatest Hits')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  28. ↑ "West Germany - Domestic Product Makes Chart Inroads". Billboard . Vol. 94, no. 2. January 16, 1982. p. 48. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved August 29, 2022– via Google Books.
  29. ↑ "Grecian Gold" (PDF). Billboard. August 28, 1982. p. 40. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  30. ↑ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1979". IFPI Hong Kong.
  31. ↑ Stewart, Ken (October 27, 1973). "From the Music Capitols of the World - Dublin" (PDF). Billboard. p. 58. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Italian album certifications – Simon & Garfunkel – Greatest Hits" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana.
  33. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Simon and Garfunkel – Greatest Hits". Radioscope. Retrieved December 21, 2024.Type Greatest Hits in the "Search:" field.
  34. 1 2 "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Greatest Hits')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  35. ↑ "British album certifications – Simon & Garfunkel – Greatest Hits". British Phonographic Industry.
  36. ↑ Harris, Bill (November 17, 2006). "Queen rules – in album sales". Jam! . Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  37. ↑ "British album certifications – Simon & Garfunkel – Greatest Hits". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  38. ↑ "American album certifications – Simon & Garfunkel – Greatest Hits". Recording Industry Association of America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.