One of the 100 people who shaped our world!
Paul Simon is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, both as half of the folk-singing duo Simon & Garfunkel and also as a solo artist. In 2006, Time magazine called him one of the one hundred people who shaped our world.
His hit tunes are many, including, Homeward Bound, The Sound Of Silence, Scarborough Fair, You Can Call Me Al, The Boxer, Cecilia, Mrs. Robinson, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes, El Condor Pasa, Still Crazy After All These Years, Mother and Child Reunion, Me & Julio Down By The Schoolyard, 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, and Graceland.
However, he has also created some incredible songs that never became massive hits. Tenderness is such an example. Tenderness is not just an awesome song, it’s a proper test for understanding musical harmony as seemingly every trick in the book has been applied here!
Without a doubt, also worth mentioning is the song American Tune, the only popular music song that has seriously been considered as an alternative to the American national anthem Stars And Stripes.
Finally, if you thought Paul Simon was only making great music in the 20th century, think again! Check out his 2016 release, Stranger To Stranger. On this album you find the sensational track Wristband, proving that Paul Simon certainly still has it!
This is extremely impressive as most artists and bands have a golden era, Paul Simon has been consistent since he first came on the scene. I can’t think of anyone else who has achieved this.
In the first video of the playlist above, he talks you through how he writes songs, turns out it’s mainly down to work ethic!
Awards, sales, and recognitions
Paul Simon has collected 12 Grammy Awards, 3 of them for Album of the Year (Bridge Over Troubled Water, Still Crazy After All These Years, and Graceland).
He was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, first in 1990 with Simon & Garfunkel and then again in 2001 as a solo artist.
He’s also received the Kennedy Center Honors (2002) and the Gershwin Prize For Popular Song (2007).
One of the more interesting takes on the artist portrait concept was pioneered in 2021 by Paul Simon. Malcolm Gladwell (Broken Record Podcast) has had a 30-hour conversation with Paul Simon and released it on audible under the name: Miracle and Wonder – Conversations with Paul Simon.
His latest release came in 2023, here he completely rethought the concept of releasing an album on Spotify, check my blog post, Does Paul Simon lead the way with his latest release? to find out more.
Paul Simon Tunes | Related Pages
50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
You can learn how to play 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover by Paul Simon using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, and the original recording.
| Em/G D6 | Cmaj7 B7b9 B7 |
The problem is all inside your head, she said to me…
Scarborough Fair
You can learn how to play Scarborough Fair by Simon & Garfunkel using chords, lyrics, TAB, chord analysis, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| A13sus4 | Asus2 | G C/E G | A13sus4 | A7sus2 |
Are you going to Scarborough Fair…
Tenderness
Learn how to play Tenderness by Paul Simon using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, the original recording, TAB, and a Spytunes video guitar lesson.
| C | B7 | Em G | C C#dim7 |
What can I do, what can I do? Much of what you say is true…
Paul Simon on the web
Artists & Bands
Behind every single tune you learn, there’s an artist or band with an entire catalogue of music, waiting to be discovered.
Find out more about these great Artists & Bands, and let their tunes guide you to success.
About me | Dan Lundholm
This was an article about Paul Simon tunes, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.
