''Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits'' is the first

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

from

Simon & Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo comprising the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music acts of the 1960s. Their most famous recordings include three US number-one sing ...

, which was released on June 14, 1972, two years after Simon & Garfunkel had parted ways. The album is currently available on CD under

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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 ''Live 1969'' is the fourth live album by Simon & Garfunkel, released through Columbia Records. It consists of live recordings captured on the duo's final North American tour, prior to the release of their ''Bridge over Troubled Water'' album. F ...

''. The

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...

to ''Live 1969'' state that these two songs were both recorded at a November 1969

concert A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

. According to the liner notes from '' Collected Works'', however, the version of "Kathy's Song" was taken from a 1968 concert in

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

. In a 1975

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

interview, Roy Halee identified this version of "The 59th Street Bridge Song" as being from Simon & Garfunkel's 1970 performance at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

, "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 The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

" 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) EL, El or el may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities * El, a List of Shugo Chara! characters#El, character from the manga series ''Shugo Chara!'' by Peach-Pit * Eleven (Stranger Things), Eleven (''Stranger Things'') (El), a fiction ...

," and " Scarborough Fair/Canticle" made the Top Ten, with the last peaking at No. 11. "

Mrs. Robinson "Mrs. Robinson" is a song by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fourth Album, studio album, ''Bookends (album), Bookends'' (1968). The writing of the song was begun before the 1967 film ''The Graduate'', which contained only f ...

" topped the chart aided by its appearance in

Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Igor Mikhail Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theatre director and comedian. He worked across a range of genres and had an aptitude for getting the best out of actors regardless of ...

' hit movie ''

The Graduate ''The Graduate'' is a 1967 American independent romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham, based on the 1963 novella by Charles Webb. It stars Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddoc ...

''. "

The Sound of Silence "The Sound of Silence" (originally "The Sounds 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 ac ...

" and "

Bridge over Troubled Water ''Bridge Over Troubled Water'' is the fifth and final studio album by 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 ...

" also peaked at No. 1 as singles in their studio versions, and "The Boxer" peaked as a single at No. 7.

Reception

''Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits'' peaked on the U.S. albums chart at No. 5. On the

UK Album Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Offici ...

, 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 ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine's list of

the 500 greatest albums of all time "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and indu ...

Track listing

All songs composed by

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

unless otherwise noted.

Side one

# "

" (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 # " For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" (Live) – 2:25 # "

The Boxer "The Boxer" is a song written by Paul Simon and recorded by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth and final studio album, '' Bridge over Troubled Water'' (1970). Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, it was released as a stan ...

" – 5:11 # "

The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" is a song by folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, written by Paul Simon and originally released on their 1966 album ''Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme''. ''Cash Box'' called it a "sparkling, spirited li ...

" (Live with applause cross-fade into the studio version of "The Sound of Silence") – 1:50 # "

" ( Acoustic version with electric overdubs) – 3:11 # "

I Am a Rock "I Am a Rock" is a song written by Paul Simon. It was first performed by Simon as the opening track on his album ''The Paul Simon Songbook'' which he originally recorded and released in August 1965, only in the United Kingdom. Paul Simon and Art Ga ...

" – 2:53 # " Scarborough Fair/Canticle" (

Traditional A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examp ...

; arranged by Simon,

Art Garfunkel Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer, actor and poet who is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, Garfunkel became acquainte ...

) – 3:09

Side two

" Homeward Bound" (Live with applause cross-fade into the studio version of "Bridge over Troubled Water") – 2:42 # "

" – 4:53 # "

" – 3:33 # " Kathy's Song" (Live) – 3:23 # "

" (

Daniel Alomía Robles Daniel Alomía Robles (3 January 1871 – 17 July 1942) was a Peruvian composer and ethnomusicologist. He is best known for composing the song "El Cóndor Pasa (song), El Cóndor Pasa" in 1913 as part of a zarzuela — a musical play that alternat ...

; English lyrics by Simon, arranged by Jorge Milchberg) – 3:08 # " 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 # "

Cecilia Cecilia is a personal name originating in the name of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music. History The name has been popularly used in Europe (particularly the United Kingdom and Italy, where in 2018 it was the 43rd most popular name for g ...

" (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

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simon And Garfunkel's Greatest Hits 1972 greatest hits albums Columbia Records compilation albums Simon & Garfunkel compilation albums Albums produced by Roy Halee Albums produced by Paul Simon Albums produced by Art Garfunkel Albums produced by Tom Wilson (record producer) Albums produced by Bob Johnston