Simon & Garfunkel are one of the most successful folk rock duos of all-time, first breaking onto the charts in a big way by claiming the top spot in 1966 with "The Sound Of Silence." They repeated this feat twice more, when "Mrs. Robinson" spent three weeks at #1 and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" spent six weeks at #1. With all their other hits, these songs helped earn Simon & Garfunkel the rank of #179 among the most successful chart artists of all-time. In addition to their classics, it is worth mining the rest of their impressive catalogue - there, you'll find many other gems like this one: "Keep The Customer Satisfied" from their landmark 1970 album, "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The duo remained active until 1971, but reunited on rare occasions. Consequently, they enjoyed further chart success in 1975 when "My Little Town" reached #9 and again in 1982 when their cover of "Wake Up Little Susie" went to #27. They were inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 1990.
The prolific Paul Simon started his musical career back in high school, teaming up with Art Garfunkel to become one of the most successful musical duos of the 60s. Not surprisingly, Simon enjoyed plenty more success as a solo artist, beginning in 1972 when "Mother And Child Reunion" peaked at #4. Simon would nearly top the charts twice, coming in at #2 with "Kodachrome" and "Loves Me Like A Rock." He'd finally claim the top spot in 1976 with "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover." Simon explored a wider musical landscape as his career evolved, and his venture into world music continued to produce chart success into the 80s with his acclaimed album, "Graceland." The big hit everyone remembers is "You Can Call Me Al," which surprisingly only reached #23 in 1987. Simon managed to score one more chart appearance in 1991 with "The Obvious Child," which stalled at #92. Nevertheless, counting his time with Garfunkel, that gives Simon 4 decades of chart appearances. And he continues to make wonderful music. "Father And Daughter" is a beautiful song from his 2006 record, "Surprise." The big surprise is why a song like this doesn't get onto the charts anymore.
Led by the dreamy stoner dude, Evan Dando, Boston's The Lemonheads are an alternative rock band that tasted their 15 minutes of fame in the early nineties. After amassing a cult following since their formation in 1986, the band settled into a slacker acoustic rock niche that wrote artsy tunes that provided a reprieve from the gritty grunge of the '90s. The band scored some major airplay with their excellent LP, "It's A Shame About Ray," thanks to the title track (whose video featured Johnny Depp) and their cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson." The '90s darling Juliana Hatfield played bass and sang on some of the tracks, too. The band followed these singles up with their 1993 record, "Come On Feel The Lemonheads," which yielded their only chart hit, "Into Your Arms." "Into Your Arms" embraced the #67 position in 1993. Despite some other strong potential hits on this record, such as "The Great Big No," the band pretty much soured after this flash of fame. "Confetti" comes from their landmark "It's A Shame About Ray" album. To this day, I am surprised this catchy song was not one to put them on the map sooner.
