Thursday's Top Tune Throwback: "The Sounds of Silence"

The career of Paul Simon, now spanning seven decades as he turns 77 in 2018, could not have gone much better.

He was the recipient of 16 Grammys and recognized by Time Magazine as one of the Time 100, a list recognizing the “100 men and women whose power, talent or moral example is transforming our world.”
Our featured song this week became even more famous when it was included in the soundtrack of “The Graduate.” A No. 1 hit on Billboard, the classic would accompany two other number ones penned by Simon, including “Mrs. Robinson” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
The lyrics of these famous tunes provide interesting reflections this time of year, as Silence certainly does:
The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sound of silence
Simon & Garfunkel formed in 1964, then split in 1970 at the height of their fame. Simon was living in London during 1965, where apparently some of his greatest work was inspired. Fast-forward to June 2016 when he released his 13th solo album, “Stranger to Stranger,” which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Album Chart.
We’ll close with this flashback from “The Sounds of Silence”:
Hello, darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again.
It’s obvious the darkness provided Paul Simon with insights very few have ever illuminated.

Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.