Paul Simon wrote the title track to the best-selling album of 1970, 71, and 72 as half of one of the biggest groups of the Rock Era, Simon and Garfunkel When the duo broke up, he embarked on a very successful solo career that burned hot through the 70s. But by the early 80s, his star had cooled, and he dug deep within his artistic soul for inspiration that took him to a faraway continent… Africa. He called it Graceland! It re-energized his career and became one of the most acclaimed of the 80s and one of the most controversial. Coming up, the story of the lead single You Can Call Me Al... which came from someone calling this legend the wrong name twice at a dinner party. The song actually failed until he created one of the funniest music videos ever with Mr. Chevy Chase. The story is next on Professor of Rock.
Thank you to this Episodes Sponsor, Zenni
GET ZENNI Glasses HERE: imp.i279709.net/vn5gLd
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive Producer
Brandon Fugal
Honorary Producers
Anthony Fedora, Craig M, Curtis Parcell, Soman2010, Jason Shepherd, Mutex, James Smith, Ardashir Lea, Casey Gallagher
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out my Hand Picked Selection Below
Professor's Store
- Van Halen OU812 Vinyl Album amzn.to/3tLsII2
- The 80s Collection amzn.to/3mAekOq
- 100 Best Selling Albums amzn.to/3h3qZX9
- Ultimate History of 80s Teen Movie amzn.to/3ifjdKQ
- 80s to 90s VHS Video Cover Art amzn.to/2QXzmIX
- Totally Awesome 80s A Lexicon amzn.to/3h4ilrk
- Best In Ear Headphones (I Use These Every Day) amzn.to/2ZcTlIl
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check Out The Professor of Rock Merch Store -bit.ly/ProfessorMerch
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check Out Patron Benefits
bit.ly/ProfessorofRockVIPFan
Help out the Channel by purchasing your albums through our links! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you, thank you for your support.
Click here for Premium Content: bit.ly/SignUpForPremiumContent
bit.ly/Facebook_Professor_of_...
bit.ly/Instagram_Professor_of...
#classicrock #80smusic #vinylstory #paulsimon
Hey music junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. If you ever saved up UPC symbols from a cereal box to send away for a price You’ll dig this channel of deep musical nostalgia! make sure to subscribe below right now. I promise that you are going to love this channel. We also have a Patreon you'll want to check out. There you’ll find an additional catalog of exclusive content and you can even become an honorary producer to help us curate this music history.
In 1970, Simon & Garfunkel’s final album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, was massive. It was the best-selling album of the year, and when the duo officially broke up the same year, the popularity of the record only got bigger. It continued to top the album charts to end up as the best-selling LP of ’71 and ’72 in the United States, and 10 other countries around the world. At the end of 1972 Bridge Over Troubled Water was the best-selling album of all time.
While their swan song controlled the album chart, Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon went their separate ways and embarked on solo careers. Garfunkel had 6 hit singles over the 10 years that followed, but Simon vaulted into solo superstardom with 9 pop hits, including the platinum mega-smash “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” that reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100- holding that position for 3 weeks in ’76.
In 1980, Paul scored two top 40 hits from the One Trick Pony album, which was released as a Motion Picture Soundtrack, a film that Paul starred in, and as Paul’s 5th studio album. There was “Late in the Evening” which climbed to #6 in America and #9 in the UK: And, the gritty, streetwise title cut “One Trick Pony” that peaked at #40 on the Billboard Pop chart: By the mid-80s, Paul’s career had cooled considerably. He craved artistic revitalization. Not so much for the commercial benefits…but for his internal joy of artistic fulfillment.
Paul had already composed one of the most powerfully emotive songs ever written with “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” for which he shared the spotlight with Art Garfunkel. What he wanted in ’85, was to compose his opus as a solo artist. It became a sojourn that took him to South Africa at the ugly height of forced racial segregation known as Apartheid. Paul’s marriage to actress Carrie Fisher fell apart, and his 6th studio album, Hearts and Bones, put out in ’83, was his worst seller.