Simon & Garfunkel, The Sound Of Silence | Throwback Vibez

In the ninth edition of  Throwback  Vibez (2026), we recollect and reflect on “The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel.  

Can you feel those vibes, those surefire Throwback Vibez?! Throwback Vibez is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past. Ah, there is nothing like a good oldie to get you fired up! The records featured in this column feature gems from the 20^th century, with a few exceptions. All genres of music are welcome. In the ninth edition of Throwback Vibez (2026), we recollect and reflect on “The Sound Of Silence”  performed by Simon & Garfunkel.

“The Sound Of Silence,” like many Paul Simon compositions, is deep, dynamic, and thought-provoking. Silence isn’t golden in this case. “Because a vision softly creeping / Left its seeds while I was creeping,” Simon & Garfunkel continue singing in the tone-setting opening verse.  A vision can be a powerful, powerful thing.  Four more verses yield even more lyrical gems, tied to this vision. “And in the naked light, I saw / Ten thousand people, maybe more / People talking without speaking,” the duo asserts in the third verse, and concludes, “And no one dared / Disturb the sound of silence.” No one spoke up, which is a bummer. From an instrumental perspective, beautiful guitar lines appear thrive in the intro. Soon enough, the gorgeous vocals of Simon and Garfunkel bring the melodies and poetic lyrics to life.  Both vocalists complement one another.  The vocal harmonies are chilling. As “The Sound of Silence” progresses, hard-hitting drums (characteristic of the 1960s), played by Bobby Gregg (1936 – 2014), provide punch following the initial guitar-accompanied verse. The rhythmic guitars ratchet up, and a robust bass line (Joe Macho Jr.) enters the equation, upping the ante and the intensity. “The Sound Of Silence” is one of the greatest songs of the Simon & Garfunkel catalog.  It is also one of the greatest songs of the 1960s.  Furthermore, it is one of the greatest songs of all-time.  Yes, there are better-engineered, higher quality recordings, but the depth of this song far eclipses its sound.