Simon & Garfunkel vs. Disturbed | Face Off

In the 13^th edition of Face Off (2026), Simon & Garfunkel and Disturbed face off for the best rendition of “The Sound of Silence.” 

Ah, let the Face Off begin! The sun has set on Head 2 Head (2021 – 2025), but the musical competition has “only just begun”, Karen Carpenter! In Face Off, musicians compete to determine who delivered the best version of a song. In most cases, the musicians are performing the same song or a remix, rearrangement, or variation of the song.  Each performance will be evaluated for vocal or instrumental performance, production, and so forth. After blurbing about each performance, I will briefly deliberate and deliver a verdict about who wins the Face Off.  Draws and ties are acceptable, but in most cases, one band, group, or musician will get the edge. In the 13^th edition of Face Off (2026), Simon & Garfunkel and Disturbed face off for the best rendition of “The Sound of Silence”. May the best musicians win!

1. Simon & Garfunkel, “The Sound of Silence”

Sounds of Silence » Columbia » 1966

“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, thriving 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.

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2. Disturbed, “The Sound of Silence”

Immortalized » Reprise » 2015

With all of the accolades of Simon & Garfunkel’s classic, “The Sound of Silence”, there is elephantine pressure on anyone attempting to cover it.  The good news for the hard rock band Disturbed is that they have been in this position before.  David Draiman (b. 1973) already nailed a big-time cover in the past with “Shout 2000”, originally recorded by Tears For Fears.  Draiman and company come through victorious again, covering “The Sound of Silence”, which appears as the 11^th track on their 2015 double platinum album, Immortalized.  In Disturbed’s hands, “Silence” earned them their rare entry and highest-charting song on the pop charts, peaking at number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100.  As of March 2025, the Recording Industry Association of America certified the single nine times platinum.  Adding to the accolades, Disturbed earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance at the 59^th Annual Grammy Awards for “The Sound of Silence (Live On Conan)”. Kevin Churko produced Disturbed’s take on this rock tour de force.

“The Sound of Silence” commences with enigmatic, warm piano accompaniment. David Draiman lets his smooth (yes, you read correctly) baritone vocals get to work.  Initially, he sings in an undertone.  No worries, as his performance continually expands as “Silence” progresses.  His tone is everything, particularly during the kinder, gentler beginning verses.  Beginning with the second verse, there is more oomph, with slightly more overt vocals and expanded instrumentation: rhythmic guitar, left-hand piano playing bass notes, and rich strings.  The orchestral cues are utterly superb and ultra-sophisticated, bringing a symphonic element to rock that truly rocks 🤘.  The orchestration is brilliant. The big story is, as “The Sound of Silence” progresses, it inches closer to the type of record we envision Disturbed recording. No, it never becomes carefree, unfiltered metal, but Draiman and company make this folk-rock masterpiece their own.  After his subtlety early on, I love the overt power of Draiman’s vocals, which signify that silence becomes louder. He exhibits more assertiveness and grit, sounding true to himself.  Cinematic, dramatic, and scintillating, Disturbed put their foot, rather, their feet, into “The Sound of Silence”. On Spotify, their rousing rendition of the record is approaching a billion plays, far more than the original 👀.  The grandness of this cover, as well as its own accolades, makes it shine.

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Deliberation

Ah, we’ve arrived at the deliberation! To Deliberate is “to think about or discuss issues and decisions carefully.” With that definition courtesy of my go-to, Merriam-Webster, briefly break down these two distinct performances with some notes!

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Verdict

After much deliberation, yo boi, The Musical Hype, has reached a verdict. In the case… I mean, in the Face Off between Simon & Garfunkel and Disturbed, Simon & Garfunkel comes out on top! In many ways, this face-off is more competitive than expected.  Both S&G and Disturbed earned significant accolades for this amazing song. What was the difference? The difference is the significance of the original song, honestly.  Disturbed’s cover features higher quality audio than the original could have ever hoped for back in the 1960s. David Draiman ate on vocals… and left NO crumbs. But Paul Simon wrote an incredibly meaningful song that has endured the test of time.  No matter who records or transforms it, he put his heart and soul into its composition and helped create the history made. Also, his own vocals are a vibe in their own right. And with that said, stay tuned for the next Face Off!

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