Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits

Columbia Records  |  Cat. #KC 31350  |  Side A Matrix: PAL-31350-1A o 2-H

Few albums in popular music history have endured quite like this one. Released in 1972 on Columbia Records, Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits is a masterfully sequenced collection drawn from the duo's studio catalogue — a record that spent decades in household collections and on radio playlists without ever losing its quiet authority.

About the Artists

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel met as schoolboys in Queens, New York, in the 1950s, recording their first single as Tom & Jerry before re-emerging in 1964 with the acoustic debut Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. Their sound — Simon's intricate fingerpicking and literary songwriting paired with Garfunkel's crystalline, almost ethereal tenor — created a counterpoint rarely matched in the folk-rock era. Produced largely in collaboration with Roy Halee, their recordings have an intimacy and sonic precision that translates beautifully to vinyl.

The duo defined a generation of listeners with their work on the The Graduate soundtrack and landmark albums like Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, Bookends, and Bridge Over Troubled Water — the latter being one of the best-selling albums of all time. They parted ways in 1970, making this 1972 compilation one of the last major Columbia releases to carry both their names.

About This Album

This compilation draws from across the duo's catalogue and is a genuine greatest hits — not a contractual afterthought. Highlights include the hushed, unforgettable opener Mrs. Robinson (the full album version, distinct from the single), the wistful Scarborough Fair / Canticle, the baroque studio craft of The Sound of Silence, and the sweeping orchestral intimacy of Bridge Over Troubled Water. The Side A matrix stamp PAL-31350-1A o 2-H indicates a U.S. pressing with hand-etched lacquer markings, typical of quality Columbia pressings of the era.

Record & Sleeve Condition

• Carefully cleaned with a Spin-Clean record washer prior to listing
• Stored in a new poly inner sleeve
• Plays flawlessly — no skips confirmed on a quality turntable; minor surface pops and crackles noted, consistent with light wear
• Record shows minor scuffs visible under direct light; graded G (plays better than it looks)
• Jacket: Fair  — side-opening style; wear and edge aging consistent with age; condition shown in photos

A solid listening copy of an essential record. Ideal for anyone who wants Simon & Garfunkel on wax without paying NM prices.