#47 Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel

The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

2025 Album Rank

47

2011 Album Rank

35

Total Points

1159

Year Released

1970

Billboard 200 Chart Peak

1

Weeks at #1

10

RIAA Sales Certification

8,000,000 (Multi-Platinum)

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Bridge Over Troubled Water Album Details

Released on January 26, 1970, Bridge Over Troubled Water was Simon & Garfunkel's final studio album and their most commercially successful, emotionally expansive, and sonically ambitious work. Combining folk, gospel, classical, Latin, and pop influences, it explored themes of spiritual support, cultural unrest, and personal parting. The title track became an anthem of comfort and generosity, with Garfunkel's soaring vocal taking center stage.

Though the duo was fracturing personally during its creation, the album is marked by lush production and sweeping ambition. With standout tracks like "The Boxer", "The Only Living Boy in New York", and "Cecilia", the record balances meticulous studio craft with raw emotional undercurrents.

It won six Grammy Awards including Grammy for Album of the Year in 1971. The title track also won the Grammy for Song of the Year and Grammy for Record of the Year.

Interesting Facts about Bridge Over Troubled Water

• The title track "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was originally written by Paul Simon as a modest gospel ballad. Garfunkel suggested expanding the song's arrangement, and the final version features a dramatic crescendo inspired by classical and gospel music.
• Simon initially intended to sing the title track himself but ultimately gave it to Garfunkel, later expressing some regret about the decision.
• "The Boxer" was recorded across multiple cities (including Nashville and New York) and features one of the most complex production arrangements in their catalog, including a reverberating snare drum recorded in a stairwell and a piccolo trumpet part.
• The album's closer, "Song for the Asking", is one of Simon's most vulnerable moments and was intentionally placed as a soft farewell to fans, a quiet coda after the emotional and creative highs of the album.
• Many of the songs were written and demoed by Simon while Garfunkel was away in Mexico filming Catch-22. This contributed to creative tensions, as Simon felt isolated and Garfunkel was beginning to envision a future in film.
• "The Only Living Boy in New York" was written by Simon about Garfunkel's absence during the film shoot. The lyrics "Tom, get your plane ride on time" refer to their original stage names, Tom & Jerry, and the growing divide between them.
• "Cuba Si, Nixon No" was a political outtake from the sessions, with aggressive lyrics criticizing U.S. foreign policy. It was deemed too controversial and was never officially released.
• The rhythmic clapping and tape loops in "Cecilia" were created during an impromptu apartment party jam session, using a tape recorder, a guitar case, and slapped thighs.
• The orchestral parts for several songs, including "Bridge Over Troubled Water", were arranged by Jimmie Haskell and Ernie Freeman, adding depth and cinematic sweep to the duo's sound.
• Despite its serene appearance, the making of the album was marked by creative disagreements, which ultimately contributed to Simon & Garfunkel's breakup just months after its release.
• The duo reunited in 1981 for the Concert in Central Park, where "Bridge Over Troubled Water" became a centerpiece of the performance, reinterpreted with more gravitas and tension than in its studio incarnation.
• The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 for its cultural and historical significance.

Bridge Over Troubled Water Track List

1. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Won the Grammy award for Song of the Year and Record of the Year in 1971.
2. El Condor Pasa (If I Could) - Reached #18 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
3. Cecilia - Reached #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
4. Keep the Customer Satisfied
5. So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright
6. The Boxer
7. Baby Driver
8. The Only Living Boy in New York
9. Why Don't You Write Me
10. Bye Bye Love
11. Song for the Asking

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