A Flop Turned Global Smash Hit

The Sound of Silence was originally a total failure. After its debut album bombed, producers secretly added electric guitars and drums to the acoustic track, turning it into a number one hit without the duo even knowing.

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel initially recorded the song as a quiet, folk-style acoustic ballad. It went completely unnoticed by the public until a studio producer decided to remix the song with rock instruments in 1965. The duo was surprised to hear the electric version on the radio, but that new sound launched their legendary career. It remains one of the most famous examples of a studio remix saving a song from total obscurity.