"Bridge over Troubled Water" features lead vocals by Art Garfunkel and a piano accompaniment influenced by gospel music, with a "Wall of Sound"-style production.
[10] Session musician Larry Knechtel performs piano, with Joe Osborn playing bass guitar and Hal Blaine on drums.
[16] Simon wrote the song initially on guitar but transposed it to the piano to reflect the gospel influence and suit Garfunkel's voice.
[17] The final verse was written about Simon's then-wife Peggy Harper, who had noticed her first gray hairs ("Sail on, silvergirl").
[24][7][6][12] The vocal style in "Bridge over Troubled Water" was inspired by Phil Spector's technique in "Old Man River" by The Righteous Brothers.
"[26] As their relations frayed preceding their 1970 breakup, Simon began to experience regret for allowing Garfunkel to sing it solo: He felt I should have done it, and many times on a stage, though, when I'd be sitting off to the side and Larry Knechtel would be playing the piano and Artie would be singing "Bridge", people would stomp and cheer when it was over, and I would think, "That's my song, man..."[10]Billboard called it a "beautiful, almost religious-oriented ballad" whose "performance and arrangement are perfect.
"[27] Cash Box said that "set in parable, this love ballad carries a two-level interpretation" and praised "Garfunkel’s magnificent vocal performance and the material.
[31] Despite the song's five-minute length, Columbia decided to release "Bridge over Troubled Water" for play on pop radio.
AM radio had previously played Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" in 1965, despite its running over the conventional three-minute playtime limit.
During a six-week run at the top – the most for any single that year – Simon and Garfunkel held off strong competition from Creedence Clearwater Revival ("Travelin' Band") and The Jaggerz ("The Rapper").
[67] A cover was included on The Supremes 1970 release New Ways But Love Stays with lead vocals by Jean Terrell, Roberta Flack on her 1971 album - "Quiet Fire", Mary Wilson, and Cindy Birdsong.
[68] Aretha Franklin's gospel-infused cover version was recorded in the summer of 1970, during the sessions for what would become her 1972 album Young, Gifted and Black.
[71] The album and their rendition of the song received generally positive reviews with the former going on to win the 1971 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance.
[72][73] Linda Clifford, Curtis Mayfield's protégée signed on his Curtom label, released an up-tempo disco version of "Bridge over Troubled Water" on her album Let Me Be Your Woman in March 1979.
featuring Hannah and Her Sisters, a UK group assembled by British songwriter, record producer and author Pete Bellotte and fronted by British singer Hannah Jones, released a dance cover of "Bridge over Troubled Water" which reached number 21 on the UK Singles Chart.
[78][79] The double A-side charted at number one in both Canada and New Zealand, earning a sextuple-platinum sales certification in the former country and a platinum disc in the latter.
[86] Dami Im covered this song during the Family Heroes-themed sixth live show of the fifth season of Australian X Factor on September 29, 2013.
[90] London-born grime artist Stormzy featured prominently, having written a fresh 16-line intro to the song which specifically referenced the tragedy.
The recording reached number one on the UK Singles Chart on June 23, 2017 after just two days of availability, and was certified gold by the BPI on January 31, 2020.
[105] Mary J. Blige, David Foster, and Andrea Bocelli performed the song on January 31, 2010, during the 52nd Grammy Awards ceremony, in the context of raising awareness for the victims of the Haiti earthquake.
The Choirs sang from: London at BBC Television Centre the studio where the main telethon was held, Aberdeen at The Beach Ballroom,[107][109] Northumberland at The Alnwick Garden,[107][108] Swindon at Steam: Museum of the Great Western Railway,[107][110] Birmingham at The Mailbox,[107] Belfast at The Broadcasting House,[107][111] East Sussex at Glyndebourne,[107][112] Cardiff at The BBC Hoddinott Hall,[107][113] Scunthorpe at Baths Hall[107] and Winchester at Intech.
[107][114] The choirs not included were: Cambridge at West Road Concert Hall,[107][115] Exeter at The Forum Library, Exeter University,[107][116] Leicestershire at Conkers Discovery Centre,[107][117] Rotherham at Magna Science Adventure Centre[107] and Salford at The BBC Philharmonic Studio at MediaCityUK[118] On December 9, 2013, Tessanne Chin covered the song on season 5 of NBC's singing competition The Voice for the semifinal round.
The song went to the number one spot on iTunes within 12 hours, with her becoming the first contestant to achieve the top chart position at the end of an applicable voting window that season.