Simon and Garfunkel, the extremely popular folk-rock duo of the 1960s, was one of the first groups to emphasize poetry in its lyrics, demonstrating that lyrical complexity and pop music were not mutually exclusive. Simon and Garfunkel were also very influential because, along with the Byrds and a handful of other artists, they were among the first to meld acoustic folk instrumentation with the sounds associated with rock 'n' roll: electric guitar, bass, and drums. Significantly, and symbolically, Simon and Garfunkel's songs were featured prominently in the 1967 Mike Nichols film The Graduate, a film starring Dustin Hoffman that is very much about the 1960s generation's coming of age. Taken as a whole, their albums—Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., Sounds of Silence, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and

Paul Simon (right) and Art Garunkel.