Credit: Far Out / Sony Music Entertainment
Sat 17 October 2026 18:30, UK
Paul Simon may not have been the most charismatic performer in the 1960s, nor the most accomplished vocalist or guitar player, but he was certainly a generational songwriter whose ability to craft a tune was rivalled by only a few greats in the heyday of music.
Of course, it’s not to say Simon was bad at any of the above; in fact, his unique voice and finger-picking guitar talents helped build so much of his back catalogue. The point is, his songwriting was front and centre when it came to showcasing his talent, whether it was blending global influences into obscure arrangements, or writing lyrics of pure poetry that encapsulated the human experience, he could do things few others could achieve.
Let’s not forget, he built that legacy in one of the most competitive eras of music history, beginning in the 1960s and working through the subsequent decades where he existed alongside everyone from The Beatles to Marvin Gaye and Prince.
While Simon carved out a career that rightly earned him acclaim alongside those artists, he’s never been blind to the fact that their influence as contemporaries cannot be understated, for watching them innovate the boundaries of songwriting in real time only served to benefit him as an artist further.
But when it came to carving his influences in stone and providing his ‘Mount Rushmore’ of songwriters, none of the aforementioned made the cut. But he did, however, choose some quite worthy replacements whose influence on his own music all begin to make sense.
He began, explaining that “In the 1950s, Chuck Berry wrote things that were so good that they could have been part of the Harlem Renaissance. He taught my whole generation,” before explaining that Dylan and the Beatles were “all influenced by Chuck Berry.”
He added that the ‘Johnny B Goode’ star “made stories in words that flowed effortlessly, and his stories were great, great stories.” The ability to blend enriched storytelling with sonic compositions understandably led him to his next artist, none other than Bob Dylan, whom he said, “Of course, is a really interesting lyricist.”
Further reading: From The Vault
It wasn’t just Dylan who made it onto the immortal structure on lyrical grounds; he continued to add another of his folk contemporaries from the era into the mix, stating that “Joni Mitchell is an interesting lyricist.”
Clearly, the works and words of both Dylan and Mitchell need no elaboration, for their genius speaks for itself. But his last admission, Stevie Wonder, earned far more glittering praise from Simon, for his inclusion was based on a number of things. In keeping with the multi-faceted artist he was, Simon couldn’t claim that just one aspect of his songwriting made him a genius rather than his entire approach.
While he called Wonder a “really good storyteller”, he elsewhere elaborated on his influence, stating that he was “a melody writer of such effortless virtuosity that he is virtually incomparable. His voice is this incredible instrument with its perfect phrasing and intonation.”
He continued, “His keyboard playing and his synthesiser work revolutionised the way people approach the studio, and the guy plays the harmonica better than anyone else.”
While the influence of those great artists is indeed evident in Simon’s best work, there’s no doubting that he is a singular artist himself, whose lyrics exist outside the realms of comparison. While he, of course, wouldn’t put himself on his own Mount Rushmore, there would be no arguments from music lovers who all know that Simon himself is one of the great musical storytellers.
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