10 Bands That Broke Up For Bizarre Reasons

A common misconception amongst music fans regarding Simon & Garfunkel is that the iconic folk duo never liked each other. In actuality, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel worked cohesively for the majority of their early careers. In the years since though, they have disbanded and reunited several times, with their first major falling out being in the spotlight here.

Jealousy is a running theme through this article, but the source of this feud may be the pettiest of the bunch. The gradual alienation began when Paul Simon was approached to create film scores for Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972), though he rejected these offers. Meanwhile, both he and Art were cast in Mike Nichols’ dark war comedy Catch-22, but Simon’s part was cut while Nichols kept Garfunkel. Simon was left with a sour taste in his mouth, and it quickly became apparent that Art had ambitions beyond the music industry.

Catch-22 and the duo’s aptly named studio album ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ were both released in 1970 to great acclaim. In spite of the record’s incredible global success, the cracks were beginning to show and the end was imminent for the folk megastars. Recording was a difficult process for both men, and the death toll was sounded when Garfunkel accepted another acting role from Nichols without telling Simon. 

Feeling betrayed, Paul Simon quit the group later that year and. despite reuniting several times in the decades that followed, the duo never recorded another album.