The internet can be a serious source of bad mojo. But sometimes, it can do some good, even in the most inadvertently funny ways. On this day in 2016, a Simon & Garfunkel song from the 1960s reentered the charts, and it was all because of a meme featuring actor Ben Affleck.
Specifically, the hit Simon & Garfunkel “The Sound Of Silence” from 1966 hit no. 6 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart on April 6, 2016. The new boost was the result of a meme featuring actors Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill.
Videos by American Songwriter
For reference, that folk song was released half a century earlier. It had already peaked at no. 1 back in the 60s on the Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100 charts, among others.
How a Meme Revived the Simon & Garfunkel Song “The Sound Of Silence”
So, what’s the story behind the meme that pushed Simon & Garfunkel back into the charts?
The meme featured an interview of Affleck and Cavill during a promotional run for the film Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. For those who might not remember, the movie was expected to be a certified blockbuster. Sadly, it ended up being more of a flop, and film critics and fans around the internet dragged it through the mud for a while.
In the clip, the interviewer from Yahoo! News casually brought up how “mixed” the reviews of the film have been, and the video tacks on countless written negative reviews of the superhero movie.
Cavill laughs a bit and gives a serious, lengthy response to the interviewer’s statement. Affleck, however, decides to sit in silence and more or less disassociate as Cavill talks. The YouTuber who uploaded the video edited the song “The Sound Of Silence” into the clip while zooming in on Affleck’s deadpan, depressed expression.
The video became insanely popular and pulled in over one million views within about two days. It’s still quite a popular clip today. But back in 2016, the video was absolutely everywhere, and it inadvertently ignited a renewed interest in Simon & Garfunkel. It’s a shame that the whole thing was basically at Affleck’s expense, but at least a new generation of listeners got to experience Simon & Garfunkel for the first time.
Photo by Jon Lyons/Shutterstock
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
More Features
-
American Country musician Kenny Rogers (1938 – 2020) performs onstage at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, September 26, 1980. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images) -
American country and western singer and musician Johnny Cash (1932 – 2003) performs on stage at the Painters Mill Music Far in Owing Mills, Maryland, September 29, 1977. He is strumming a guitar and standing in front of a microphone. Bassist Marshall Grant (1928 – 2011) of Cashs backing band The Tennessee Three plays behind him on the right. (Photo by Leffler/Library of Congress/Interim Archives/Getty Images) -
MTV Founder Bob Pittman, New York, New York, January 18, 1983. (Photo by Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images) -
NEW YORK – JANUARY 6: Rock and roll musician Elvis Presley performs on stage with his back up singers The Jordanaires on the Ed Sullivan Show on January 6, 1957 in New York City, New York. On the left are Jordanaires Neal Matthews Jr (1929 – 2000, far left) and Gordon Stoker (1925 – 2013). (Photo by Steve Oroz/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
Seminal American rock group The Byrds consisted originally of Jim (Roger) McGuinn, born 1942, David Crosby, born 1941, Michael Clark, born 1944, Chris Hillman, born 1944 and Gene Clark, born 1941. Their folk and pyschedelic tinged music was popular and influential during the late 1960s and early 1970s. (Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) -
From left, Paul McCartney (playing a Hofner 500/1 violin bass guitar) and John Lennon (playing a Gibson J-160E acoustic guitar) of English rock and pop group The Beatles perform on stage for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) music television show 'Shindig!' at Granville Studios in Fulham, London on 3rd October 1964. The band would play three songs on the show, Kansas City/hey-Hey-Hey!, I'm a Loser and Boys. (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns) -
ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 20: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has digital treatments) Jerry Douglas, Jeff White, Johnny Warren and Shawn Camp of Earls of Leicester perform at City Winery on February 20, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by R. Diamond/Getty Images)
