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.
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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
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