Beyond Simon and Garfunkel: the evolution of the vocal harmony from its rock and folk roots
John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. The Beach Boys. ABBA. Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Bee Gees. Fleetwood Mac. Queen. The Mamas and The Papas. Most of what we associate with expertly delivered harmonies are indisputable as such, but most of them are also legacy acts. This raises an interesting theory about the evolution of music and why we don’t necessarily value this gorgeous facet of musical creation as much anymore.
When done right, vocal harmony dives deep into emotions, adding layers of richness and depth to a song. It’s not just about combining musical notes; it’s about creating something that sounds incredibly pleasing to the ear. In music theory, harmony focuses on how notes stack vertically, contrasting with the melody’s horizontal flow. This not only intensifies the emotional impact of melodies but also helps to shape what listeners expect to hear.
Take Simon and Garfunkel, for instance—they’re a prime example. Many of their songs, like ‘The Sound of Silence’ and ‘Mrs Robinson’, blend folk and rock harmonies, setting the stage for unforgettable hooks and deep emotions. And when we talk about innovation, the Lennon-McCartney duo is another standout, but we’ll get to that later.
Despite their often tumultuous partnership, Simon and Garfunkel managed to blend their voices seamlessly, which catapulted them to global fame overnight. Their harmonies exemplify what’s so captivating about the concept: just like two colours can complement each other to create a vibrant visual effect, Simon and Garfunkel’s voices harmonised to produce a visceral sound that resonated deeply.
“When I harmonise with Paul, it falls into place, the history of Simon and Garfunkel,” Garfunkel once explained, noting the ways their harmony coalesced with their tumultuous relationship, which only served as a testament to the power of the harmony itself. “It’s like the weather in slow motion,” he added. “These two guys are very different. And the fact that they took their sound and enmeshed it so remarkably implies a lot of very, very close listening, which is the same as very, very close love. I think our blend and our tight sound speaks to intense rehearsals and extremely close listening.”
For this particular duo, the harmony represented their common thread, pulling them together and allowing them to work together in tandem despite the various frictions they felt bubbling at the surface. “I’d start harmonising, then I’d see him get very happy,” Garfunkel recalled. “He’d show me other songs he was working on, and I’d try to fix them, sing them, and before you knew it, we were Simon & Garfunkel again.”
In a way, this complements everything a harmony is supposed to achieve—bright, light, beautiful pairings between two voices who truly understand and support one another. Of course, a pleasant-sounding harmony only works when you know which sort of pitches to hit and hold. Still, it helps when the two musicians involved know how to navigate the dance and restore the vocal equilibrium that is the exchange between two distinctive notes.
While there was a similar case with Lennon and McCartney, their rocky relationship seeming to exist in a separate dimension to their joint musical prowess, the harmonies they provided were incredibly rich, in part because of the general tone of each of their voices but also because their blends were highly innovative for the time. In many songs, they employed what’s called contrapuntal harmonies, which means their vocal lines moved independently but complemented each other harmonically.
There are many other outfits in which harmonies became a hallmark of their distinctive sound, with the role changing depending on the genre and the rules and forms varying in sound and style. However, the use of harmony has generally altered in recent times, influenced by technological advancements, cultural shifts, and changes in musical styles. Since the 1990s, vocal harmony has waned or been displaced by certain technical advancements that have shifted what the concept means.
If we were to think of vocal harmonies through a similar lens to those discussed, we’d likely think of contemporary acts like Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Mumford & Sons, The Staves, Haim, Alabama Shakes, First Aid Kit, and others. Haim, in particular, has a good idea of how to make modern harmonies work, especially in songs like ‘Now I’m In It’, ‘The Wire’, ‘The Steps’, and ‘Don’t Wanna’. This is the prime example of a modern band adopting classic rock harmonies repurposed for a contemporary audience, but why was there an influx of such dynamics between the 1950s and the 1980s without so much now?
While there is substantial evidence suggesting that technical advancements, such as the inclusion of synthesisers, enhanced studio mixing, autotune, drum machines, and various other digital tools, have played an integral part in this shift towards refined music, taking such a view would be overly generalised and overlook the many contemporary bands where vocalists indeed incorporate nostalgic and traditional-sounding harmonies.
So, while we can’t ignore the role technology has played in changing musical sounds, harmonies are still being incorporated into music, both far and wide. Still, it’s just a little harder to spot, mostly because it has evolved slightly to appeal to a modern audience. For instance, while we have examples like Haim, their version of the vocal harmony still includes contemporary techniques like multiple layering to create a textured sound, alongside more innovative approaches like moving their voices in half-steps or semitones to create more tension and drama.
Harmonies in today’s landscape have generally become a little more sophisticated, partially due to the advancement of technologies but also because of changing tastes. Genres have become blurred to the point they’re often indistinguishable, meaning that the expression of harmony and its application have evolved significantly. In pop music, the landscape has also shifted to prioritise and celebrate individual acts, like Chappel Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift—meaning that we’re caught in a specific moment when singular voices reign supreme.
This doesn’t mean that the vocal harmony is dissolving, nor does it mean it will never return in full force. It just shows that certain trends come and go, and while harmonies are still being utilised in various spaces, they no longer serve a dominant purpose within popular spaces like they once did. Moreover, such an impactful trope will likely never experience redundancy, mostly because its place in today’s music landscape invites reflection on what we value most in modern music.
Some of the best legacy collaborations of late have introduced harmony to a modern audience by directly bridging the gap between then and now. ‘Edge of Midnight’, for instance, effortlessly blends Miley Cyrus and Stevie Nicks’ vocals, providing an intensely powerful rendition of one of the most iconic songs of all time. Therefore, considering the incredibly nuanced nature of consistently evolving musical trends, we can only assume that its value has become solidified rather than shunned. It’s a keeper, not a castaway.
