Billboard #1 Hits: #389: ” 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover”- Paul Simon. February 7, 1976. #1 for 3 weeks in Billboard Hot 100.
- Single: “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover”- Paul Simon
- Record Company- Columbia
- Genre: Soft Rock
- Written by Paul Simon
- Time: 3:35
- B-side: “Some Folks Lives Roll Easy”
- Album- Still Crazy After All These Years
- Grade: A+
- Peaked at #1 3 weeks in Billboard Hot 100. #23 in UK Singles Chart. #1 in Canada.
Until Graceland a decade later- Still Crazy After All These Years was Paul Simon’s most acclaimed album- there were four hit singles- and the most successful of those was this one. Simon and his wife had split up and this song was influenced by that event- he took a humorous approach to the subject. Previously he had 2 singles reach #2- “50 Ways” would be his only single to hit #1 as a solo performer.
slicethelife 
One of my favorite Paul Simon tunes! BTW, this tune’s drum part has to be one of the coolest in pop music. It was played by prominent session drummer Steve Gadd who has worked with many other artists like Steely Dan, Simon & Garfunkel, Joe Cocker, Chet Baker, Al Di Meola and Eric Clapton.
Yes I was listening to it again while writing this up- the thing that really did strike out to me as cool is the drumming at the opening.
It could almost be a Ringo Starr part where you can figure out the song just by listening to the drums track.
another cool drumming part on a simon album- the opening track on Rhythm Of The Saints- The Obvious Child-
That’s pretty cool. According to Wikipedia, it was performed live by a Brazilian drumming collective.
Simon had a gift to work with musicians from other cultures. Perhaps the best example is the fantastic “Graceland” album. If I would have to pick one, it would be this one.