"Graceland" is the seventh solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon, released on August 25, 1986, by Warner Bros. Records. The album, which Simon produced and Roy Halee engineered, blends various genres including pop, rock, a cappella, zydeco, and South African music styles like isicathamiya and mbaqanga.
In the early 1980s, Simon faced personal and professional challenges: his relationship with Art Garfunkel had soured, his marriage to actress Carrie Fisher had ended, and his previous album, Hearts and Bones (1983), had not performed well commercially. In 1984, after struggling with depression, Simon became intrigued by a bootleg cassette of mbaqanga, a South African street music genre. He and Halee spent two weeks in Johannesburg recording with local musicians, and additional recordings took place in the US with artists including Linda Ronstadt, the Everly Brothers, Rockin' Dopsie and the Twisters, and Los Lobos. Simon also toured with South African musicians, performing both their music and songs from Graceland.
The album faced criticism from groups like Artists United Against Apartheid for breaking the cultural boycott of South Africa, which was in place due to its apartheid policies. Simon defended his actions by arguing that Graceland was a political statement promoting collaboration between black and white artists and raising awareness of apartheid. While some hailed Simon for introducing African music to Western audiences, others accused him of cultural appropriation.
Graceland became Simon's most successful album in over a decade, selling an estimated 16 million copies worldwide. It was highly acclaimed, won the 1987 Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and is often listed among the greatest albums of all time. In 2006, it was added to the US National Recording Registry for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.
