Paul Simon turned 70 this week and here are seven songs from both phases of his career as performed by female artists. The first four were originally released as part of his musical partnership with Art Garfunkel. The Bangles’ hit version of A Hazy Shade of Winter from 1987 is the most well-known of those. Lucy Wainwright Roche’s America appears on her 2010 debut called Lucy and Joan Baez’s Dangling Conversation is taken from her 1967 release, Joan. Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini’s interpretation of The Sounds of Silence is from a 1996 compilation called Stone Free. The final three songs represent Simon’s solo career and begin with Hearts and Bones by Crooked Still singer Aoife O’Donovan from 2004. Susan Werner sings Something So Right on her 2007 Last of the Good Straight Girls album. Finally, Julie Doiron’s downbeat reworking of Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard was recorded live in Minneapolis in 2002. Happy belated birthday, Mr. Simon

A Hazy Shade of Winter (Simon & Garfunkel cover) – The Bangles

Me & Julio Down By the Schoolyard (Paul Simon cover) – Julie Doiron