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MPR News Staff

Paul Simon hit came from when someone called him "Al"

Paul Simon in 1980
Paul Simon performs in 1980.
Keystone/Getty Images 1980

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Today's Morning Edition music is from Paul Simon with "You Can Call Me Al" off his album Graceland.

The album hit number one on the U.K. album charts 30 years ago today.

It wasn't Paul Simon's first time at that number one spot, and it wouldn't be his last. Graceland won a Grammy for record of the year in 1987. And the album stayed on the charts for more than 100 weeks.

Paul Simon says he wrote this song after meeting someone at a party who mistakenly referred to him as "Al," and his then-wife Peggy as "Betty.