Disturbed’s Haunting Conan Rendition of The Sound of Silence Becomes a Once-in-a-Lifetime Masterpiece

In late March 2016, the American heavy metal band known for hard-hitting anthems descended from their usual sonic territory to perform something more hauntingly delicate. On March 28, 2016, Disturbed delivered a live rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. The performance, brimming with emotional intensity, defied expectations for both the audience and the band’s legacy, marking a pivotal moment in their artistic trajectory.

That night, fans seated in the studio—many likely came expecting distorted guitars and thunderous drums—were instead enveloped by a chilling hush. The unexpected tenderness, combined with Draiman’s impassioned delivery, created an electric atmosphere of silence. Imagine walking into a grand theater only to find the expected spectacle replaced by something reverent and almost sacred. Those present surely felt the weight of destiny moving through that performance.

In a remarkable twist, the original composer, Paul Simon, was so moved that he reached out days later. On April 1, 2016, Simon personally emailed Disturbed frontman David Draiman, writing that it was a powerful performance and thanking them for honoring his work. That endorsement from the legend himself transformed the performance from stunning to historic.

Draiman and the band responded with heartfelt gratitude. Draiman expressed how deeply honored he was to receive personal praise from Simon, emphasizing that their goal had been to pay proper homage to a master songwriter. That reciprocal show of mutual respect elevated the cover into a genuine artistic exchange, rather than just a reinterpretation.

The cover had been released as part of Disturbed’s sixth studio album, Immortalized, which dropped back in August 2015. The song quickly outperformed expectations, becoming their highest charting single on the Billboard Hot 100—peaking at number 42—and topping both the Hard Rock Digital Songs and the Mainstream Rock charts.

The studio recording, released in December 2015, showcased a more atmospheric and subdued approach than their usual aggressive style. Band members—including guitarist Dan Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren—contributed nuanced instrumentation; Donegan played guitars, bass, piano and EBow, while Wengren added timpani. This orchestral depth allowed Draiman’s vocals to soar emotionally across a wide range.

The dramatic live performance on Conan was more than a television appearance—it was a transformational moment where a hard rock band revealed something almost spiritual. Each guitar note, each sustained vocal, felt like a bridge between two sonic worlds. Fans later wrote in online forums, describing it as “the greatest musical guest performance I’ve ever seen,” testament to how deeply the performance resonated.

That reaction wasn’t universal—some listeners critiqued the rendition as overwrought or unnecessary. Others defended it as deeply moving, showing how polarizing art often carries undeniable impact. Even detractors acknowledged the sheer power of the performance, admitting that the atmosphere created was unforgettable regardless of personal taste.

Beyond the performance’s emotional weight, its cultural ripple was substantial. By September 2017, the single had sold over a million and a half digital downloads and garnered tens of millions of streams. The music video, too, became a cultural phenomenon, eventually crossing the billion-view mark. The Conan performance video alone amassed over 150 million views on YouTube, making it the show’s most-watched clip ever.

That Conan set became more than a late-night interruption; it became an iconic moment between genres, time periods, and generations. A metal band giving full-throated reverence to a folk classic, on national television, pierced through expectations and rewrote perceptions. It spoke to the transcendent power of performance, and the unexpected places where artistry can rekindle resonance.

For the band, it wasn’t just a promotional spot—it was the culmination of their evolution since reuniting in 2015. After a multi-year hiatus, Immortalized marked their triumphant return, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200. “The Sound of Silence” signaled a new dimension in their creative identity—expanding both emotional range and audience.

The production behind the album itself supported that shift. Producer Kevin Churko oversaw the track, while orchestral arrangements gave it cinematic weight. The careful layering of instruments turned the cover into something haunting and majestic, a far cry from the aggressive intensity of their earlier catalog.

Look beyond this moment, and the cover was even Grammy-nominated. In 2017, their recording earned a nod for Best Rock Performance, showcasing that the industry too recognized its artistic merit—a rare achievement for a cover born from such emotional daring.

Consider the show’s audience. Nothing in their ticket stubs told them to expect such ethereal vulnerability. One imagines the internal monologue: “Tickets for Conan! Oh man, a metal band is playing tonight—this is gonna be loud.” Then the hush falls and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. This was the kind of spontaneous epiphany that makes live music addictive.

Every shared oral tale of the performance underscores unpredictable radiance—the kind of lucky moment where attendees realize they’re living through something singular. Those couples who came with dinner plans, or fans of the band expecting brutal riffs, found themselves instead uplifted, transported. That’s art re-affirming its magic in real time.

In the wake of the performance, Disturbed’s interpretation entered the conversation of great covers—not because it was better than the original, but because it dared to reshape it emotionally while remaining reverent. That paradox—bold yet sincere—resonates in lasting memory.

Ultimately, that Conan night, March 28, 2016, became more than a date on a setlist. It was a collision of possibility and reverence. A moment where a metal band met a folk classic not with irony, but with earnest worship. And in doing so, created a once-in-a-lifetime performance that continues to echo in listeners’ hearts.