There are a lot of “ordinary” musicians and singers around. They do well, but never set the world alight. Then, some reach high standards because of their ability and not because of their marketing people.
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But, just occasionally, some come along who raise the bar. Those who are just head and shoulders above the rest and whose music stays with us forever. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, it is a special time.
A Very Small Select Group Of Artists
The Beatles fall into that category, as do Abba. You can also include in this small select group The Carpenters. Musicians, songwriters, arrangers, and singers, all of those mentioned, had those skills to a higher standard than their contemporaries. I am going to look at just one of them and choose the Top 50 Carpenters songs.
Why The Carpenters?
Not an unreasonable question, and one that is worth considering before we make a start. Richard, of course, was a consummate pianist, arranger, singer, and songwriter. Responsible, in part, for many of the best Carpenters songs.
It wouldn’t be unrealistic to compare him with another musical giant from the three mentioned. That is Benny Andersson of Abba. He performed a similar function for them.
But There was Something Else
Those at the very pinnacle have excellence in what they do, but they all have that something extra. That “something extra” with The Carpenters was Karen and “that” voice. Her contralto pitch and her three-octave range were captivating.
John Lennon once called her the best female vocalist in the world. I think, at the time, he was probably right. The close harmonies her brother wrote and they sang, were way ahead of anyone else and gave them their trademark sound.
But, the skill of Richard was such that even when they were complex in design and delivery, they never detract from the principal melody. They were placed in the Soft Rock genre. Although, how they work that out, I don’t know. They were like The Beatles and Abba, way beyond being put in a little convenient genre box. That said, let’s pick out the 50 best songs by The Carpenters.
Top 50 Carpenters Songs
1 Please Mr. Postman
When you recorded this song, you were in exalted company. It was written by Brian Holland and Freddie Gorman, both successful writers with Motown. Also, other writers, Robert Bateman, and Georgia Dobbins, who was a member of The Marvelettes.
The Marvelettes released it first in 1961, and it became Motown’s first #1. The Beatles recorded it in 1963, and it was included on their second album, With The Beatles.
The Carpenters released their version in 1975, and it went to #2 in the UK and topped the chart in America, Canada, and Australia. It sold over a million copies and was included in their album, Horizon. The Carpenter’s version is interesting in that Richard Carpenter seems to have tried to create a 50s-feel in the song. This, rather than a 70s sound, which he considered not in keeping with the style of the song.
2 I Won’t Last A Day Without You
This is a song that was included on their studio album, A Song For You, released in 1972. It was released as a single in the UK in the same year and went to #9. It wasn’t released in America as a single until 1974, when it reached #11.
The Carpenters had already recorded two successful songs by Paul Williams and Roger Nicholls. Both of which I shall be taking a look at later. Richard heard this composition by the same pairing and knew it was a song for Karen.
He pulled in session musician Hal Blaine to play the drums. And he arranged an outstanding orchestration that rises and falls across verses and chorus.
The middle section is worth commenting on…
The arrangement takes us around some brief key changes but then takes us effortlessly back to the chorus. Needless to say, Karen delivers a perfect performance with just the right amount of emotion in what is a rather melancholy lyric. No over-indulged dramatics with the vocals; she just lets that contralto tone of hers create the mood of the song.
3 Rainy Days And Mondays
I mentioned in talking about “I Won’t Last A Day Without You” that they had seen success with Paul Williams and Roger Nicholl’s songs. This is one of the two I said I would mention. Released in 1971, it was included as the first track in their album, Carpenters. It reached #2 in America but failed to make it on the UK chart. It was released again in 1993 but still only reached #63.
This was one of the earlier songs composed by Williams and Nicholls and has a very melancholy sound. Karen’s voice adds to that and creates a sad and rather lonely feeling. We are told she went into the studio and recorded the song in one take.
The Musicians
Often, we concentrate on the singer, which in the case of The Carpenters is inevitable. But, in doing so, we can miss other parts of the song created by the musicians that help make it want it is.
For instance, the harmonica part that was played by Tommy Morgan adds so much, as does the alto sax solo played by Bob Messenger. Plenty of backing vocals, some performed by Karen Carpenter, add to the overall effect.
When people talk about the Top 50 Carpenters songs, this track is often overlooked. But, it has everything that made them what they were.
4 Top Of The World
Back to 1972 again, and the album, A Song For You, from which this track is taken. The song was written by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis. Bettis had a long relationship with the duo, having once been in a band with them.
The song was only meant to be an album track. However, country singer Lynn Anderson did well with the song. So, The Carpenters also released it as a single.
It reached #5 in the UK and scored another #1 in America, Australia, and Canada. Some of their material was poignant and, thus, quite sad. But, this is a lighthearted track that shows another side of them. As a result, it’s well known Carpenters song.
5 For All We Know
The album Carpenters produced some of their best material, and this is another track from that album. The song had originally been written for the film Lovers and Other Strangers. It was written by trumpeter Fred Karlin and Robb Wilson.
Another case in which Richard Carpenter had heard the song casually and knew it would be perfect for his sister. It was released as a double A-side with the song “Superstar” in 1971 in the UK and reached #18 on that chart. In America, the song went to #3. It probably would have been more successful in the UK, but it was also released by British favorite Shirley Bassey at the same time.
One of the Carpenter’s staunchest fans and admirers from inside the music business had always been the British singer Petula Clark. At the Royal Albert Hall on February 6, 1983, two days after Karen’s death, she sang the song in her concert as a tribute to her.
6 (They Long To Be) Close To You
This single was their breakout hit and is one of the most popular Carpenters songs ever. Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, it had previously been recorded by Dionne Warwick. It was released in 1970 and included on their album of the same name. The album, Close To You, went to #6 in the UK and #1 in America.
Richard Carpenter created the arrangement and included a flugelhorn. Once again, that arrangement included a laid-back sound with plenty of their backing vocals.
7 Yesterday Once More
This was taken from the 1973 album, Now & Then. The song was written by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis. Musically, it takes us back in time by reminiscing about a bygone age. The arrangement and backing vocals reflect that 50s style of music. Plenty of nostalgia in this track, and once again, a song that highlights Karen’s voice which, as usual, is pitch perfect.
8 Superstar
A song that was written by Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett, The Carpenters released it in 1971. It reached #18 in the UK, paired with “For All We Know,” and #2 in America and was another track from the Carpenters album.
The lyrics, which speak of a groupie feeling lonely for her idol, had to be changed a little as they didn’t fit The Carpenter’s persona. No one noticed, and it was a huge success and is still one of their most popular songs. Once again, it was a song that she recorded in just one take, and Richard’s arrangement and creative harmonies received much praise.
9 We’ve Only Just Begun
This song was always considered The Carpenters’ signature‘ song. It was taken from the 1970 album Close To You and was another song written by Paul Williams and Roger Nicholls.
The song started life as a commercial for a bank which is where Richard Carpenter first heard it. He did some work on it, and their version reached #28 in the UK and #2 in America.
The song won numerous awards and cemented them as international artists. It was also one of the songs that highlighted her voice and made her an icon of the time in many people’s eyes. Easily one of the Top 50 Carpenters songs.
10 Goodbye To Love
And so, to the next song on this list of The Carpenters’ top 50 songs, and this one is very special indeed. It wasn’t only one of their best recordings; it was one of the songs of the 70s.
Released in 1972, it reached #9 in the UK and #7 in America. In many ways, a tragic song for her to sing. The lyrics tell of a person who had just given up on ever finding love. “From this day love is forgotten – I’ll go on the best I can.” It was included in the album A Song For You and written by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis.
The harmonies, especially in the outro, were outstanding…
And, of course, she produced a perfect job of singing the song. In many ways, it could be considered a power ballad, and in that respect was slightly out of character for them.
It was quite a shock when “that” distorted guitar solo played by Tony Peluso suddenly arrived in the middle. We had just taken that all in when it hit us again once Ton cut loose at the end over spectacular harmonies. It was one of the first songs to include a guitar sound like that for a solo.
Was it that good? At the time, there was nothing quite like it. Many people said, “Who would have thought they could do that?” The Carpenters had proved with “Goodbye To Love” that they were no one-trick pony.
11Reason to Believe
12Touch Me When We’re Dancing
13Only Yesterday
14All You Get from Love Is a Love Song
15I Need to Be in Love
16Little Girl Blue
17Merry Christmas, Darling
18This Masquerade
19Bless the Beasts and Children
20Sing
21You’re Enough
22Maybe It’s You
23Love Is Surrender
24Your Baby Doesn’t Love You Anymore
25Crystal Lullaby
26Don’t Cry for Me Argentina
27I Just Fall in Love Again
28When I Fall in Love
29A Song for You
30Happy
31Road Ode
32Sailing on the Tide
33Let Me Be The One
34You’re The One
35The Uninvited Guest
36Piano Picker
37I Believe You
38Druscilla Penny
39Flat Baroque
40All of My Life
41Jambalaya (On the Bayou)
42Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
43Another Song
44Love Me For What I Am
45Karen’s Theme
46Two Lives
47I Can Dream, Can’t I?
48All I Can Do
49Someday
50Happy
Want More Great Songs from Great Singers?
If so, have a look at our detailed articles on the Best Beatles Songs, the Best Fleetwood Mac Songs, the Best Tina Turner Songs of All Time, the Best Stevie Nicks Songs of All Time, and the Most Famous Singers Of The 1970s for more incredible song selections.
Top 50 Carpenters Songs – Final Thoughts
At the time, they arrived like a breath of fresh air. The songs were good and sometimes great, the arrangements often complex but always in sympathy with the song.
And then, there was Karen Carpenter…
That deep, contralto voice was full of emotion. Her pitch was perfect, and her delivery was excellent. She had everything and was what people thought of when The Carpenters were mentioned. Her health problems and untimely death robbed us of one of the great singers of our generation. But they have left us with plenty of material and, of course, the Carpenters Gold album.
On that album, you will find all the tracks we have looked at, plus some there was not enough space to include. Take a listen to one of the greatest voices we have been fortunate to hear.
Until next time, happy listening.
