History Music / Carpenters

* CoverVersion: Several, including "Ticket to Ride" (Music/TheBeatles), "Please Mr. Postman" ([[Creator/{{Motown}} The Marvelettes]]), "There's a Kind of Hush" (Music/HermansHermits), and "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" (Music/{{Klaatu}}).

They were active from 1969 until Karen's death in 1983. During this time, they were very prolific and scored numerous hits, only a few of which are commonly known to people who weren't there in TheSeventies. Their biggest hit, and probably their best-remembered song, is "(They Long to Be) Close to You"; others include "We've Only Just Begun", "For All We Know", "Rainy Days and Mondays", "Superstar", "Hurting Each Other", "Sing", "Yesterday Once More", "Top of the World", and "Only Yesterday".

* DownerEnding: Karen's death at 32, of complications stemming from her severe [[WeightWoe anorexia nervosa.]] On the bright side, it actually did a lot to open up awareness of the disease.

* GameMusic: Apparently, Creator/HideoKojima was a huge fan of "Sing", because it's what the AI's sing out during the battles of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker'', it plays during a few cutscenes involving Dr. Strangelove, and [[spoiler: Peace Walker sings this when she drowns herself to stop herself from transmitting the launch sequence to the US military]]. It also plays during the end credits.

* GameMusic: Apparently, HideoKojima was a huge fan of "Sing", because it's what the AI's sing out during the battles of ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker]]'', it plays during a few cutscenes involving Dr. Strangelove, and [[spoiler: Peace Walker sings this when she drowns herself to stop herself from transmitting the launch sequence to the US military]]. It also plays during the end credits.

* FadeIntoTheNextSong: Many of their albums feature this throughout the entire album.

* ChristmasSongs: Their 1970 single "Merry Christmas Darling" is still an annual radio staple. There are also two full albums of Christmas music, one released in Karen's lifetime (1978's ''Christmas Portrait'') and the other following her death (1984's ''An Old-Fashioned Christmas'').

* GameMusic: Apparently, HideoKojima was a huge fan of "Sing", because it's what the AI's sing out during the battles of ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker]]'', it plays during a few cutscenes involving Dr. Strangelove, and [[spoiler: Peace Walker sings this when she drowns herself to stop herself from transmitting the launch sequence to the US military]]. It also plays during the end credits.z

* GameMusic: Apparently, HideoKojima was a huge fan of "Sing", because it's what the AI's sing out during the battles of [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker '''Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker''']], it plays during a few cutscenes involving Dr. Strangelove, and [[spoiler: Peace Walker sings this when she drowns herself to stop herself from transmitting the launch sequence to the US military]]. It also plays during the end credits.z

* GameMusic: Apparently, HideoKojima was a huge fan of "Sing", because it's what the AI's sing out during the battles of [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker ''Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker'']], it plays during a few cutscenes involving Dr. Strangelove, and [[spoiler: Peace Walker sings this when she drowns herself to stop herself from transmitting the launch sequence to the US military]]. It also plays during the end credits.z

They were active from 1969 until Karen's death in 1983. During this time, they were very prolific and scored numerous hits, only a few of which are commonly known to people who weren't there in TheSeventies. Among these are "(They Long to Be) Close to You", "We've Only Just Begun", "For All We Know", "Rainy Days and Mondays", "Superstar", "Hurting Each Other", "Sing", "Yesterday Once More", "Top of the World", and "Only Yesterday".

They were active from 1969 until Karen's death in 1983. During this time, they were very prolific and scored numerous hits, only a few of which are commonly known to people who weren't there in TheSeventies. Among these are "Close to You," "We've Only Just Begun," "For All We Know," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "Superstar," "Hurting Each Other," "Sing," "Yesterday Once More," "Top of the World," and "Only Yesterday."

* TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: Karen Carpenter is often portrayed this way.
* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: In the song "I Believe You." The first time you hear what appears to be the final verse that slows down and stops a bit, you think it's over but then, BAM! A repeat of the bridge and the final verse again, this time once more.
** Same with "(They Long to Be) Close to You:" After they say "Close to You" one last time, the song plays out slowly to end and you think it's over, until BAM! The last few lines of the chorus play again until fade. Notorious for catching disc jockeys off guard when the song started back up a few seconds into whatever was coming after it.

''Carpenters'' (absolutely ''not'' "The Carpenters") were a brother and sister pop duo consisting of Richard (born 1946) and Karen (1950–1983) Carpenter. Karen started out as the drummer but was gradually phased off the instrument once it became clear she had a superlative singing voice; Richard wrote the material, played piano, and provided backing vocals.

'''Carpenters''' (absolutely ''not'' "The Carpenters") were a brother and sister pop duo consisting of Richard (born 1946) and Karen (1950–1983) Carpenter. Karen started out as the drummer but was gradually phased off the instrument once it became clear she had a superlative singing voice; Richard wrote the material, played piano, and provided backing vocals.

'''Carpenters''' (absolutely ''not'' "The Carpenters") were a brother-and-sister pop duo consisting of Richard (born 1946) and Karen (1950–1983) Carpenter. Karen started out as the drummer but was gradually phased off the instrument once it became clear she had a superlative singing voice; Richard wrote the material, played piano and provided backing vocals.

They were active from 1969 until Karen's death in 1983. During this time, they were very prolific and scored numerous hits, only a few of which are commonly known to people who weren't there in TheSeventies. Among these are "Close to You", "We've Only Just Begun", "For All We Know", "Rainy Days and Mondays", "Superstar", "Hurting Each Other", "Sing", "Yesterday Once More", "Top of the World", and "Only Yesterday".

!!Tropes:

* DownerEnding: Karen's death at 32, of complications stemming from her severe [[WeightWoe anorexia nervosa]]. On the bright side, it actually did a lot to open up awareness of the disease.
* HatingOnMonday: "Rainy Days and Mondays"
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: After Karen broke up with him, songwriter Tom Bahler wrote what would eventually become a Music/MichaelJackson hit, "She's Out Of My Life."
* SelfBackingVocalist: a major component of their fame. Most of their singles involve Richard and Karen overdubbed numerous times on backing vocals, often using chords most [[ThreeChordsAndTheTruth rock bands]] have never even heard of.

* ShaveAndAHairCut: At the end of "Piano Picker".
* SillyLoveSongs: another major selling point.

* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: In the song "I Believe You". The first time you hear what appears to be the final verse that slows down and stops a bit, you think it's over but then, BAM! A repeat of the bridge and the final verse again, this time once more.
** Same with "(They Long to Be) Close to You": After they say "Close to You" one last time, the song plays out slowly to end and you think it's over, until BAM! the last few lines of the chorus play again until fade. Notorious for catching disc jockeys off guard when the song started back up a few seconds into whatever was coming after it.

'''Carpenters''' (absolutely ''not'' "[[TheTheTitleConfusion The Carpenters]]") were a brother-and-sister pop duo consisting of Richard (born 1946) and Karen (1950–1983) Carpenter. Karen started out as the drummer but was gradually phased off the instrument once it became clear she had a superlative singing voice; Richard wrote the material, played piano and provided backing vocals.

* ChristmasSongs: Their 1970 single "Merry Christmas Darling" is still an annual radio staple. They also released one full album of Christmas music in their lifetime (1978's ''Christmas Portrait'') and another after Karen's death (1984's ''An Old-Fashioned Christmas'').

* ChristmasSongs: Their 1970 single "Merry Christmas Darling" is still an annual radio staple. They also released one full album of Christmas music in their lifetime (1978's ''Christmas Portrait'') and one another after Karen's death (1984's ''An Old-Fashioned Christmas'').

* CoverVersion: Some of their hits were these, including "Ticket to Ride" (Music/TheBeatles), "Please Mr. Postman" ([[Creator/{{Motown}} The Marvelettes]]), "There's a Kind of Hush" (Music/HermansHermits), and "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft (Music/{{Klaatu}}).

They were active from 1969 until Karen's death in 1983. During this time, they were very prolific and scored numerous hits, only a few of which are commonly known to people who weren't there in TheSeventies. Among these are "Close to You", "We've Only Just Begun", "For All We Know", "Superstar", "Hurting Each Other", "Sing", "Yesterday Once More", and "Top of the World".

They were active from 1969 until Karen's death in 1983. During this time, they were very prolific and scored numerous hits, only a few of which are commonly known to people who weren't there in TheSeventies. Hits include "Close to You," "Sing," "Yesterday Once More," "We've Only Just Begun," and "Superstar."