The Carpenters discography
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
| Carpenters discography | |
|---|---|
| File:Carpenters - Nixon - Office.png | |
| Studio albums | 14 |
| Live albums | 2 |
| Compilation albums | 12 |
| Video albums | 3 |
| Singles | 46 |
| B-sides | 15 |
| Soundtrack albums | 3 |
| Tribute albums | 1 |
The discography of the American pop group The Carpenters consists of twelve studio albums, two Christmas albums, two live albums, forty-six singles, and numerous compilation albums. The duo was made up of siblings Karen (lead vocals and drums) and Richard Carpenter (keyboards and vocals).
The siblings started their musical career together in the latter half of the 1960s. In October 1969, a half year after they signed a contract with A&M Records, the Carpenters released their debut album Offering (its title was later changed to Ticket to Ride). Within a year, they rose to prominence with the chart-topping single "(They Long to Be) Close to You", a cover version of Bacharach/David composition.
The Carpenters garnered worldwide commercial success, scoring big hits mainly in the first half of the 1970s. RIAA-certified sales of their records (albums, singles and videos) have been estimated at around 34.6 million units.[1] In the United Kingdom, they are ranked at the seventh top-selling albums artist on the official record chart of the 1970s.[2] They have also been the third-best-selling international music act in the Japanese market, only behind Mariah Carey and The Beatles.[3][4][5] To date, they have reportedly sold more than 100 million copies of records worldwide.[6]
Contents
Albums
Studio albums
Throughout their career, the Carpenters released twelve original albums. Most recently they released As Time Goes By in 2001 in Japan, and 2004 internationally. This includes two Christmas albums released by the group.
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [7] |
AUS [8] |
CAN [9] |
JAP [10] |
UK [11] |
|||
| 1969 | Ticket to Ride (First released under the title Offering)
|
150 | 19 | — | 88 | 20 | |
| 1970 | Close to You
|
2 | 16 | 1 | 53 | 23 |
|
| 1971 | Carpenters
|
2 | 16 | 6 | 47 | 12 | |
| 1972 | A Song for You
|
4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 13 |
|
| 1973 | Now & Then
|
2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
| 1975 | Horizon
|
13 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 1 | |
| 1976 | A Kind of Hush
|
33 | 57 | 22 | 5 | 3 | |
| 1977 | Passage
|
49 | 48 | 57 | 7 | 12 |
|
| 1978 | Christmas Portrait
|
93 | — | — | — | 104 | |
| 1981 | Made in America
|
52 | 50 | — | 44 | 12 |
|
| 1983 | Voice of the Heart
|
46 | 54 | — | 41 | 6 | |
| 1984 | An Old-Fashioned Christmas
|
190 | — | — | — | — |
|
| 1989 | Lovelines
|
— | — | — | — | 73 | |
| 2001 | As Time Goes By
|
— | — | — | 18 | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||
Live albums
There are two live albums that the Carpenters have released officially, though neither of them were issued in their homeland.
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAP [10] |
UK [11] |
|||
| 1975 | Live in Japan | 8 | — | |
| 1977 | Live at the Palladium | 24 | 28 |
|
Solo albums
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Time |
|
| 1996 | Karen Carpenter |
|
| 1998 | Pianist • Arranger • Composer • Conductor |
|
Compilations
Following materials are "greatest-hits" albums of the Carpenters released in the United States.
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [7] |
JAP [10][19] |
UK [11] |
|||
| 1973 | The Singles: 1969–1973
|
1 | — | 1 | |
| 1985 | Yesterday Once More
|
144 | 35 | 10 | |
| 1995 | Interpretations
|
— | — | 29 |
|
| 1997 | Love Songs
|
106 | — | 47 | |
| 1998 | Reflections
|
— | — | — |
|
| 2000 | The Singles: 1969–1981
|
45 | 73 | — | |
| 2003 | Carpenters Perform Carpenter
|
— | — | — | |
| 2004 | Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition
|
101 | 79 | 4 | |
| 2006 | The Ultimate Collection
|
— | — | — |
|
| 2009 | 40/40
|
— | 3 | 21 | |
| 2014 | Icon
|
— | — | — | |
| 2015 | The Complete Singles
|
— | — | — | |
^ I CD only downloadable in the UK.
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Box sets
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1991 |
|
| 2002 |
The Essential Collection: 1965–1997
|
Limited releases
- Golden Prize (Japan only)
- Released: September 10, 1971
- Label: A&M/King Records
- Format: LP, cassette
- Chart position(s): #3 (JAP)
- Golden Double Deluxe (Japan only)
- Released: February 10, 1972
- Label: A&M/King Records
- Format: LP
- Chart position(s): #10 (JAP)
- GEM I (Japan only)
- Released: October 10, 1972
- Label: A&M/King Records
- Format: LP
- Chart position(s): #13 (JAP)
- MAX 20 (Japan only)
- Released: March 10, 1973
- Label: A&M/King Records
- Format: LP
- Chart position(s): #26 (JAP)
- GEM II (Japan only)
- Released: October 25, 1973
- Label: A&M/King Records
- Format(s): LP
- Chart position(s): #3 (JAP)
- Golden Prize Volume II (Japan only)
- Released: April 10, 1974
- Label: A&M/King Records
- Format(s): LP, cassette
- Chart position(s): #1 (JAP)
- Big Star (Japan only)
- Released: June 1, 1974
- Label: A&M/King Records
- Format(s): Cassette
- Chart position(s): #20 (JAP)
- Special Series (Japan only)
- Released: November 1, 1976
- Format(s): Cassette
- Label: A&M/King Records
- Chart position(s): #36 (JAP)
- Ketteiban (The Definitive) (Japan only)
- Released: June 21, 1982
- Format(s): Cassette
- Label: A&M/Alfa Records
- Chart position(s): #61 (JAP)
- The Very Best of the Carpenters (Australia and New Zealand only)
- Released: 1983
- Format(s): LP
- Label: A&M/Festival Records
- Chart position(s): #1 (AUS), #2 (NZ)
- Only Yesterday (a.k.a. Their Greatest Hits)
- Released: March 1990
- Label: A&M Records
- Format(s): LP, cassette, CD, digital download
- Chart position(s): #1 (UK), #8 (NOR), #9 (AUS), #25 (JAP), #25 (NZ)
- Certification(s): 5× Platinum (UK),[22] Platinum (JAP)
- Seishun no Kagayaki: The Best of (22 Hits of the Carpenters) (Japan only)
- Released: November 10, 1995
- Label: A&M / Polydor Japan
- Format(s): CD, MD, cassette
- Chart position(s): #3 (JAP)
- Certification(s): 12× Platinum (JAP)
- Yesterday Once More: De Nederlandse Singles Collectie (Netherlands only)
- Released: 2001
- Label: A&M / Universal
- Format(s): CD
- Chart position(s): #22 (NL)[23]
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart position | B-side | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot [24] |
US AC [24] |
AUS [8] |
CAN [25] |
GER [26] |
IRE [27] |
JAP [10] |
NL [28] |
NZ [29] |
UK [30] |
|||||
| 1966 | "Looking for Love" (Karen Carpenter) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | "I'll Be Yours" | From the Top – The Essential Collection | |
| 1969 | "Ticket to Ride" | 54 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | "Your Wonderful Parade" | Offering | |
| 1970 | "(They Long to Be) Close to You" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 6 | 71 | 30 | — | 6 | "I Kept on Loving You" |
|
Close to You |
| "We've Only Just Begun" | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 71 | — | — | 28 | "All of My Life" |
|
||
| "Merry Christmas, Darling" | — | — | — | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | 45 | "Mr. Guder" | Christmas Portrait | ||
| 1971 | "For All We Know" | 3 | 1 | 10 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | "Don't Be Afraid" |
|
Carpenters |
| "Rainy Days and Mondays" | 2 | 1 | 35 | 3 | — | — | 72 | — | — | — | "Saturday" |
|
||
| "Superstar" | 2 | 1 | 35 | 3 | — | — | 7 | 19 | — | 18 | "Bless the Beasts and Children" |
|
||
| "Bless the Beasts and Children" | 67 | 26 | — | — | — | — | 85 | — | — | — | B-side of "Superstar" | A Song for You | ||
| 1972 | "Hurting Each Other" | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 56 | — | — | — | "Maybe It's You" |
|
|
| "It's Going to Take Some Time" | 12 | 2 | 24 | 13 | — | — | 48 | — | — | — | "Flat Baroque" | |||
| "Goodbye to Love" | 7 | 2 | 25 | 4 | — | 12 | 55 | — | — | 9 | "Crystal Lullaby" | |||
| 1973 | "Sing" | 3 | 1 | 24 | 4 | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | "Druscilla Penny" |
|
Now & Then |
| "Yesterday Once More" | 2 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 5 | — | 2 | "Road Ode" | |||
| "Top of the World" | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 38 | 3 | 21 | 12 | — | 5 | "Heather" | A Song for You | ||
| 1974 | "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" | — | — | 95 | — | 50 | 12 | 28 | 3 | — | 12 | "Mr. Guder" | Now & Then | |
| "I Won't Last a Day Without You" | 11 | 1 | 63 | 7 | — | — | 40 | — | — | 32 | "One Love" | A Song for You | ||
| "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 37 | "Merry Christmas, Darling" | An Old Fashioned Christmas | ||
| "Please Mr. Postman" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 11 | 29 | 4 | 2 | "This Masquerade" | Horizon | ||
| 1975 | "Only Yesterday" | 4 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 43 | 5 | 12 | — | 10 | 7 | "Happy" | ||
| "Solitaire" | 17 | 1 | 61 | 12 | — | 44 | — | — | 6 | 32 | "Love Me for What I Am" | |||
| 1976 | "There's a Kind of Hush" | 12 | 1 | 33 | 11 | — | 7 | 27 | — | 5 | 22 | "(I'm Caught Between) Goodbye and I Love You" | A Kind of Hush | |
| "I Need to Be in Love" | 25 | 1 | 47 | 31 | — | 14 | 62 | — | — | 36 | "Sandy" | |||
| "Goofus" | 56 | 4 | — | 82 | — | — | — | — | — | — | "Boat to Sail" | |||
| "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 71 | — | — | — | "I Have You" | |||
| 1977 | "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song" | 35 | 4 | 89 | 38 | — | — | 68 | — | — | — | "I Have You" | Passage | |
| "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognized Anthem of World Contact Day)" | 32 | 18 | 13 | 9 | — | 1 | — | — | 19 | 9 | "Can't Smile Without You" | |||
| 1978 | "Sweet, Sweet Smile" | 44 | 7 | 100 | 33 | 22 | — | 59 | 22 | — | 40 | "I Have You" | ||
| "I Believe You" | 68 | 9 | — | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | "B'wana, She No Home" | Made in America | ||
| 1981 | "Touch Me When We're Dancing" | 16 | 1 | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | — | "Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)" | ||
| "(Want You) Back in My Life Again" | 72 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | "Somebody's Been Lyin'" | |||
| "Those Good Old Dreams" | 63 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | "When It's Gone (It's Just Gone)" | |||
| 1982 | "Beechwood 4-5789" | 74 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | "Two Sides" | ||
| 1983 | "Make Believe It's Your First Time" | 101 | 7 | 80 | — | — | 20 | — | — | — | 60 | "Look to Your Dreams" | Voice of the Heart | |
| 1984 | "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore" | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | "Sailing on the Tide" | ||
| "Now" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | "Look to Your Dreams" | |||
| "Little Altar Boy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | "Do You Hear What I Hear?" | An Old Fashioned Christmas | ||
| 1986 | "Honolulu City Lights" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | "I Just Fall in Love Again" | Lovelines | |
| 1987 | "Something in Your Eyes" (Richard Carpenter featuring Dusty Springfield) |
— | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | "Time" | Time | |
| 1989 | "If I Had You" (Karen Carpenter) | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | "The Uninvited Guest" | Lovelines | |
| 1990 | "Merry Christmas, Darling" (re-issue) | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | 25 | "(They Long to Be) Close to You" | Christmas Portrait | |
| 1993 | "Rainy Days and Mondays" (re-issue) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 63 | "Goodbye to Love" | From the Top | |
| 1994 | "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 44 | "Sing" | Interpretations | |
| 1995 | "I Need to Be in Love" (Japan re-issue) | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | "Top of the World" | 22 Hits of the Carpenters | |
| 1996 | "Make Believe It's Your First Time"(Karen Carpenter) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | "If We Try" | Karen Carpenter | |
| 1996 | "Ave Maria" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | "Merry Christmas, Darling" | Christmas Portrait | |
| 1998 | "Karen's Theme" (Richard Carpenter) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | No B-side | Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor | |
| 2001 | "The Rainbow Connection" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 47 | — | — | — | "Leave Yesterday Behind", "Medley" | As Time Goes By | |
| 2003 | "Top of the World" (Japan re-issue) | — | — | — | — | — | — | 83 | — | — | — | "Top of the World", "Sing" (karaoke) | Gold | |
Notes
- "Top of the World" charted four times in Japan, at #21 in 1972 and again in 1973 (to coincide with the song's US success), when it peaked at #52. In 1995 it was the B-side of the reissue of "I Need to Be in Love", and subsequently it charted a fourth time (as an A-side) at #83.
- "Sweet, Sweet Smile" peaked at #8 on Billboard's Country singles chart.
- "Superstar" and "For All We Know" were released as a double A-side in the UK.
- "I Won't Last a Day Without You" was originally released as an A-side in the UK in 1972 with "Goodbye to Love" as the B-side. However, the sides were switched shortly after the record's release. The former was later released as an A-side in the UK in 1974 to coincide with its first US release as an A-side.
- "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" reached #1 in the Republic of Ireland, becoming the duo's biggest hit there.
- The UK re-issue of "Merry Christmas, Darling" in 1990 features the second recorded version of the song from their 1978 Christmas Portrait album as opposed to the original 1970 version.
Videos
| Title | Notes | Certifications |
|---|---|---|
| Gold: Greatest Hits |
|
|
| Interpretations |
|
|
| Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters |
|
|
Soundtracks
| Year | Song | Notes | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | "Bless the Beasts and Children" |
|
Bless the Beasts and Children (soundtrack version) A Song for You (album version) |
References
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- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Note: This reference gives Australian albums and singles information. It is used for chart peak positions as the early albums were released before ARIA began regulating the Australian charts itself in 1989.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Note: User must define search parameters, i.e. "Carpenters."
- ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
- ↑ 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.11 13.12 13.13 13.14 13.15 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Carpenters in the field Search. Select Artist in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Search
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.Note: Reference indicates chart positions from 1988 onwards, and part of the information currently unavailable
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.Note: User needs to enter "Carpenters" in the "Artiest" field and click below "zoek" button.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Platinum Awards Content
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 31.4 31.5 31.6 31.7 31.8 31.9 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 "Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved on 21 September 2014. Note: User needs to enter "Carpenters" in the "Search" field, "Artist" in the "Search by" field and click the "Go" button. Select "More info" next to the relevant entry to see full certification history.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
See also
- The Carpenters
- List of songs by The Carpenters
- Recording Industry Association of America
- If I Were a Carpenter (tribute album)
| Albums | |
|---|---|
| Live albums | |
| Compilation albums |
|
| Other |
|
| TV series/specials | |
| DVDs | |
| Related articles |
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