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Revision as of 04:48, 17 January 2008

File:Carpatchrist77.jpg
Karen and Richard on their television special, Carpenters at Christmas (1977).

The discography of the American group Carpenters includes an overview of all of Carpenters' albums and how they charted on the Billboard 200 charts in America, the UK Albums Chart in the United Kingdom, and the Oricon charts in Japan. This list also includes the Carpenters' videography as well. Their monstruous musical career spawned Carpenters hit album after album. Their debut album was released on October 9, 1969, and was originally entitled Offering.[1] However, due to its poor performance in sales, Richard Carpenter decided to re-release the album with a new cover and a new title. The original cover, which featured Richard and Karen in somber clothing and holding a sunflower, was replaced by a new cover of Richard and Karen in casual clothing out on a rented boat at Lake Tahoe.[2] The title Offering was also replaced by Ticket to Ride in a Bauhaus font. However, the album's sales were lackluster. It failed to sell 500,000 albums,[3] and its eponymous single failed to reach the top 40, only reaching #54 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4]

However, in 1970, their big break came with their rendition of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "(They Long to Be) Close to You", from their album Close to You. To date, the album Close to You has sold over 2 million units, both in records and in CDs.[3] Their album success would continue until 1975, when a steep decline becomes noticeable.[1] 1975's Horizon has only gone Platinum once to date, and the following year, A Kind of Hush was only certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), meaning that it sold over 500,000 units, but not more than one million (see RIAA certification). Passage was released in September of 1977, and it failed to be certified at all, meaning that, to date, it has not sold more than 500,000 units.[3]

This declining trend continued until 1985, with the release of their posthumous two-disc compilation Yesterday Once More. The compilation was certified twice platinum, meaning that it sold over 2 million copies (but less than 3 million).[3] Today, their albums are not selling as well as they had in the past, but they are still being certified Gold by RIAA.[3] Their latest two-disc compilation, Carpenters Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition, was certified Gold on December 17, 2004.[3]

Studio albums

All of the certifications and sales data are taken from the Recording Industry Association of America website's searchable database.

Title Notes Sales and certifications Cover Chart positions
US UK JP
Ticket to Ride #150 (1971) #20 (1972)
#35 (1975)
#88
Close to You
  • Released on August 19, 1970
  • Carpenters' second album
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: LP album, cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
2,000,000 units
2× platinum[3]
#2 #23 #53
Carpenters
  • Released on May 14, 1971
  • Carpenters' third album
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: LP album, cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
4,000,000 units
4× platinum[3]
#2 #12 #47
A Song for You
  • Released on June 13, 1972
  • Carpenters' fourth album
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: LP album, cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
3,000,000 units
3× platinum[3]
#4 #13 #5
Now & Then
  • Released on May 9, 1973
  • Carpenters' fifth album
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: LP album, cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
2,000,000 units
2× platinum[3]
#2 #2 #1
Horizon
  • Released on June 6, 1975
  • Carpenters' sixth album
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: LP album, cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
1,000,000 units
1× platinum[3]
#13 #1 #1
A Kind of Hush
  • Released on June 11, 1976
  • Carpenters' seventh album
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: LP album, cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
500,000 units
Gold[3]
#33 #3 #5
Passage
  • Released on September 23, 1977
  • Carpenters' eighth album
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: LP album, cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
#49 #12 #7
Made in America
  • Released on June 16, 1981
  • Carpenters' ninth album
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: LP album, cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
#52 #12 #44
Voice of the Heart
  • Released on October 18, 1983
  • Carpenters' tenth album (Karen's first posthumous album)
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: LP album, cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
File:VoiceoftheHeart.jpg #46 #6 #41
Lovelines
  • Released on October 31, 1989
  • Carpenters' eleventh album (Karen's second posthumous album)
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: LP album, cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
#73
As Time Goes By
  • Released on August 1, 2002
  • Carpenters' twelfth album (Karen's second posthumous album)
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: LP album, cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
#18
"—" denotes albums that were released but did not chart or things that are not applicable.

Solo albums

After Karen's passing on February 4, 1983, Richard started a solo career that had lukewarm responses. Karen, too, had a solo career, though posthumous. Karen's only solo album to date was her eponymous album, released in 1996. The CD, out of print, includes songs recorded by Karen in New York City in 1979 with producer Phil Ramone. None of these solo albums have charted, nor have they been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Title Notes Cover
Time File:Time (RC Album).jpg
Karen Carpenter
  • Released on October 8, 1996
  • Karen's first and only posthumous solo album
  • Outtakes of Karen's recording sessions with Phil Ramone in New York City in 1979-1980
  • Out of print in United States
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: Cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
File:Karen Carpenter solo album.jpg
Pianist, Arranger
Composer, Conductor
  • Released on January 27, 1998
  • Richard's second and latest solo album
  • Includes instrumentals of popular songs of Carpenters
  • Dedicated to Richard's deceased mother, Agnes Carpenter[1]
  • Out of print
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: Cassette tape, compact disc, digital download

Compilations

All of the certifications and sales data are taken from the Recording Industry Association of America website's searchable database.

Title Notes Sales and certifications Cover Chart positions
US UK JP
The Singles: 1969-1973 7,000,000 units
7× platinum[3]
#1 #1 #1
The Singles: 1974-1978
  • Released in 1978
  • Carpenters' second compilation album
  • Not released in the United States
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: LP album, cassette tape, compact disc
#2
Yesterday Once More
  • Released in April of 1985
  • Carpenters' third compilation album
  • Two-disc set
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: LP album, cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
2,000,000 units
2× platinum[3]
#10
From the Top
  • Released in 1991
  • Carpenters' fourth compilation album (first box set)
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: Compact disc, digital download
Interpretations
  • Released on February 7, 1995
  • Carpenters' fifth compilation album
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: Cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
#29
Love Songs
  • Released in 1997
  • Carpenters' sixth compilation album
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: Cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
500,000 units
Gold[3]
File:Love Songs.jpg #106 #47
Reflections
  • Released on June 30, 1998
  • Carpenters' seventh compilation album
  • Features rare remixes of the less-popular songs
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: Compact disc, digital download (excludes United States)
The Singles: 1969-1981
  • Released in 2000
  • Carpenters' eighth compilation album
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: Cassette tape, compact disc, digital download
The Essential Collection: 1965-1997
  • Released in 2002
  • Carpenters' ninth compilation album (second box set)
  • Almost identical to From the Top
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: Compact disc, digital download
Carpenters Perform Carpenter
  • Released on July 29, 2003
  • Carpenters' tenth compilation album
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: Compact disc, digital download
File:Carpenters Perform Carpenter.jpg
Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition
  • Released on February 10, 2004
  • Carpenters' eleventh compilation album
  • Two disc set which is fully composed of remixes
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: Compact disc, digital download
500,000 units
Gold[3]
#101
"—" denotes albums that were released but did not chart or things that are not applicable.

Videos

All of the certifications and sales data are taken from the Recording Industry Association of America website's searchable database.

Title Notes Track listing Sales and certifications Cover
Gold: Greatest Hits
  • Released originally in 1985 under the name Yesterday Once More
  • Repackaged in 2002 under the name Gold: Greatest Hits
  • Carpenters' first video compilation
  • Label: A&M Video
  • Formats: Betamax, video cassette, laserdisc, DVD
  1. "We've Only Just Begun"
  2. "Those Good Old Dreams"
  3. "Superstar"
  4. "Rainy Days and Mondays"
  5. "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song"
  6. "Top of the World"
  7. "Ticket to Ride"
  8. "Only Yesterday"
  9. "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft"
  10. "Beechwood 4-5789"
  11. "Touch Me When We're Dancing
  12. "Hurting Each Other"
  13. "Please Mr. Postman
  14. "There's a Kind of Hush (All over the World)"
  15. "(They Long to Be) Close to You"
Interpretations
  • Released on May 9, 1995
  • Carpenters' second video compilation
  • Label: A&M Video
  • Formats: Video cassette, laserdisc, DVD
  1. "Without a Song"
  2. "Superstar"
  3. "Rainy Days and Mondays"
  4. "Reason to Believe"
  5. "(They Long to Be) Close to You"
  6. "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft"
  7. "Little Girl Blue"
  8. "Bless the Beasts and Children"
  9. "We've Only Just Begun"
  10. "When I Fall in Love"
  11. "From This Moment On"
Close to You:
Remembering the Carpenters
  • Released on March 1, 1998
  • Carpenters' first DVD documentary
  • Label: MPI Home Video
  • Formats: Video cassette, laserdisc, DVD
500,000 units
Gold[3]
"—" denotes albums that were released but did not chart or things that are not applicable.

References

  1. ^ a b c Carpenter, Richard. "Richard and Karen Carpenter - Official Website". Retrieved 2008-01-17.
  2. ^ http://www.karencarpenter.com/newsletters72.html
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Recording Industry Association of America - Searchable Database". Retrieved 2008-01-16.
  4. ^ Surratt, Paul and JoAnn Young (Executive Producers). Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters (Videotape, DVD). MPI Home Video. ISBN 3030672782. {{cite AV media}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help); Unknown parameter |date2= ignored (help)

See also