History YMMV / Carpenters

* DeadArtistsAreBetter: Admittedly it might be partially to thank for their vindication by history, as well as the general underlying tragedy of the siblings, especially for Karen.
* CoveredUp: "Superstar" by Music/SonicYouth, arguably. Also, Music/ShonenKnife's cover of "Top of the World."
** Definitely an example for the ''Carpenters''' version -- the original was written by ''Leon Russell'' and popularized by ''Delaney and Bonnie.''
** Their SignatureSong, "Close to You," was written by Music/BurtBacharach and ''Hal David'' about seven years earlier and recorded by several other artists[[note]]The first to record it was Creator/RichardChamberlain. Yes, [[HeAlsoDid the actor]].[[/note]] before they grabbed it and made it their own.
** Many songs written (or co-written) by Music/PaulWilliams were popularized by the ''Carpenters'' in their heyday, including: "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days and Mondays."

** "Top of the World" had an interesting journey to the top of the charts. The song was popular in concert, and the original recorded version from the ''A Song for You'' album became a hit single in Japan, but Richard Carpenter wasn't convinced of the song's hit potential in the U.S. until a cover version by Lynn Anderson became a major country and minor pop hit. Thus, Karen and Richard re-recorded the song for their first greatest-hits album and released the new version as a single, and the rest is history.

** On the other side, the Carpenters are the most famous cover of Joe Raposo's "Sing", which has been covered by dozens of artists over the decades.

** Their SignatureSong, "Close to You," was written by ''Burt Bacharach'' and ''Hal David'' about seven years earlier and recorded by several other artists[[note]]The first to record it was Creator/RichardChamberlain. Yes, [[HeAlsoDid the actor]].[[/note]] before they grabbed it and made it their own.

* BizarroEpisode: "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft", a cover of the power ballad of the same name by Music/{{Klaatu}}, which was chosen as the lead single to promote the ''Passage'' album, is about communicating with extra-terrestrial life. For a band whose oeuvre primarily consists of SillyLoveSongs, the song stands out as a particularly strange entry in their catalogue.

* BizarroEpisode: "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft", a cover of the power ballad of the same name by Music/{{Klaatu}}, from the ''Passage'' album is about communicating with extra-terrestrial life. For a band whose oeuvre primarily consists of SillyLoveSongs, the song stands out as a particularly strange entry in their catalogue.

* BizarroEpisode: "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft", a cover of the power ballad by Music/{{Klaatu}}, from the ''Passage'' album is about communicating with extra-terrestrial life. For a band whose oeuvre primarily consists of SillyLoveSongs, the song stands out as a particularly strange entry in their catalogue.

* BizarroEpisode: "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft", a cover of the power ballad by Music/{{Klaatu}}, from the ''Passage'' album is about communicating with extra-terrestrial life. For a band whose oeuvre primarily consists of SillyLoveSongs, the song stands out as a particular strange piece of their catalogue.

* BizarroEpisode: "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft", a cover of the power ballad by Music/{{Klaatu}}, from the ''Passage'' album is about communicating with extra-terrestrial life. For a band whose oeuvre primarily consists SillyLoveSong, the song stands out as a particular strange piece of their catalogue.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic

* TearJerker: "Rainy Day and Mondays," "Superstar", "I Need to Be in Love", and "Crescent Noon".

* FaceOfTheBand: Karen. Yes, Richard was a great composer, but Karen's intimate singing style made her an ''icon.''

* SugarWiki/SheReallyCanAct: A lot of people, especially non-fans of the band, don't realise that Karen started out as the band's drummer as well as singer, and are startled to realise that She Really Could Play.[[note]]Plenty of lead singers, such as Music/ElvisPresley, sling a guitar around their neck and pretend to strum it now and again, but you can't be a singing drummer without being able to play the drums, because inept drumming is much more noticeable than inept guitar playing.[[/note]]

** In the melancholy "I Say Goodbye To Love": "No one ever cared if I should live or die..." Trust us, Karen. [[TearJerker We absolutely do care]].

* DeadArtistsAreBetter: Admittedly it might be partially for their vindication by history, as well as the general tragedy of the siblings mostly Karen.

** In the melancholy "I Say Goodbye To Love": "No one ever cared if I should live or die..." No, Karen. [[TearJerker We absolutely do care]].

** Their SignatureSong, "Close to You," was written by ''Burt Bacharach'' and ''Hal David'' about seven years earlier and recorded by several other artists[[note]]The first to record it was Richard Chamberlain. Yes, [[HeAlsoDid the actor]].[[/note]] before they grabbed it and made it their own.

* EarWorm: Too many to list. Damn this band and their earworms.

* TearJerker: "Rainy Day and Mondays," "Superstar," and "I Need to Be in Love."

* {{Misblamed}}: Some say that the reason Karen's disorder happened was because on one report where it said "Richard and his ''chubby little sister''" (When Richard is the chubby one, not Karen). Karen Carpenter biographers, however, have never found any article stating such and believe it to be mythical, as her eating disorder did not develop until her mid-twenties and after years on a restrictive diet.

** "(They Long to Be) Close to You" is a [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments happy tearjerker.]]

* TheWoobie: Oh, Karen...

** And of course, several ''The Beatles'' numbers like "Help!" and "Ticket to Ride."

* {{Misblamed}}: Some say that the reason Karen's disorder happened was because on one report where it said "Richard and his ''chubby little sister''" (When Richard is the chubby one, not Karen).