The Carpenters were one of the most predominant pop artists of the 1970s. Composed of siblings Richard and Karen Carpenter, the duo rose to fame with their signature soft rock sound, marked by lush arrangements and Karen’s unmistakable voice. Their blend of meticulously crafted melodies led to a string of chart-topping hits, including (They Long to Be) Close to You, Top of the World, and We've Only Just Begun.

Despite their commercial success, their story is also one of struggles. Behind the polished performances were battles with industry pressures and personal hardships, culminating in Karen’s tragic passing in 1983. Yet, their legacy endures, with their music continuing to influence generations of artists and listeners alike.

This article explores the Carpenters’ journey in numbers, from their early days to their peak and lasting impact on popular music.

Looking at the big picture: Carpenters

Early years and musical upbringing

Richard Lynn Carpenter was born on October 15, 1946, and his sister Karen Anne Carpenter followed on March 2, 1950. The siblings grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, before relocating with their parents to Downey, California, in 1963. Their father, Harold, was a music enthusiast, while their mother, Agnes, encouraged Richard’s early interest in classical music and composition.

Richard displayed exceptional musical talent from an early age, becoming proficient on the piano. Karen, initially less musically inclined, discovered a passion for drumming in high school. She quickly became skilled, defying the norms of the time by excelling as a female drummer. The two siblings’ mutual love for music led them to start performing together in various settings.

The formation of the Carpenters

In the mid-1960s, Richard formed the Richard Carpenter Trio with Karen on drums and their friend Wes Jacobs on bass. They gained local recognition and won the Hollywood Bowl Battle of the Bands in 1966, which helped them secure some studio time. However, the group did not achieve commercial success and eventually disbanded.

Undeterred, Richard and Karen experimented with a new sound, forming the group Spectrum. Despite their talent, Spectrum also failed to break through commercially. However, these early experiences refined their musical style, blending pop, jazz, and light orchestral arrangements - elements that would later define their success as the Carpenters.

Signing with A&M Records and first breakthrough

Their big break came when Richard and Karen recorded a demo that caught the attention of Herb Alpert, co-founder of A&M Records. Impressed by Karen’s warm, distinctive contralto voice and Richard’s musical sensibilities, Alpert signed them in 1969.

Their debut album, Offering (later reissued as Ticket to Ride), was released in 1969 but failed to gain much traction. However, their fortunes changed dramatically with their next single, (They Long to Be) Close to You, released in 1970. Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the song became a massive hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and catapulting the Carpenters to stardom.

Peak commercial success (1970-1975)

Following the success of (They Long to Be) Close to You, the Carpenters entered their most commercially successful period. Their next single, We’ve Only Just Begun, originally written for a bank commercial, became one of their signature songs. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and solidified their reputation as hitmakers.

From 1970 to 1975, the Carpenters consistently dominated the charts with a string of well-crafted singles, including Rainy Days and Mondays (1971), Superstar (1971), Top of the World (1973), and Yesterday Once More (1973). Their albums, such as Carpenters (1971), A Song for You (1972), and Now & Then (1973), all achieved multi-platinum status.

Beyond their recordings, the duo also became television stars, appearing in several successful TV specials. Their wholesome image, tight harmonies, and lush arrangements appealed to a broad audience, making them one of the best-selling acts of the decade. By the mid-1970s, they had sold millions of records worldwide and were recognized as pop music royalty.

Challenges and decline (1976-1980)

Despite their massive success, the Carpenters began facing difficulties in the latter half of the 1970s. Musical trends were shifting towards disco and rock, making their soft pop sound less commercially viable. While they continued to release successful singles, including Only Yesterday (1975) and I Need to Be in Love (1976), their overall sales began to decline.

Personal struggles also took a toll. Richard developed an addiction to prescription sleeping pills, which led to health issues and a temporary hiatus in 1979. Meanwhile, Karen, who had struggled with self-esteem issues, was battling anorexia nervosa, a disorder that would severely impact her health. Her condition was exacerbated by the pressures of fame and an intense touring schedule.

The duo attempted to rejuvenate their career with the 1977 album Passage, which experimented with different musical styles, but it failed to resonate with their core audience. In 1981, they released Made in America, which contained their final Top 20 hit, Touch Me When We’re Dancing. Though their popularity had waned in the United States, they retained a strong fan base in Japan and the UK.

Karen Carpenter’s passing and aftermath (1983-Present)

Karen’s battle with anorexia reached a critical point in the early 1980s. Despite undergoing treatment, she succumbed to complications related to the disorder on February 4, 1983, at the age of 32. Her sudden passing shocked the music world and brought increased public awareness to eating disorders.

Following Karen’s death, Richard Carpenter continued to work on preserving their legacy. He oversaw the release of several posthumous albums, including Voice of the Heart (1983), which featured unreleased recordings from their final years. Over the decades, the Carpenters’ music has remained popular, with frequent reissues, greatest hits compilations, and tribute albums ensuring their sound endures.

In the years since, their influence has been acknowledged by numerous artists across genres, from pop to alternative rock. Karen’s vocals, in particular, have been praised for their warmth and technical precision, cementing her status as one of the greatest vocalists of all time. Meanwhile, Richard has remained active in curating the Carpenters’ musical catalog and has occasionally released solo work.

Carpenters album sales

Updated studio album sales & comments

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Initially selling only a few thousand copies, Ticket to Ride eventually moved over a million units, thanks to popular reissues and steady catalog sales during the Carpenters' heyday.

Their real breakthrough came with the Close to You era, as the title track exploded on radio and in stores. The album went on to sell over 3 million copies in the U.S. and 4.5 million globally, laying the foundation for their success in the UK and Japan.

Carpenters reached even greater heights, selling 6.5 million copies, including 4.1 million in the US. Since the 1990s, it has remained a strong catalog seller in various markets - adding an extra half a million units in the UK alone - largely due to its budget reissue.

A Song for You replicated Close to You's numbers, while Now & Then cemented their commercial success. Driven by the massive hit Yesterday Once More, the album broke sales records in Japan, where it topped the main album chart. Between July 1973 and August 1976, only three international albums achieved this feat, all of them by the Carpenters. Now & Then spent 41 weeks in Japan’s overall top 10, the fifth-longest run of all time for a foreign album.

While Horizon saw a slight decline, it remained strong at 3 million copies sold. Its lower sales were primarily due to the duo losing momentum in the US, despite two solid hits, Please Mr. Postman and Only Yesterday. The album lacked longevity, as both singles had been released months before the LP’s arrival.

A Kind of Hush and Passage continued the downward trend, though still with respectable numbers, selling 1.6 million and 1.2 million copies, respectively. Meanwhile, 1978’s Christmas Portrait, initially a modest performer, became a holiday classic, adding nearly 5 million sales over the years.

Their comeback album Made in America struggled commercially, failing to reach a million sales despite strong fan support in Japan, the UK, and Latin America. Posthumous releases declined further, with only Voice of the Heart surpassing a million copies.

Throughout their career, the Carpenters sold 36 million copies of their studio albums. As we will see later on, they also moved an impressive volume of compilations...

Want to compare the act's albums with others?

Carpenters songs sales

Below, we list down results from the artist through physical sales, digital sales and streaming.

Please be aware that when the artist is regarded as the lead act, they are rewarded with 100% of these units. However, featured acts share a 50% piece of the total.

Physical singles

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Even though the physical singles market was strong in the 1970s, selling over a million copies was still a remarkable achievement. The Carpenters accomplished it multiple times with astonishing ease.

It all began with (They Long To Be) Close To You, a phenomenal hit that sold nearly 4 million copies, including 2.5 million in the US - a total that includes the original release as well as its reissue paired with Ticket to Ride. The single became their first chart-topper in the US, Canada, and Australia. We've Only Just Begun quickly confirmed their success, shifting nearly 3 million copies and peaking at #2 in the US while reaching #1 in Canada.

From the Carpenters album, For All We Know (US #3) sold 1.3 million worldwide, while both Rainy Days and Mondays (1.8m) and Superstar (2.5 million) both peaked at #2 in the US. In just 15 months, the duo managed to land five singles in the top three of Billboard's main chart.

Kicking off the A Song for You era, Hurting Each Other followed the same trajectory as its predecessors, reaching #2 in the US and selling 1.4 million copies. However, It's Going to Take Some Time broke both of their streaks, missing the top 10 (#12) and falling short of a million sales (800,000). They bounced back immediately with Goodbye to Love, another hit that sold 1.3 million copies and peaked at #7 in their homeland.

In 1973, Sing, from Now & Then, climbed even higher, reaching #3 and selling 2.1 million copies. In Japan, it sold over 200,000 copies and topped the international chart for eight weeks. Still, this was modest compared to their next release. Yesterday Once More and its iconic hook ("Every sha-la-la-la...") became their most globally successful single, selling over 3 million copies. A #2 smash in the US, it also peaked at #2 in the UK while reigning atop Japan’s international chart for an incredible 26 weeks - an all-time record until Wham!’s Last Christmas surpassed it.

With its various reissues, the single sold 800,000 copies in Japan alone. The Carpenters effectively took over the Beatles’ dominance in this market, with Yesterday Once More finishing as the top-selling foreign single of both 1973 and 1974.

Meanwhile, a moderate hit cover of Top of the World by country singer Lynn Anderson convinced the siblings to release their own version, despite already promoting a new album. It proved to be a wise decision - after a frustrating streak of #2 peaks, Top of the World finally reached #1 in the US, Canada, and Australia, becoming another 3 million seller.

A year later, in 1974, their cover of the Marvelettes' Please Mr. Postman gave them their third US #1 hit. It also topped the charts in Canada, Australia, South Africa, and for 12 weeks on Japan's international chart. Peaking at #2 in the UK and breaking the top 10 in many other markets, the single sold 3.9 million copies worldwide, their career best.

The consistency of these numbers was absolutely remarkable, especially for a duo that had debuted only four years earlier. In 1975, Only Yesterday became their final US top 10 hit (their eleventh), peaking at #4 and selling 1.5 million copies.

By this point, their success had grown increasingly global, allowing them to continue scoring million sellers even without reaching the US top 10. They achieved this with I Won't Last a Day Without You (1.2 million, US #11), There's a Kind of Hush (1 million, US #12), I Need to Be in Love (1.2 million, #25 ; 650,000 in Japan) and Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (1.1 million, US #32).

This immaculate run, though relatively brief, saw them move over 40 million physical singles, setting them as one of the best-selling acts in this format during the 1970s.

Digital songs

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The Carpenters never had the "cool factor" of their contemporary rock bands, not even at the height of their success. Yet, half a century later, their songs continue to generate a significant number of downloads and ringtones.

Leading the pack are (The Long to Be) Close to You and Top of the World, each with around 2.5 million sales. The duo's enduring popularity in Asia is evident, with Japan and South Korea accounting for nearly half of these figures. The same holds true for Yesterday Once More, which ranks third with 1.65 million sales.

Beyond this strong top three, the remaining songs fall below the million mark. We've Only Just Begun, Superstar, Rainy Days and Mondays, Please Mr. Postman and Merry Christmas Darling all range between 580,000 and 890,000 sales.

Some of their former hits haven’t stood the test of time as well. Three past top 10 singles - For All We Know (220,000), Hurting Each Other (135,000), and Only Yesterday (155,000) - failed to reach 250,000 downloads.

In total, the Carpenters have sold over 16 million downloads and ringtones.

Streaming

Audio Streams
– South Korea: Genie streams * 2.20 (consistent with Gaon streaming numbers)
– Japan: AWA streams * 100 / 4 (AWA has 4% of the Japanese streaming market)
– Arabic world: Anghami streams
– Sub-Saharan Africa: Boomplay + Audiomack streams
– Elsewhere: Spotify streams * Spotify market shares based on artists' market distribution

Video Streams
– China* : QQ video streams * 50 if the song is available for audio stream, QQ video streams * 5 elseway (scale built based on known figures for several major artists)
– Elsewhere : Youtube views increased by 10% to account for various local platforms

*since Chinese streaming platforms are mostly video streaming platforms, their streams are weighted on par with YouTube streams.

Audio Stream value – 1,500 plays equal 1 album unit
Video Stream value – 6,750 views equal 1 album unit

Equivalent Albums Sales (EAS) = ( Spotify * ArtistRatio + Genie * 2.20 + AWA * 100 / 4 + Anghami + Boomplay + Audiomack ) / 1500 + ( QQ views* 50(or 5) + YouTube * 1.1 ) / 6750

Top hits

Breakthough hit (They Long to Be) Close to You leads on streaming platforms, just as it did in physical and digital sales. It is the Carpenters' first song to surpass 250 million streams on Spotify and also ranks first on South Korean platform Genie.

Its runner-up on both services, but the leader on Japan’s AWA and YouTube, is Top of the World, which has accumulated over 250,000 equivalent album sales. Yesterday Once More is second overall though, with 173 million streams on Spotify, and gigantic numbers on Chinese platforms.

The duo's Christmas songs have been performing especially well in recent years, as evidenced by Merry Christmas Darling (150 million) and Sleigh Ride (115 million), both surpassing the 100 million streams milestone on Spotify. We've Only Just Begun and the surprisingly strong I Won't Last a Day Without You have also just got there, while Please Mr. Postman is nearing the mark.

One of the most unexpected tracks in their top rankings is Love Me for What I Am, which may come as a surprise to American or British fans. This song is the Carpenters’ signature hit in the Philippines, where it garners the vast majority of its streams. It even recently charted at #35 on Spotify’s national daily chart.

Astonishingly, out of the 50 global cities where the Carpenters have the most monthly listeners, 29 are in the Philippines, including 10 of the top 11. Despite their remarkable success in the US and the UK, the only cities from these countries to make the list are London (#19), Los Angeles (#28), New York City (#46) and Chicago (#47). These statistics highlights the duo’s global appeal, that was also revealed on our take on the most global artists of all time, based on the number of languages covering them on Wikipedia, a list that saw them rank at 3 only topped by Michael Jackson and the Beatles.

Full catalog breakdown

If you are familiar with the artist's catalog and want to check details of each and every song, you can access to all of them right here.

Keep yourself up to date

Our website provides you a fantastic tool which fetches updated Spotify streams as you request them, use it to watch these results grow day after day!

Carpenters compilations sales

Assigning compilation sales to original studio albums

How do you understand this table? For example, if we check The Singles 1969-1973 line, these figures mean it sold 12,925,000 units worldwide. The second statistics column means all versions of all the songs included in this package add for 1,382,875 equivalent album sales from streams across all formats.

The second part (on the right of the table) shows how many equivalent streams are coming from each original album, plus the share it represents in the overall package.

Therefore, the streaming figures convey that songs from Now & Then equate to 24% of The Singles 1969-1973's tracklist attractiveness. Meaning, it generated 3,049,000 of its 12,925,000 album sales and so on for the other records.

Raw compilations sales

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During their active years, the Carpenters maintained a remarkably clean discography. Up until 1977, they released only one compilation - The Singles 1969-1973 - and one live album - Live at the Palladium. The former was a massive success. While a #1 single always eluded them in the UK, this compilation dominated the charts, holding the top spot for 17 weeks. With 64 weeks in the top 10 and 91 in the top 20, it closed the 1970s as the decade’s sixth best-selling album. In the US, it also reached #1, ultimately selling 7.8 million copies.

Their next major compilation, Yesterday Once More, arrived in 1984 after Karen’s tragic passing, selling over 4 million units. Their Greatest Hits (1990) sold slightly more, despite not being released in the US. It was another blockbuster in the UK, where it sold nearly 1.8 million copies and spent seven weeks at #1.

Later best-of collections continued their success. Love Songs (1997) and The Singles 1969-1981 (1999) each moved 2 million copies, while Gold (2000) sold 2.4 million, plus another million from a later reissue. Their Christmas Collection, a box set combining their two holiday albums, also shifted 725,000 units.

Over the years, many smaller compilations were released, both globally and in specific markets. However, this was nothing compared to the madness in Japan. Out of their staggering 179 compilations and 40 EPs, 86 and 16, respectively, were exclusive to Japan.

These weren’t minor releases either. Golden Prize, Vol. 2 (1974) sold over half a million copies, becoming the year’s top-selling international album. It also spent an incredible 18 weeks at #1 on Japan’s main chart - an all-time record for a foreign artist. Raising the bar even higher, Twenty-Two Hits of the Carpenters (1995) sold a staggering 2.9 million copies in Japan alone. As per Oricon data, only Mariah Carey’s #1’s has sold more among international albums. In total, their compilations have moved 10.8 million copies in Japan - a figure that climbs to 14 million when including studio albums, a tally surpassed only by The Beatles and Mariah Carey.

Re-assigned compilation sales – Results & comments

The enduring popularity of their core albums is evident in their compilation sales. Close to You propelled over 13 million compilation sales, while A Song for You contributed to more than 11 million. Meanwhile, Carpenters and Now & Then pushed 7 million and 9 million, respectively. These numbers highlight just how valuable these four albums remain. Released over a span of just 32 months, the Carpenters were truly on top of the world during this period.

Even their later albums continued to add to their discography’s strength. Horizon remains solid at 3 million sales despite missing The Singles 1969-1973's wagon, while subsequent releases, though selling in smaller numbers, still contribute greatly to their legacy.

Bonus: Top selling compilations' breakdowns

Bonus: Total album (all types) sales per country

Please note country-specific numbers may miss sales of a few minor releases, although totals are complete.

Carpenters: career results (CSPC)

Albums results (CSPC)

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In a tight race, Close to You edges out A Song for You as the Carpenters' best-selling album, with an impressive 21.3 million equivalent album sales. The latter will surpass 20 million in the upcoming years, thanks to its continued streaming performance.

Carpenters (almost 16 million) and Now & Then (over 16 million) complete an extraordinary quartet. Few artists have ever achieved such massive success with four albums in such a short period.

Providing further depth to their catalog, Horizon stands at 8.8 million, while Christmas Portrait follows with 7.1 million. A Kind of Hush is solid as well, reaching 4.2 million.

Meanwhile, Ticket to Ride, Passage, Made in America, Voice of the Heart, and An Old-Fashioned Christmas each average 1.8 million sales. Naturally, their later releases, Lovelines and As Time Goes By, performed modestly, selling under a million combined.

Altogether, the Carpenters’ career total stands at 103.5 million equivalent album sales, making them the second most successful duo of all time, trailing only Simon & Garfunkel.

Singles results (CSPC)

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Want to compare the act's songs with other top hits?

Discography results (ASR)

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Records & achievements

• At 103,563,000 EAS, the Carpenters are the 2nd most successful duo of all-time.
• At 21,298,000 EAS, Close to You is the 9th most successful album from 1970.
• At 15,918,000 EAS, Carpenters is the 6th most successful album from 1971.
• At 19,646,000 EAS, A Song For You is the 4th most successful album from 1972.
• At 16,577,000 EAS, Now & Then is the 8th most successful album from 1973.
• At 10, the Carpenters had the most RIAA million-certified singles of the 1970s. They did so in five years, with nobody else beating 7 Gold awarded singles for the decade.
• At 15, the Carpenters rank #2 all-time among the artists with the most US Adult Contemporary #1 singles.
• At 22 weeks, the Carpenters were 4th among acts with the most weeks at #1 on the UK album chart for the 1970s.
• At 14 million pure album sales, the Carpenters are the 3rd best selling international act of all-time in Japan.
• At 2.3 million, Twenty-Two Hits of the Carpenters has the second highest tally ever on Japan's album chart among international albums.
• At 18 weeks, Golden Prize, Vol. 2 has the longest run at #1 in Japan ever among international albums.
• At 26 weeks, Yesterday Once More used to hold the record for most weeks at #1 on Oricon international single chart.
• At 63 weeks, the Carpenters hold the record for most weeks at #1 on Oricon international single chart.
• Main releases by Yesterday Once More (1973, 592,000) and I Need to Be In Love (1995, 542,000) are both among the 19 westerners singles to ever surpass half a million sales in Japan.

Dynamic Spotify key performance indicators

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As usual, feel free to comment and / or ask a question!

Sources: IFPI, Spotify, YouTube, Discogs, Billboard.

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