The Carpenters were a vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of 
siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter. Though often referred to by the 
public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized 
recordings and press materials is simply "Carpenters", without the 
definite article. During a period in the 1970s when louder and 
wilder rock was in great demand, Richard and Karen produced a 
distinctively soft musical style that made them one of the best-selling 
music artists of all time.

The Carpenters' melodic pop charted a record-breaking score of hit 
recordings on the American Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts, 
becoming leading sellers in the soft rock, easy listening and adult 
contemporary genres. The Carpenters had three #1 singles on the 
Billboard Hot 100 and fifteen #1 hits on the Adult Contemporary Chart 
(see The Carpenters discography). In addition, they had twelve top 10 
singles (including their #1 hits). To date, The Carpenters' album and 
single sales total more than 100 million units.

During their fourteen-year career, The Carpenters recorded eleven 
albums, five of which contained top 10 singles 
(Close to You, Carpenters, A Song for You, Now & Then and Horizon), 
thirty-one singles, five television specials, and one short-lived 
television series. They toured in the United States, the United Kingdom, 
Japan, Australia, the Netherlands and Belgium. Their recording career 
ended with Karen's death on February 4, 1983. Karen passed away due to 
a cardiac arrest due to complications of anorexia nervosa. Extensive 
news coverage of the circumstances surrounding her death increased 
public awareness of the consequences of eating disorders.