The Carpenters: Made up of a brother and sister who did away with sibling rivalry and, instead, sang love songs to one another, The Carpenters were record breakers and trend setters. A duo comprised of Karen and Richard Carpenter, The Carpenters crafted themselves as leaders in the genre of soft rock. They added melodies and harmonies to their music, creating something that was both unique and appealing. One of the most influential and important adult contemporary acts of all times, The Carpenters produced a record fifteen number one songs and remain one of the best selling musical artists of all time. What could have been, however, no one will know: Karen Carpenter, at the age of 32, died on February 4, 1983 of cardiac arrest, brought on by her battle with anorexia. On October 12, 1983, The Carpenters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The Pointer Sisters: Originally made up of four siblings, The Pointer Sisters eventually became a trio, consisting of June, Anita, and Ruth Pointer. Sister Bonnie left the group to pursue a solo career. During the 1970s and the 1980s, The Pointer Sisters saw success that transcended genres; they brought pop, country, jazz, dance, rock, and rhythm and blues together successfully. Their biggest hits include "He's So Shy," "Slow Hand," "I'm So Excited," and "Jump." They received Grammy Awards for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or a Group with Vocal, and Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices. They were also inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005. In Spring of 2006, June Pointer died of cancer. Her sisters were at her bedside.
Article comments
1 - Chris
Sorry, but you included the Pointer Sisters and not the Beach Boys?
2 - Che
The Carpenters? *shudder*
My vote goes to the Louvin Brothers.
3 - Maura
Family bands that deserve to be mentioned.....somewhere.
1. Hanson Amazing harmonies, catchy melodies, straight up good music.
2. Family Force 5 Punk/funk Christian band that has a really edgey dance sound
3. Eisley Amazing sweet harmonies, beautiful guitar and dreamy electric piano arrangements. Their lyrics just blow me away!
4 - zingzing
jesus christ, you missed everyone...
the beach boys, the staple singers, jesus and mary chain, louvin brothers, the kinks... i could go on...
and you included all the crap... the osmonds? the carpenters? this is the "mother of all talent?" what the hell...
5 - Christopher Rose
I think Ms Jordan should stick to food and avoid music, although I hope her taste buds are better than her taste!
6 - El Bicho
"The following is our list"
Our list?? So it took more than one person to come up with such a sad list? This along with your TV Theme Song choices makes me question if you are intentionally leaving off obvious choices to garner comments.
7 - Mother Moonie
Well, I don't care what anyone says... the Osmonds... the Carpenters... the Everly Brothers... they all rock. They kept music clean and enjoyable.
8 - zingzing
clean maybe... but enjoyable? i dunno. it's about as enjoyable as sticking cotton candy up your ass then sitting on an anthill...
"clean" doesn't matter one bit really, unless you're blasting it in front of children.
9 - East Coast Fan
What about The Cowsills?
10 - Rick Henry
I have to agree with most everybody here. The Pointer Sisters and Osmonds should have been left off of this list. I would have instead put Beach Boys, Hanson and The Judds in their place.
Now The Carpenters do truly belong on this list... their music is classic. the musicianship is intense and extremely well produced and Karen Carpenter is one of the world's finest vocalists of all-time. Many say Karen is the world's finest vocalist who has ever lived.
I also like Everly brothers - their contribution to the music scene is indisputable.
The Jackson 5 is okay... though they did make some pretty decent music and they certainly hold their place in music history.
11 - J.L.M
The Carpenters RULE. The Carter family should probably make the list too