Carpenters have left behind a half-century legacy on the Billboard Hot 100, as their cover of The Beatles' "Ticket to Ride" earned them their first charting hit on this day back in 1970. Since then, artists from Luther Vandross to Diana Ross to Barbra Streisand have covered the hits that were the brother and sister duo's ticket to the top.
Back in 1994, the tribute album If I Were a Carpenter was released, featuring 14 of their famous tracks predominantly covered by alternative rock bands, including American Music Club, The Cranberries and even Sheryl Crow.
Their "(They Long to Be) Close to You" track notably lived through different generations of R&B. Ross recorded her own version for her 1970 LP Everything Is Everything, Stevie Wonder covered it two years later in a medley with Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye" using a talkbox on The David Frost Show, and Frank Ocean sampled and interpolated the Wonder cover for his own rendition titled "Close to You" (featuring new lyrics) from his acclaimed sophomore album Blonde.
It's clear that Carpenters songs stand the test of time, but which Carpenters cover stands out from the rest? Vote below!
