Name your top 15 favorite songs!

Top 16 picks so far among members...Song titles only, not individual tracks, total list appearances;

Superstar -- 14
Rainy Days & Mondays -- 14
Yesterday Once More -- 13
Only Yesterday -- 12
A Song For You -- 12
All You Get From Love Is A Love Song -- 11
Tryin' To Get That Feeling Again -- 10
We've Only Just Begun --10
Road Ode -- 8
I Won't Last A Day Without You -- 8
Solitaire -- 7
One More Time -- 7
Crescent Noon -- 7
Hurting Each Other -- 7
Close To You -- 7
I Need To Be In Love -- 7
 
OK. Mine is a little weird, I guess.

But that's me, like Doug and Danny(if ya get the reference).

This Masquerade
I Can Dream Can't I
Crescent Noon
And When He Smiles (BBC)
Mr. Guder
Another Song
A Song for You
Bacharach Medley(Australia live)
Only Yesterday
Clancy Medley (live Your Navy)
Can't Buy Me Love (Navy)
Road Ode
Goodbye to Love
Sweet Sweet Smile
Iced Tea (Hollywood Bowl)
Someday
1980 Medley w/Ella Fitzgerald

I know it's more than 15. I know it's not all obvious, but it's all them, and it's all amazing to these ears.
 
I like your choices. They are more in the mid range for me but it’s exciting that you like what’s different mixed into others’ favorites!
 
I've listed my 15 favorite Carpenters tunes in chronological order with the exception of my all-time favorite song of theirs, "Only Yesterday." I consider that one their masterpiece. Karen's voice never sounded better, Richard's arrangement is perfect, as are the lyrics John Bettis provided, hopeful without being overly sentimental.

1. "I'll Be Yours"
2. "What's the Use?"
3. "Don't Be Afraid"
4."Rainy Days and Mondays"
5. "A Song For You"
6. "Piano Picker"
7. "This Masquerade"
8. "You"
9. "Two Sides"
10. "I Just Fall in Love Again"
11. "Where Do I Go From Here?"
12. "Without A Song"
13. "1980 medley" at the end of "Music, Music, Music."
14. "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore"
15. "Only Yesterday" (the album version)
 
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Not necessarily the best of their output, but my current favourites.

Chronologically

1)Eve
2)Superstar
3)A Song For You
4)Road Ode
5)This Masquerade
6)Our Day Will Come
7)Only Yesterday
8)You
9)I Have You
10)All You Get From Love
11)I'll Be Home For Xmas
12)Touch Me
13)When It's Gone
14)Good Old Dreams
15)You're Enough
 
There are so many great Carpenters recordings that it really doesn't do justice to limit them to a Top 15. As with the Beatles, there's something truly awesome, at the very least, in most of what they produced.

I refuse to participate!
 
Okay, you guys sucked me in. I visit this site occasionally, but when I saw this thread, I had to register with the site and leave a reply.
I see that I have 26 5-star rated Carpenters' songs in iTunes. Here are my top 15.
  1. Only Yesterday
  2. Please Mr. Postman
  3. Tryin’ to Get the Feeling Again (1995 Interpretations Version)
  4. I Just Fall in Love Again
  5. If I Had You
  6. All You Get from Love is a Love Song
  7. Ticket to Ride (The Singles: 1969-1981)
  8. Silent Night
  9. Sometimes
  10. Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Christmas Collection)
  11. Don’t Cry for Me Argentina
  12. Rainy Days & Mondays
  13. What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve
  14. B’wana She No Home
  15. Superstar

    And since we're doing lists, the remainder of the list is:

  16. I Can’t Make Music
  17. Let Me Be the One
  18. Desperado
  19. Bless the Beasts and the Children
  20. Still Crazy After all these Years
  21. Jambalaya
  22. I Won't Last a Day Without You
  23. I'll Never Fall in Love Again
  24. Something Missing (in my life)
  25. Hideaway
  26. The End of the World
I had to include the rest of the list, otherwise Jambalaya wouldn't have been listed. I know that most others kind of scorn it, but I think it's the most playful and fun song, and I'm grateful that they recorded it. Tryin' to get the Feeling might see odd to be so high. I like Manilow's version, but after I heard Karen sing it the first time, I don't see how it could be improved. The pleading desperation is so strong compared to Manilow. Silent Night might be so high because it benefits from being one of my 2-3 favorite Christmas hymns. And though I don't like the vibes on Something Missing and the overall sound seems muddy to me, that plaintive cry gets me again. I don't remember others listing Desperado on their list, and I don't remember seeing any comments about that song. Any story behind why people don't give it much love? And B'wana might be on the list because Passage was first album I bought from Columbia House back when it was first released; until then, I'd bought cassette tapes, and I like that song's fun attitude.

Next time I listen to all of these, the order will probably jumble around again. I'm surprised that I put If I Had You so high and that I Won't Last a Day is so low. Or that Top of the World is completely missing; because I remember the girls in my class playing that song when it came out.
 
. I don't remember others listing Desperado on their list, and I don't remember seeing any comments about that song. Any story behind why people don't give it much love? .

On another list here (list your top 20 or something like that), I had Desperado high on my list. I think it is a great song and Richard hit the bullseye on the arrangement. I think I read here that it got the RPO treatment but didn't make the cut on the current album. Why other's don't like it? I have no idea.
 
^^Desperado is a great Carpenters' song....
I believe (and, of course, my belief may be incorrect) that it seems
to get lumped-together with the "all-too many slow ballads on Horizon" moniker,
and, as far as the USA goes....no USA-compilations includes the song.....too bad.
 
Count me too among those who really like Karen & Richard's version of "Desperado." If I had been asked for my 20 favorite Carpenters tunes, it definitely would have made the cut, along with "Road Ode," "Merry Christmas, Darling" "Crystal Lullaby" and "I Kept On Loving You."
 
Top 16 picks so far among members...Song titles only, not individual tracks, total list appearances;

Superstar -- 14
Rainy Days & Mondays -- 14
Yesterday Once More -- 13
Only Yesterday -- 12
A Song For You -- 12
All You Get From Love Is A Love Song -- 11
Tryin' To Get That Feeling Again -- 10
We've Only Just Begun --10
Road Ode -- 8
I Won't Last A Day Without You -- 8
Solitaire -- 7
One More Time -- 7
Crescent Noon -- 7
Hurting Each Other -- 7
Close To You -- 7
I Need To Be In Love -- 7

Let's see how this tracks with the earlier "Top 20" poll that Khristopher missed (speaking of which, where is he? Looks like he's not been seen in these parts since late September).

What you have below are the results from the "Top 15" poll replicated, with the vote totals from the earlier "Top 20" poll put alongside in (parentheses):

Superstar – 14 (17)
Rainy Days & Mondays – 14 (17)
Yesterday Once More – 13 (11)
Only Yesterday – 12 (16)
A Song For You – 12 (15)

All You Get From Love Is A Love Song – 11 (12)
Tryin' To Get That Feeling Again – 10 (3)
We've Only Just Begun –10 (13)
Road Ode – 8 (11)
I Won't Last A Day Without You8 (5)

Hurting Each Other – 7 (10)
Close To You – 7 (12)
I Need To Be In Love – 7 (7)
Solitaire – 7 (6)
One More Time – 7 (4)


Crescent Noon – 7 (6)
---
Goodbye to Love ?? (15)
Another Song ?? (9)
Ticket to Ride ?? (8)
Top of the World ?? (8)
Touch Me When We’re Dancing ?? (7)

You’re The One ?? (7)
This Masquerade ?? (7)
Merry Christmas Darling ?? (7)

IT makes for an interesting comparison...the top five songs are solidly confirmed across both polls. Things shift a bit in the 6-10 region of the new poll, where two songs that didn't register at all in the Top 20 poll are high up in the Top 15 results ("Tryin' To Get That Feeling," "I Won't Last A Day").

Seepage in this new poll occurs for some very big hits--"Close To You" and "Hurting Each Other" in particular, with a lesser downturn for "We've Only Just Begun." Down on the other side of the line, where songs that ranked in the Top 20 of the "Top 20 poll" but aren't visible in the "Top 15" results, you have two more big hits: "Goodbye to Love" and "Top of the World." The former was tied for fourth place on the Top 20 poll.

I've not made any effort to cross-reference votes and voters in the two polls, so I have no idea how much overlap there may have been between them. Thanks to CarpeDiem for taking the time to collate the Top 15 poll results (though it appears there are several subsequent ballots cast after that summary, which I've not added in; those may affect the results a bit, but a cursory glance at them indicates that several of these late ballots are from more idiosyncratic voters--and I mean that in a good sense!--who generally cast votes for deeper cuts).
 
Don Malcolm, I compiled my list with you in mind, as you are the "resident accountant" of the forum - I believe Harry once referred to you as that in an earlier thread as I recall. I spent quite some time compiling my list and started to see double after a while through all the hash marks for the different songs. One thing for sure, Superstar and Rainy Days are the overwhelming consensus as the top 2 hits in both polls. Both #2 hits in the same year, off the same album, on most compilation albums they are always together. Forever Siamese twins. I must say I was pleasantly surprised that One More Time (a personal favorite) got much love for a relatively minor interior album cut from "Kind Of Hush".

My original intention was to cut the poll off at the top 15 songs but it ran to 16 because their was a tie with 7 votes apiece. But I still have my list! Let me match up my figures where you had question marks:

Goodbye To Love - 5 (15)
Another Song - 4 (9)
Ticket To Ride - 5 (8)
Top Of The World - 5 (8)
Touch Me While We're Dancing - 4 (7)

You're The One - 5 (7)
This Masquerade - 5 (7)
Merry Christmas Darling - 4 (7)

All the above were outvoted on my poll by the following with 6 votes:

Love Me For What I Am
For All We Know
B'wana She No Home
Eve

The three #1 charting hits:

Close To You - 7 (12)
Top Of The World - 5 (8)
Please Mr Postman - 4 (??)
 
Back in March 2016, there was a thread called "Carpenters In 20 Songs". I took my list from that thread, removed 5 items, and changed 1. It was as hard as having teeth pulled.

1) Eve
2) (They Long To Be) Close To You (Extended Album Version)
3)Superstar
4) A Song For You
5) This Masquerade
6) Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1974 Single)
7) Bacharach/David Medley (1974 Extended, Live Version; Anthology Album)
8) Solitaire (1975 Single)
9) I Can Dream Can't I
10) You
11) Don't Cry For Me Argentina
12) Where Do I Go From Here
13) Merry Christmas Darling (1978 Version)
14) Now
15) I Just Fall In Love Again (RPO Version)
Love your list, would just add You are the one.
 
Not a big fan of "lists" but since I do have favorites......The top 10 I've posted in the individual song threads, as why I like them. But it is interesting to see how the group as a whole ranks the songs. This "list" though is just the hits, no Christmas or solo songs, just the pop/AC Carpenters hits ranked. :)

1) All You Get From Love Is A Love Song
2) I Need To Be In Love
3) Rainy Days and Mondays
4) Only Yesterday
5) Hurting Each Other
6) We've Only Just Begun
7) Superstar
8) Top Of The World
9) Close To You
10) Goodbye To Love
11) For All We Know
12) Yesterday Once More
13) I Won't Last a Day Without You
14) Please Mr. Postman
15) Ticket To Ride
 
1. Superstar
2. A Song For You
3. Masquerade
4. We've Only Just Begun
5. Now
6. Rainy Days & Mondays
7. For All We Know
8. Calling Occupants
9. Yesterday Once More
10. One More Time
11. Uninvited Guest
12. Touch Me When We're Dancing
13. Hurting Each Other
14. Solitaire
15. Goodbye to Love
 
As of today?
We've Only Just Begun
Baby It's You
Ordinary Fool
Boat to Sail
Kiss Me the Way You Did Last Night
When I Fall in Love
Hurting Each Other
Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore
Only Yesterday
Desperado
One More Time
I Need to Be in Love
Hideaway
Superstar
There's a Kind of Hush
 
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