John Coan's SHIT OR HIT 9

[George P. Smackers]

Karen Carpenter's voice has a strange, dark timbre in it that adds a touch of melancholy to even a sunny pop song like this. I don't know anything else quite like it. Her voice makes "Close to You" sound like a stalker-obsessive song.

The dark edging is maybe more apparent in the ones that are actually about being on the brink of going entirely mental--oddly there are a lot of those among their hits.

"Rainy Days and Mondays," "Superstar," "Goodbye to Love," they're all about her being at least slightly insane. Even "Top of the World" describes being in the throes of a manic fit, with the implied crash coming on fast.

[The Modernist]

Good, but a bit played out these days. A hit.
I enjoyed TG's rant even if I didn't agree with a word ( I don't buy into that Lester Bangs aesthetic at all).

[Ranking Ted]

That's a hit, no doubt. I almost never want to hear it again to be honest, but there's no denying it's a glorious song.

Exactly this.

[sloopjohnc]

A hit for the bridge alone.

[Quaco]

I'm more of a "We've Only Just Begun" guy myself, but this is good too. Agree with G. P. Smackers' assessment.