It rose to the top on pure emotion ...

In 1972, ballads were typically soft, slow, and rooted in traditional pop or folk melodies, until the Carpenters released a smash song that set the stage for every power ballad that followed.

The Carpenters sold more than 30 million records with the irresistible combination of her soft-rock contralto and her brother’s lush arrangements.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. In 1972, ballads were typically soft, slow, and rooted in traditional pop or folk melodies, until the Carpenters released a smash ...