Is Karen Carpenter the most underrated drummer of all time?
When it comes to the debate over the best drummer of all time, the same names always seem to crop up: Keith Moon, John Bonham, Ginger Baker and so on. The arguments for and against a variety of drummers has raged on since the early days of rock music. Criminally, one name that is often left out of the conversation is Karen Carpenter.
Carpenter is renowned for her incredible vocal abilities, showcased within The Carpenters, a group which she started with her brother in 1965. One of the best-selling artists of all time, The Carpenters were noted for their popularity as an easy-listening. While her brother Richard is often credited as being the creative force behind the duo, Karen was an essential aspect of their success. As a fantastic vocalist, Karen’s original role as drummer of The Carpenters is often forgotten about or seemingly ignored.
Over the years, as she became more and more popular for her singing, her drumming was gradually reduced to a handful of tracks or live performances. However, drumming was Karen Carpenter’s original love and often where she felt most comfortable. “I picked up a pair of sticks,” she once said, “and it was the most natural-feeling thing I’ve ever done.”
Her love of percussion began at a Los Angeles high school, where she joined the marching band. Entranced by the drums, her parents soon bought a Ludwig kit for a young Carpenter, inspired by her own favourite drummers, Ringo Starr and Joe Morello. Reportedly, it was love at first sight, and Karen practised religiously every day. Completely self-taught, Carpenter soon found herself able to play incredibly complex beats, patterns and time signatures. Developing this early love of the drums, Karen began studying the instrument with noted jazz drummer Bill Douglass and her talent only developed from there.
Early television clips of Karen performing showcase her proficiency in drumming, but she was often overlooked. For instance, when she won Playboy Magazine’s 1975 poll for ‘Best Drummer’, a disgruntled John Bonham proclaimed, “I’d like to have it publicised that I came in after Karen Carpenter in the Playboy drummer poll! She couldn’t last 10 minutes with a Zeppelin number.”
Let’s not kid ourselves; the predominant reason why Karen Carpenter is so often left out of the conversation for the best drummers is sexism and misogyny. Rock music, especially back in Karen’s heyday, was so male-dominated that narrow-minded musicians like Bonham couldn’t comprehend a woman being a talented musician, let alone a superior musician to them.
In many ways, Karen Carpenter was a victim of her own success. As a talented vocalist, her voice eclipsed her love of drums for many fans. Furthermore, the easy listening, soft rock stylings of The Carpenters never really gave her an opportunity to show off her drumming ability. Nevertheless, she remains one of the most talented and criminally underrated drummers of all time.
