Eric Carmen Essentials

Most artists would be thrilled with achieving legendary status just once. Eric Carmen did it both as frontman for the Raspberries and as a solo star. In the early ’70s he helped invent power pop as the soaring singer on Raspberries milestones like “Go All the Way”, where gut-punch rock guitar riffs meld with sweet harmonies and earworm melodies to create a hard-pop heaven on earth. On his own, Carmen concentrated more on the pop side, delivering massive hits that defined multiple eras. “All By Myself” mixed introspective regret, classical-inspired piano and a gargantuan chorus to create a delicious paradox: an utterly ubiquitous song of solitude. “Hungry Eyes” earned similarly iconic status as an ultimate ’80s pop nugget—but with a decidedly lustier slant.