Eric Carmen’s Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits

Eric Carmen forged a string of enduring pop/rock hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the 1970s and ‘80s, first as a member of the Raspberries and then as a soloist.

As reported March 11, Carmen died at age 74. “It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen,” a message posted to his website, Facebook and X account reads. “It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy. ‘Love Is All That Matters…Faithful and Forever,’” concludes the post, signed by Amy Carmen, his wife of eight years.

Carmen recorded with the Raspberries in 1972-74, paced by the No. 5-peaking Hot 100 hit “Go All the Way,” from their debut album. He followed with his first solo entry – and highest-charting single – “All By Myself,” which reached No. 2 in 1976.

Carmen scored further success via movie placements in the ‘80s, first as the co-writer of Mike Reno and Ann Wilson’s “Almost Paradise.” The ballad, from the Footloose soundtrack, rose to No. 6 in 1984. He followed with his own “Hungry Eyes,” sending the song from Dirty Dancing to No. 4 in 1988.

Later in 1988, Carmen hit No. 3 with another mid-tempo pop nugget, “Make Me Lose Control” (propelled by its infectious, and apt, hook, “Turn the radio up for that sweet sound …”)

On Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart, Carmen notched two No. 1s: “Never Gonna Fall in Love,” for a week in 1976, and “Make Me Lose Control,” for two weeks in 1988.

Meanwhile, “All By Myself” – credited as written by Carmen and Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff – returned to the Hot 100 thanks to Celine Dion, whose cover reached No. 4 in 1997. It also topped Adult Contemporary for three weeks.

As the group reunited for live shows in the 2000s, Carmen referred to the Raspberries as “like barbarians trying to crash the gates of the bloated progressive rock that we despised.”

He added, “Sometimes it takes a while, but now there’s a whole different kind of reverence for what we’re doing.”

Below, count down Carmen’s 10 biggest hits as a recording artist on the Hot 100.

Eric Carmen’s Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits ranking is based on weekly performance on the Hot 100 (through March 16, 2024). Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.