Within 1970, he formed The Raspberries, a rock and roll band who were amongst a principal exponents of the power pop style. Inside 1975, after a breakup of The Raspberries, he began his solo career, deemphasizing harder rock elements in favour soft rock in the style of Elton John.

His number one solo only, ''"That's Rock 'N' Roll" failed to chart, however was late remade as a hit for Shaun Cassidy. His next deuce releases were each hits within 1976. Two were according to melodies by Sergei Rachmaninoff: "All By Myself", based on Piano Concerto No. 2 hit #2 (and #12 in the UK - where it would be his only charting hit), and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", based on Symphony No. 2 hit #14.

It would exist as some other eleven years prior to he hit a stock and index charts over again by using 2 songs from either a 1987 movie Dirty Dancing'' with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. "Make Me Lose Control" & "Hungry Eyes" each hit a top of the stock and index charts.

Around 1997, Celine Dion remade Carmen's "All By Myself" for the #4 hit.

Around 2004, Carmen, along with original Raspberries members Jim Bonfanti, Wally Bryson, and Dave Smalley, reformed the band for the series of survive performances in the United States. Carmen hwhen stated that he plans to write recently harder edged songs in a equivalent vein as victims which the Raspberries performed in the 1970s for the band to perform.