New Order, but have always loved this:

Cast a slur upon the blessed Karen!

When I was a nipper disovering music for the first time I seemed to have an innate idea of the perfect human singing voice. That may sound odd but I knew I'd heard my ideal when I'd heard it.

The male voice was Elvis Presley.

The female voice was Karen Carpenter.

I distinctly remember hearing her for the first time, aged roughly six, and getting a feeling that this was what singing should sound like.

I never listen to either these days and haven't since I was pretty much a child but her voice is just incredible. The music is often dreadful but Karen remains divine regardless.

...in my life. Except this.

by The Most Pretentious Man In Britain's favourite band.

What goatboy said. Personally I don't understand how any sentient being "can't stand" the Carpenters. There's the matter of her exquisite voice, of course. Some of the material may have been cheesy, undeniably - but there were a lot of great songs. Like this one.

Queen, Queen, Queen..(fucking asterisks, what are you like?
Had almost as many great songs as THJH's
And this isn't one of them.

Heroes by David Bowie.

Quite brilliant