Kim Carnes reviews

Kim Carnes

Musician

Forfans of 80s pop, collectors, music critics and readers interested in pop nostalgia
3 Reviews 0 Definitions 1 Charts

The Profile

American singer-songwriter known for a raspy/hoarse voice and the 1981 global hit "Bette Davis Eyes", which dominated the Billboard Hot 100 and won major awards.

Best known for the 1981 single "Bette Davis Eyes" (nine weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100; won Record of the Year and Song of the Year Grammys in 1982). Reviews note a distinctive hoarse voice, steady production across the 1970s and 1980s, and that the hit single often overshadowed Carnes's broader catalogue.

Reviews emphasize Kim Carnes's raspy/hoarse voice and the massive impact of "Bette Davis Eyes" (1981). The single dominated charts and won major awards; the album Mistaken Identity is seen as solid but overshadowed by the hit. Critics and writers mix nostalgia, personal anecdotes and admiration.

Notable Quotes

❝ "She’ll put her music on, you won’t think twice. She is pure as New York snow, she has Bette Davis eyes" (Donna Weiss & Jackie DeShannon)

❝ Released on March 9, 1981, “Bette Davis Eyes” conquered the public and remained at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for nine consecutive weeks.

❝ "Bette Davis Eyes" is one of the most representative, to the point of overshadowing the name of Kim Carnes or being identified with it, without anything beyond that.