Post-breakup
The band broke up in April 1975, but their sound had been distinctive and their influence was lasting. Bruce Springsteen praised the Raspberries at several stops during his Summer 2005 tour. Springsteen's drummer Max Weinberg said that he based his drum style in that period off of Raspberries drummer Michael McBride (particularly on the Springsteen album Darkness on the Edge of Town). Paul Stanley of Kiss, Tom Petty, and Axl Rose of Guns n' Roses, have all also cited the Raspberries as an influence in their songwriting.
Singer-guitarist and primary songwriter Eric Carmen went on to have a successful solo career as a singer and writer of romantic pop ballads. His first solo hit "All By Myself" hit No. 2 nationally, and was successfully covered by Celine Dion in 1996. Carmen later had additional Top Ten singles success with "Hungry Eyes" (from Dirty Dancing, 1987) and "Make Me Lose Control". He also wrote "Almost Paradise" (performed by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson for Footloose, 1984), as well as songs that were made major hits by Shaun Cassidy.
In 1999, three of the four Raspberries recorded Raspberries Refreshed, though without Eric Carmen. The album's tracks, written by the three remaining members, attempted to re-create the group's original sound.
In November 2004, the House of Blues nightclub chain opened its Cleveland branch with a Raspberries reunion concert. This led to a well-received 2005 mini-tour starting at the Chicago House of Blues, a VH1 Classic special, and a concert broadcast on XM Satellite Radio. A date from the 2005 tour was recorded, and released in 2007 as "Live on Sunset Strip." The double CD and one DVD contained a foreword from Bruce Springsteen, and a 1970s photo of John Lennon wearing a Raspberries' Just Like Starting Over sweatshirt. Capitalizing on the release, Raspberries played further shows in New York, California, and their hometown of Cleveland.
A biography of the band titled Overnight Sensation - The Story of the Raspberries by Ken Sharp was released in 1993. In 1996, a tribute album to Raspberries called Raspberries Preserved was released by Pravda Records, a Chicago-based indie record label. The album featured 21 cover versions by such acts as The Rubinoos, Bill Lloyd, Brad Jones, Tiny Lights, Rank Strangers, the Gladhands, and The Shambles.
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