During the 1970s Jaarnek was part of the dansband Frösöflickorna, and during the 1980s in the dansbands Bosse Påhlssons orkester (orchestra) and Alfstarz. After this, she started her own band called Carina Jaarneks orkester. Jaarnek has been referred to as "The dansband queen of Sweden". Jaarnek's first appearance on the Svensktoppen charts came in 1986 with the song "Natten tänder ljus på himlen". She performed the song "Det är aldrig försent" at Melodifestivalen 1994 with her younger brother Mikael Jaarnek, and she participated in Melodifestivalen 2002 with the song "Son of a Liar", which made it to the second chance round. Jaarnek placed third of fifteen countries in the Sopot International Song Festival in 1995 with the song "I want you back my love", the original Swedish title of which was "Då vaknar kärleken". Her sister Towe Jaarnek is also a singer. In Memphis, Tennessee, in 2005, Jaarnek recorded an album along with eight musicians who had worked with Elvis Presley: James Burton, Jerry Sheff, Glen Hardin, Ronnie Tutt, Charlie McCoy, BB Cunningham, Billy Swan, D. J. Fontana and Paul Burlison. The album won her a Guldklaven award. Jaarnek also recorded songs in Los Angeles in which guitarist Albert Lee participated. She died on 17 January 2016 at the age of 53 after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage the evening before.