The Cars (album)

Formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1976, the Cars consisted of Ric Ocasek, Benjamin Orr, Elliot Easton, David Robinson, and Greg Hawkes, all of whom had been in and out of multiple bands throughout the 1970s. After becoming a club staple, the band recorded a number of demos in early 1977. Some of these songs later appeared in completed form on The Cars, such as "Just What I Needed" and "My Best Friend's Girl", while others were saved for a later release, such as "Leave or Stay" and "Ta Ta Wayo Wayo" (both of which later saw release on their 1987 album Door to Door). The demos for "Just What I Needed" and "My Best Friend's Girl" were often played on Boston radio by disc jockey (DJ) Maxanne Sartori, giving the band frequent airplay. Both Arista and Elektra Records attempted to sign the band, but in the end, Elektra was chosen, due to its lack of new wave acts, allowing the band to stand out more than they would have had they signed with the new wave-heavy Arista. Robinson said of the choice, "Here they had the Eagles and Jackson Browne, and along comes this crazy Boston band who wanted a black-and-white photo collage on their cover." == Music and lyrics ==

Musically, The Cars has been described as new wave, and electronic rock. It featured a large amount of contemporary technology on many of its tracks, due to the band's appreciation for new equipment. Robinson said, "We'd always get the latest stuff from music stores even if it would be obsolete in two months. It reached the point where I'd have 10 or 12 foot switches to hit during a short set." The album's lyrics are notable for frontman Ocasek's use of irony and sarcasm. Keyboardist Hawkes said, "There was definitely a little self-conscious irony in there. We started out wanting to be electric and straight-ahead rock, and it kind of turned into an artier kind of thing." == Artwork ==

The model featured on the album's front cover was Nataliya Medvedeva, a Russian poet, writer and singer. Unlike many of the Cars' album covers, the cover for The Cars was designed by the record company, rather than drummer Robinson. Robinson said in an interview that he "had designed a very different album cover [for The Cars] that cost $80.00 to design." He continued, "I remember the price exactly. It was completely finished and everything, but it was a little more bizarre than the cover that they had in mind, so they changed some of it because of copyright problems and put it in as the inner sleeve. But I think that was way more how we envisioned who we were then." The cover was not well liked by the members of the band, however. Robinson said, "I thought that when the Elektra came out it was way too slick. The pictures of us I didn't like." Guitarist Elliot Easton expressed dislike for "that big grinning face", saying, "Man, I got tired of that cover." == Release ==

The Cars peaked at No. 18 on the U.S. Billboard 200 in March 1979, spending 139 weeks on the chart. Three singles were released from the album: "Just What I Needed" (No. 27 in the US, No. 17 in the UK), "My Best Friend's Girl" (No. 35 in the US, No. 3 in the UK), and "Good Times Roll" (No. 41 in the U.S.), all of which enjoyed heavy airplay on AOR radio stations. Aside from the singles, album tracks "You're All I've Got Tonight", "Bye Bye Love", and "Moving in Stereo" all became radio favorites. == Critical reception and legacy ==

The Cars was well received by music critics. "The pop songs are wonderful", Rolling Stone critic Kit Rachlis stated in his 1978 review, adding: "Easy and eccentric at the same time, all are potential hits." Rolling Stone ranked The Cars at number 282 on its 2003 list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", with the ranking slipping to number 284 in the 2012 update of the list, and to number 353 in the 2020 update. Accolades It was inducted into the National Recording Registry on April 16, 2024, for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". == Track listing ==

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Cars. The Cars • Ric Ocasek – vocals, rhythm guitar • Elliot Easton – lead guitar, backing vocals • Benjamin Orr – vocals, bass • David Robinson – drums, percussion, Syndrums, backing vocals • Greg Hawkes – keyboards, percussion, saxophone, backing vocals Technical • Roy Thomas Baker – production • Geoff Workman – engineering • Nigel Walker – second engineer • George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York City) Artwork • Ron Coro – art direction • Johnny Lee – design • Elliot Gilbert – photography == Charts ==

Weekly charts Year-end charts == Certifications ==