The Cars

The Cars first gained notoriety during a transitional period in pop music. With the heavy, guitar-oriented rock of the 70’s slowly running out of steam, and the New Wave style of the 80’s still in its infancy, The Cars were a band that was hard to describe for many fans and critics. By combining elements of punk, rockabilly, and power pop, as well as incorporating creative synthesizer hooks, they burst onto the scene as a truly unique band.

After spending much of the 1970’s developing what was to become their signature sound, The Cars released their debut album The Cars on Elektra Records in 1978. The album became a quick success, producing several top selling singles. The first single released from the album “Just What I Needed” reached number 18 on the Billboard charts, and gave the band a heavy rotation on radio stations in several different countries. Two other singles from this album, “My Best Friends Girl” and “Good Times Roll”, eventually made it into the Top 100 as well.

The Cars second album Candy-O was recorded and released in 1979, just a year after the band’s debut album. Amazingly, their sophomore release produced several top selling singles as well; including a big radio hit in “Let’s Go”. This album continued to generate a lot of radio play for the band, and as a result the band’s fan base continued to expand.

The Cars third release, Panorama, was not quite as successful as their previous albums. The reason for this has been argued by critics, but most people agree that the experimental nature of the album was a primary factor. It did, however, produce one Top 40 hit in “Touch and Go”. Despite its lower than expected commercial success, many fans consider this to be a fantastic part of The Cars’ catalog.

On the heels of Panorama, the band went back into the studio and released Shake It Up in 1981. This album produced two top selling singles; the title track “Shake It Up” as well as “Since You’re Gone”. The former eventually went on to become the band’s first Top 10 hit, reaching the number four spot. The album as a whole eventually went double platinum as well.

After recording four albums in as many years, The Cars decided to take a break in 1982. During this break the several of the band members pursued solo projects, some with more success than others. However, the break resulted in a reinvigorated creativity and in 1984 the band released their best-selling album, Heartbeat City. This album produced four Top 40 hits, including “Drive”, which went to number 3 and “You Might Think” which made it to the number seven spot. The other two singles from this album, “Hello Again” and “Magic” also did quite well, and the video for “Magic” was a big hit on the brand new cable channel MTV.

The band’s final album Door to Door, released in 1987, failed to achieve the same level of success as their previous work and the band eventually broke up in 1988. The Cars were a truly unique rock group whose influence can still be heard in many of today’s most popular acts. Several of their singles are considered classics by fans and music critics alike. They continue to sell CDs and mp3 downloads to a new generation of fans.