By the time The Cars released Heartbeat City in 1984, they had become an MTV staple. Heartbeat City contained heavy rotation classics like “You Might Think,” “Magic,” and “Drive.” The Cars presented a perfect mix of pop, new wave, and rock on each of their early albums. As with many bands from the late 70s and early 80s, what I didn’t experience through MTV, I explored through a greatest hits compilations. The eponymous debut by The Cars is an album I missed but have recently come to appreciate.
Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, The Cars has sold over 6 million copies in the United States since its release on June 6, 1978. The Cars contains the hit songs “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Just What I Needed,” and “Let the Good Times Roll.”
Elliot Easton, guitarist for The Cars, used to joke that The Cars should really be called The Cars Greatest Hits. Easton’s jest is not unwarranted—5 of the 9 tracks are certified classics. But The Cars also takes risks and never takes itself too seriously. “In Touch with Your World” and “Don’t Cha Stop” were never destined to top the charts, despite Easton’s sally. Moreover, hearing The Cars be creative is a refreshing ear break from the overall high bar the rest of the album sails above.
The Cars influenced just about every rock band that used a synthesizer or self-identified as “new wave.” One hears their impact squarely in early Weezer albums—which Cars singer Ric Ocasek produced—as well as the early work of The Killers. The Cars is an enjoyable first entry on a successful run of albums from The Cars that continued well into the late 80s.