The Cars is the self-titled debut studio album by American rock band the Cars, released on June 6, 1978, by Elektra Records. The album was produced by longtime collaborator Roy Thomas Baker, and spawned several hit singles, including "Just What I Needed", "My Best Friend's Girl", and "Good Times Roll", as well as other radio and film hits such as "Bye Bye Love" and "Moving in Stereo". The Cars peaked at number 18 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, and has been certified 6× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Background
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). and electronic rock.
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."
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
Personnel
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
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for The Cars
! scope="col" | Chart (1978–1979)
! scope="col" | Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row" | Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)
| 35
|-
|-
|-
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 1979 year-end chart performance for The Cars
! scope="col" | Chart (1979)
! scope="col" | Position
|-
! scope="row" | New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
| 5
|-
! scope="row" | US Billboard 200
| 48
|}