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The Cars Best Songs
When they “broke on to the scene” in 1978, this quintet out of Boston were already rock ‘n roll veterans. Founders Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr had been playing and writing together for nearly a decade before they formed The Cars and finally broke through with their demo of “Just What I Needed.” By the time they recorded their first album, the duo had an impressive and deep catalog of songs ready to be unleashed.
When the band released their debut, the public and critical reception was unabashedly positive. They were the right band at the right time, and their eponymous album captured and later defined the essence of New Wave.
The first album included nine ground-breaking songs, including seven legitimate rock ‘n roll classics. And the follow-up Candy-O was nearly as good. Today, we look at those classics, as well as each of their other five albums and present to you the Top 25 Cars songs ever. As you’ll notice below, we found that both Orr and Ocasek had their fair share of shining moments with vocals.
Jackie and I spent hours listening to every song in The Cars catalog, many at least 3 or 4 times. At the end, we were pretty closely aligned with each other. The result is the list you see below.
Our rules: Two songs that belong together and that should always be played together – they count as one song on our list. You’ll notice we invoke that rule twice… in our Top 10… in our Top 5… in our…
25. “Hello Again” (Album: Heartbeat City) – The first song from their hugely successful 5th album. This wasn’t a huge hit, but gave cool insight into some of the quirky new sounds the band was experimenting with. Bonus tidbit: The video for “Hello Again” was directed by Andy Warhol.
24. “Night Spots” (Candy-O) – This one was actually a leftover from the sessions for the debut album. Can you imagine being in a band and deciding this was not good enough for your first album? Damn, they had an impressive catalog when they started out… Like “Hello Again” and everything else on this list, the song was an Ocasek penned hit.
23. “Everything You Say” (Door To Door) – The best song of the band’s mediocre sixth album. This almost has a bit of a country feel to it and it is very different from any previous stuff from The Cars. David Robinson’s freight train drums carry the song, but all of the music sounds sweet. Elliot Easton’s guitar work slips in and out continuously during the song adding special touches throughout.
22. “It’s Not the Night” (Heartbeat City) – Easton never seems to get enough credit, but we see once again why he was such a key to the band’s success. On this one, his guitars are under-stated but wonderful, and as usual, Benjamin Orr contributes powerful vocals.
21. “Sad Song” (Move Like This) – The last album from The Cars – after Orr’s death, and before Ocasek passed. The album was surprisingly actually half decent, and this one was a solid rock song. It’s catchy as hell and Ocasek’s vocals and lyrics still stand out.
20. “You Can’t Hold On Too Long” (Candy-O) – It starts with some spacey effects and then evolves into a powerful new wave track with a harder edge. Orr’s vocals are great, and it’s one of David Robinson’s more impressive drumming displays.
19. “Heartbeat City” (Heartbeat City) – Under-appreciated! This underplayed treasure rides Greg Hawkes’ atmospheric synthesizer and evolves into a fantastic late-night driving song. Bonus Tidbit: This song was titled “Jackie” on the original release.
18. “Touch and Go” (Panorama) – After their first two amazing albums something had to give, and on Panorama, the quintet came crashing back to earth. This, the best song on the album, starts out with Hawkes’ keyboards and Ocasek’s vocals before the band joins in and delivers a slick track. Nice vocals, pretty guitar work and clever drums. The solo from Easton is one of his best. Bonus tidbit: John Lennon loved this track.
17. “Since I Held You” (Candy-O) – The track starts with a clever guitar riff straight from the pages of 1960’s classic rock. It then jumps directly into a typical Ocasek new wave trip. Easton’s guitars are really good… again… Are you sensing a trend yet?
16. “Don’t Cha Stop” (Cars) – David Robinson shines on this song which is powered by his drums. If you pay attention to the song there are some wonderful, subtle things happening in the background. Another song that features one of Easton’s killer solos.
15. “Let’s Go” (Candy-O) – Hand claps and gang vocals kick this one off. It was the first song on the album, the first single, and their biggest commercial success on Candy-O, but as you’ll soon see, only one of a handful of great songs on the album.
14. “You Might Think” (Heartbeat City) – Another great video. This one was MTV’s video of the year. It was a fun romp through Ocasek’s brain and an absolutely addictive, yet quirky, ditty which also happened to hit #1 on the rock music charts.
13. “Since You’re Gone” (Shake It Up) – This one starts with a cool vibe as tap shoes provide the beat. The blend of instruments is great. There’s nothing sweet or clean, but it’s a cool track. Ocasek’s vocals are tender and the song boasts great harmonies. It was the best song on Shake It Up, but the rest of the album disappoints.
12. “Bye, Bye Love” (Cars) – Ric Ocasek will best be remembered as an iconic lyricist and those skills are on full display on this early track, even though Orr had the lead vocals. It’s an urgent rocker where the entire band meshes perfectly together and for good reason, they played this with Cap’n Swing, a band that predated The Cars.
11. “Magic” (Heartbeat City) – Just like “You Might Think,” this is another great video, and a classic Ocasek creation. A great summer song. Absolutely addictive and just poppy enough. Return of the great harmonies, and one of many songs where the band members all have their spotlight moments. The sweet solo from Easton is icing on the cake.
10. “Got a Lot On My Head” (Candy-O) – This track starts with a screaming guitar riff, then evolves into a bouncy rocker at a frenetic pace. Greg Hawkes’ keyboards are spotlighted throughout, but every band member steals the spotlight at one time or another.
9. “Dangerous Type” (Candy-O) – There’s nothing amazing on this one, but the keyboard riff is catchy as hell. It’s one of the best Ocasek vocal performances. The breakdown is a great example of Easton’s and Orr’s complementary work and Robinson is a rock on the drums. With this one, the band kept up their brief tradition of closing an album with a cool, atmospheric song.
8. “Drive” (Heartbeat City) – Ric Ocasek had the vocals on the band’s first two hits off of Heartbeat City, and then he turned the reins over to Benjamin Orr, and this happened. It’s the first ballad of theirs that worked and it became the band’s biggest hit ever. Orr’s vocals are perfect; other than that it’s basically keyboards… but still a great song.
7. “Good Times Roll” (Cars) – You all remember, right? The first song on the first album and quite an impressive way to kick off a career. We got our first taste of Ocasek’s vocals, the band’s under-rated harmonies, and the magical way all of the musicians blended together. It’s a song with great bass and keyboards, solid drumming, distinctive vocals and a few sweet guitar riffs.
6. “My Best Friend’s Girl” (Cars) – The song starts out with Elliot Easton’s unaccompanied guitar and hand claps before exploding into a full-blown rocker. This one really rides along on Easton’s guitar work. The gang vocals throughout are a blast, and it’s a great singalong song.
5. “Just What I Needed” (Cars) – The first song the band released with Benjamin Orr on vocals. The hit is carried by strong guitar and bass. It starts urgently and slips into a comfortable groove. Orr’s voice seemed so sensitive and sincere, and we learned for the first time how dynamic a performer he was.
4. “It’s All I Can Do” (Candy-O) – Orr’s bass and vocals carry this romantic and tender offering. It’s a believable, passionate love song, and Orr’s vocals and Ocasek’s lyrics are perfect. The bridge near the end is sharp and the band sounds great together. Shockingly, this never reached the Top 40.
3. “Shoo Be Doo / Candy-O” (Candy-O) – After the cacophonous intro, this song explodes into a full-blown rocker. It’s one of the hardest Cars tracks ever, and it’s beautiful, aggressive music to the ears. Easton’s solo is pure virtuoso and Robinson’s drums might be his best ever. It was a different side to the band and this track displayed their impressive versatility.
2. “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight” (Cars) – Big drums dominate this arena rock anthem. It’s an aggressive rocker with great guitar work. It might feature their best harmonies, as well. Interesting tidbit: Despite the fact that Ocasek wrote every one of these songs, this is the only one he sang in our Top 6.
1. “Moving In Stereo / All Mixed Up” (Cars) – I wondered whether it would be right for me to consider this as one song, since the two tracks blend together perfectly? It is the right thing to do, as these great headphone tracks should never be separated. Greg Hawkes’ cool atmospheric synth work dominates, but Benjamin Orr’s emotive vocals make these tracks stand out as the perfect rock tracks they are.
There you have it 25 songs from a band with a deep, deep catalog of great tracks. So, how did we do? Let us know below, or on our Facebook Page (and give us a Like while you’re there).Rock On!
Bob and Jackie
