Happy 40th: The Cars, THE CARS

40 years ago today, The Cars released their self-titled debut, kicking off a career path which would ultimately drive them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, THE CARS was an album which found success almost immediately, not unlike the band itself, which had only come into existence two years earlier. Although Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, Ric Ocasek, Benjamin Orr, and David Robinson had all done stints in various Boston bands, it wasn’t until they came together as The Cars that their respective skills as musicians meshed into something that caught the ears of audiences both in and outside of Boston. 

After forming in 1976, The Cars recorded a series of demos in 1977, with some of those songs proving solid enough to find their way onto their debut album. (At least two of them – “Leave or Stay” and “Ta Ta Wayo Wayo” – wouldn’t end up properly recorded until DOOR TO DOOR, the band’s final album for Elektra Records, in 1987.) Roy Thomas Baker twiddled the knobs in such a way as to embrace the modern technology of the day while still making sure to keep the undeniable hooks of the songs in the forefront. As a result, THE CARS spawned two top-40 hits – “Just What I Needed” and “My Best Friend’s Girl” – while also providing AOR hits like “Bye Bye Love,” “Good Times Roll,” “Moving in Stereo,” and “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight,” all of which continue to be played on the radio to this very day.

In celebration of the anniversary of this classic album’s release, we invite you to revisit THE CARS and recall just how wonderful these tunes remain even after four decades, and if you should choose to post about it on social media, we’ve even got a hashtag for you: 

So listen to the music, share the music, and – wait for it – let the “Good Times Roll”!