The Cars

in the world of cars this album would be a ford focus. straight down the middle. not particularly fast, but not slow. not particularly good looking, but not hideous. not particularly economic, but not a gas guzzler. not particularly interesting, but not boring. not particularly cool, but not a ssanyong. just middle.

I mean, each track is a 5 star track, so what more can really be said about this album? Musically, The Cars nails The mix on Moving in Stereo is fun and meta as they play with the left and right channels. There's a high toned keyboard melody in All Mixed Up that punches out of the left speaker in such a delightful way.

I'm going to out on a limb and say that more albums have been ruined by off the rack synths than by any other single factor. And yet The Cars, on their debut album, managed to make off the rack synths sound not just funny, like Devo, but actually--gasp--cool! How the hell did they do it? Most importantly, they used synths for either single note contrapuntal lines or color, never chords. Secondly, guitarist Elliot Easton was almost always way up front in the mix. These are very guitar oriented tunes--the synths are generally secondary. The arrangements are like the interlocking gears of a watch, cunningly constructed. There are no extraneous lines or pieces. Everything fits together perfectly. It turns out that Roy Thomas Baker was the perfect producer for The Cars. There is a clarity in the production that encourages the listener to pick out the separate lines in the arrangements. The only way that Baker deviates from this plan is with the vocal choruses, which are big, full, and vibrant. It's a magical combination. Notice I haven't said a thing about the tunes themselves yet. That's because if the elements I mentioned hadn't been present, this album would have sucked big time. As it is, the music gods were smiling down on The Cars because every last tune is a knockout with strong melodies and big fat, rhythmic hooks, performed to perfection by the band, so that the album comes off as loose, hip, modern and most of all fun. And to top it all off, the lyrics are simple enough to understand on a first listen and yet sardonic and multi-layered. There are plenty of albums that are more complex, more ambitious, and more innovative than The Cars' debut, but it would be hard to find one more perfect.

One of my favorite albums of all time, perhaps my favorite pop album of all time. Just an absolute titan from beginning to end 5/5

Ok, so.... this is New Wave. BUT. It's also full of iconic tracks for a reason. The Cars might be the best of the new wave movement. Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl, You're All I've Got Tonight, Just What I Needed... monsters of the era. It's synthy but not bloopy. And the guitar tones on You're All I've Got Tonight and Bye Bye Love are killer no matter the genre. It's got an edge and an energy that is just missing from the vast majority of new wave albums. I expected to hate it but didn't. Solid album.

Let the good times roll

I didn't realize how many classic rock songs came from this one album.

Starts really slow in my opinion but closer to the end the better. Last two tracks (Moving in Stereo and All Mixed Up) are cherry on top of this record. Solid four stars.

Incredible. One of the best debut albums of all time.

Basic. Boring. This is really not a great album. It doesn't belong on this list. Nothing of any real interest going on here. Sounds and feels hollow.

Wall to wall bangers.

Gee whiz, what’s that zipping along the highway, clearing the road in 35 minutes flat with 9 bangers? It’s only “The Cars”! Har har har! WITTY. “The Cars” represents a combination of all the up-and-coming alternative music in 1978. There’s catchy power-pop, various jagged punk stylings, quirky oddball vocals ala Bryan Ferry or David Byrne, and a prominent focus on new-wave-leaning lead synth lines. The album’s three singles all burst out one after the other at the very beginning of the album: “Let The Good Times Roll” is more of a saunter than a galloping start, but immediately boasts excellent chorus vocals and good prominence of analog lead synth lines. But then, “My Best Friend’s Girl” is pure pop perfection: I wouldn’t have thought twice if I’d read it was originally by Buddy Holly, or the Beatles, or Tom Petty, or Ramones. It has a guaranteed place in rock history, with a glorious melody, obligatory handclaps and a lovely trebly fingerpicking accompaniment to boot. And everything you’ve heard about “Just What I Needed” is true: it’s a classic with a killer chorus that digs into my brain the more I listen to it. Nothing else quite matches the opening stretch, but there’s no shortage of very good tracks across the rest of the record. “Moving in Stereo” is a fantastic gear shift towards new-wave, with programmed drums, whistling synths and an enigmatic, mid-tempo hook. “Bye Bye Love”, all chugging verses and then clicking into place with a restless staccato chorus, could have been another hit. “Don’t Cha Stop” may be a little lightweight, but it does have an excellent outro with more exhilarating guitar work. The others are admittedly more of a mixed bag (particularly the off-piste “I’m in Touch with Your World” and the fairly generic “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight”) but they’re always spirited and sprightly, not allowing anything to become too bogged down. If it all comes across as a relentlessly assured, effortless selection of tracks, it’s perhaps because this was not Ric Okasek’s first rodeo. Aged 34 at the time of the album’s release (but lying to Rolling Stone and claiming he was 29), Okasek had met bassist Benjamin Orr in 1965 and played in various bands throughout the intervening years. They were relatively old hands by “The Cars”, surrounded by younger band mates and newly emerging trends to hop on. The songwriting is matched by great production by Roy Baker, known (by me) for some stellar work on the first four Queen albums: here, he establishes The Cars as a sharp, crisp and tight new wave band. It’s shiny, pristine and sleek as a brand new car: all sharp edges, perfect clarity and separation, well-rounded sound. There’s the perfect amount of space left for the harmonies and jangly guitars (see “My Best Friend’s Girl”, “Bye Bye Love”) to come leaping from the mix. And there’s some liberal use of effects (flange in “Don’t Cha Stop”, gimmicky panning and rotary in “Moving in Stereo”) for some extra spice. They’d have flashes of the same success in subsequent albums, but “The Cars” has really impressed me as a great debut from a band who arrived fully-formed out of the box.

Every track is a banger

This album is so good. No skips. Every song is so fun and iconic, this album is one of my favorites of all time

This album gets 5 stars for Moving in Stereo being the song playing during the Phoebe Cates swimming pool scene. As the kids say, IYKYK. This is one of the best debut albums of all time. 6 of the 9 songs are straight up classics.

Hit after hit! If you had asked me to name a Cars album, I couldn't have done so, but it turns out I know half of these. Great stuff.

Another awesome selection from the generator. We do just what I needed in the band I’m in. Love the cars. Such feel good music

The Cars' debut album was one of the first albums to get the "New Wave" genre name. It therefore was incredibly influential as New Wave became one of the biggest and most important genres of 80's. But did it age good if it was so big and "ground breaking" to begin with? No, in fact, it aged horribly. It's a bland and one dimensional listen full of boring moments that leave you more uninterested than before. Even the "good" songs this has to offer are boring to a point of exhaustion that leaves the desire to sleep rather than listen to more. The album starts with the annoying and downright stupid 'Good Times Roll'. It tries so hard to be Rocky and "cool" but ends up being the same thing that MGK tries with his "Rock" stuff today. It is stupid, useless, annoying and just not a good song. The chorus is weak, the synths annoy the whole time, the verses so bland that boiled chicken reminds you of spicy Mexican food and the songwriting feels so repetitive that some Techno feels like the most dynamic music of all time. It sounds like they took some Billy Joel, some Boston, some Television and some Blondie, mixed it and decided to take the things that didn't work and applied them to the nonsense they made thus far. If you haven't realised it yet, I do not like this song. It's not terrible, it doesn't make my ears bleed but it is so basic in comparison to what similar music from a similar time sounded like. It's just a bad song, that's it. Hopefully, the second song 'My Best Friend's Girl' does things better, right? No, it's the same thing but with verses that feel forced and weird rather than funny and quirky. It's not as dreadful but it is as bad. Just take the same thing I said for the first song and apply it here. What is different is that the guitar bridge isn't totally bad but the synths in there just destroy the whole thing. Most people point to 'Just What I Needed' as THE song from the album and I do think that it is a fairly good song in comparison to the rest of the album. In fact, it is the best song. It's quite enjoyable and not as annoying, the verses are passable and the chorus is okay. It's still not good but it's an okay song that I don't mind listening to even if it does strech towards the end which isn't a good thing when the song isn't even 4 minutes. 'I'm in Touch With Your World' goes a little "Experimental" and "Post-Punk" and I do like what they were going for BUT this type of music has to be done right and with enough edge to it. When it's turned overly Pop, it is turned into something that is simply bad and doesn't work. The sound they tried to do here isn't fitting with the style they end up doing. It's like if the Talking Heads decided to go full on Madonna in the middle of Remain in Lights. Not a good idea. If you want an example of a song like this to be done right, go and listen to 'Mother' by The Police. Luckily, 'Don't Cha Stop' tunes the Post-Punk a little bit more back and lets more of the Power Pop shine through. The result is a fairly okay song, maybe a little over the top and it definitely tries way too hard but it's alright. It's got some nice energy throughout and it isn't annoying except for the hook but you cannot ask for everything, right? An alright ending to the albums first half. Side 2 is opened with 'You're All I've Got Tonight' which interestingly features some quite "Hard Rock" sounding guitars even if they sometimes sound very, very dissonant and not in a good way. The song is mainly boring with a listenable chorus which overall doesn't really make the song much better. It's just there, a little bit hard to get through because it streches the moment the first chorus ended but alright. 'Bye Bye Love' keeps sonically a lot from the song before and it actually sounds pretty much the exact same. If the chorus was removed you could replace them and noone would notice. The song's boring without anything interesting, not even the chorus, that makes this somewhat listenable. It's just not good, like genuinely terrible, just dreadful. At least 'Moving in Stereo' is a slight even if its a very slight step up to the previous song. The artistic approach with some Post-Punk elements are done much better than on Track 4 even if it turns out as boring as that. It's a song you don't mind. It's definitely not good but it isn't terrible either. For every moment that is okay to listen to, there is a moment that just sucks but it evens out into a bad but not truely terrible song. The album closes with 'All Mixed Up' which is quite interesting in comparison. The synths are quite passable and the performances as well are okay. The song is nearly good. It would've needed some added work but it isn't totally off. I am happy that the album at least ended with an okay song and not another downright dreadful piece. favourites: Just What I Needed, All Mixed Up, Don't Cha Stop least favourites: Bye Bye Love, I'm in Touch With Your World, Moving in Stereo, Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl Rating: decent 3 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Great album from beginning to end. Some of the best power pop ever recorded. Sadly, The Cars never released another LP of this caliber.

Groundbreaking and fun. Perfect little album.

Sounds like the very definition of american FM rock. Kinda sounds bland to me.

Best debut album ever. The invention of top 40 radio rock. Let the good times roll. So its only 1978(!) and new wave rock already never sounded better than on this Cars album full of catchy songs, all played in their typical highly effective style - somehow they managed to get it right, right from the start. The first three songs are winners and is hard to imagine why one would not instantly like this album very much. And its massive influence is obvious. Think New Pornographers, Weezer, Urge Overkill, the Strokes etc etc

There's only one good Cars song (Drive) and it's not on this album. L +

One of my absolute favorite bands of the 80s, this one got a 7/5 from me before I even pulled the vinyl out of its jacket. Ric, Ben and the boys blend a perfect balance of pop, rock, and punk into a "new wave" with some of the catchiest riffs, drivingest bass lines, and tropiest lyrics of their (or any other) time. Every track here is an absolute banger. As debut albums go, it's hard to think of one that had wider appeal or more radio play than this one, with a sound that shared influences with and yet set them apart from most of their contemporaries. They're a band that hit the ground running and stayed at speed for the long haul, as a strong case can be made that this isn't even their best work. Rounding down to a 5 because I have to.

Variety: 4 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 5 Emotionality: 5 = 4.8 rounded up to 5 "Let the good times roll/ Let 'em roll" My favorite debut album by an American band. Which is also one of my favorite bands of all time. Been looking forward to this one, but didn't think we'd see it so early in the list. A shame that they only have the one entry as I think they've got an almost spotless run. Almost ( "Heartbeat City" is their last album, and you can't convince me otherwise.) But I can see it, with it being a British based thing, not sure they made much of a splash over there. This is also one of the few albums I remember liking just as much since childhood as I do now. It never gets old, it never gets boring, and I don't think it ever will. THE TRACKS "Good Times Roll" - I think I struggle the most with the stuff I really like. I end up resorting to gushing about how great the melodies and how loaded with hooks they are. Let's just start with a baseline here that ALL of these are chock full of that stuff. This one starts off with the iconic, simple as can be riff, develops into a full bodied groove, and spikes with a chorus that's capped by some Queen-ish harmonies. We get here an encapsulation of the band's appeal to me - solidly rock n roll, with just a dash of throwback energy ( see if you can spot the doo wop influences later on) but the other foot firmly in modernity with synths, and a clean ( but not cold) production quality. "My Best Friend's Girl" - The throwback vibes here are strong. We get the 50s/ 60s teen troubles lyrical content, and the Buddy Holly guitar lines , the handclaps, and the old school background vocals right alongside the modern instrumentation. Can a song be both ironically detached and fully sincere at the same time? This is a good argument for yes i think. "Just What I Needed" - This is in the running for my favorite Cars track and easily makes my top 10 songs of all time. Am I easily impressed? Maybe, but how many songs from this era hold up so well to modern ears. That synth line is pure gold. A note hear about Ocasek and Orr. UP until well into my twenties I just assumed Ocasek sang lead on all the tracks. I think this was reinforced by the few music videos that got big play maybe all seemed to only be Ocasek led ones. And they sound so much alike. To me at least. But yeah, when I found out this was not Ocasek I was momentarily confused. "I'm in Touch with Your World" - By far the weirdest track on the album, and if you only heard this one you'd be forgiven for lumping them in with acts more like Devo. The goofy ass sound effects in this are anything but serious, but they aren't treated as such. It's all played straight, and works like a charm because of it I think. "Don't Cha Stop" - Propulsive and as balls out rocking as the band manages to get. The galloping drums in the chorus are the key here, but the guitar work from Elliot Easton are nothing to scoff at. Side two "You're All I've Got Tonight" - Guitar work on par with the last track, but this one is a step above, with my favorite drumming and I think the best synth work on any track aside from "Just What I Needed". Dirty, playful, and a more than a little desperate. "Bye Bye Love" - With a title blatently stolen from the Everly Brothers you might expect this to be a sweeter, more melancholic number. Instead what we get is boundless energy rolled up into an upbeat kiss-off when the chorus kicks in. "Moving in Stereo" - The darkest track on the album, both instrumentally with the plodding beat and the downbeat synth, and with the vocals, as ambiguous as they are. I think for whole generation this one is tied to Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but I bever saw that movie til much later. For me this is all brooding and introspection ( but not too much). Not so much slow motion swimming pool scenes. "All Mixed Up" - Confusion and sadness where the last track was all brooding. Great harmonies on this one, and a very solid if downbeat ender for an album otherwise full of fun and energy. We won't being seeing any more of these guys on the list, but I highly encourage you to pick right up with Candy-O after this. It honestly feels like these two could be a double album with how similar the vibes ad tone are. They are so fully-formed here that there's not even a noticeable climb in quality. Just more bangers one after the other. On and on until the end of Heartbeat City. Are there less and less radio hits as you get there? Sure, but ymmv. And "Door Door" is... rough. Just ignore that one though. HIGHLIGHTS - Every single track MIDLIGHTS - LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS These guys bridge all the eras up to that point for me. You've got elements of doo-wop, Buddy Holly style guitar lines and melodies, 60s R&B girl group harmonies, bubblegum pop hooks abound, top of the line 70s production values, and a look towards the next few years even with their incorporation of synths. And they never let those synths overtake them, managing to straddle the decades almost all the way to the end. That last album gives in a bit to the production excesses of the era, but we're not here to discuss "Door to Door". These guys get everything right on this one, and cement themselves as one of the unsung heroes of the era. They did fine for themselves. I'm sure Ocasek is not hurting for money at least. But they also existed in the era of Michael Jackson, Madonna, Van Halen, U2, the Police, and other much flashier and MTV-ready acts, and I think they get a little bit lost in the shuffle because of that. I don't think I've mentioned the term "New Wave" once in this review. Not because I rankle at it though. I think nowadays it's become unfashionable to use that one in particular, but to even try and classify stuff at all. I myself love a good classification system, and I rely quite heavily on curation. Who has the time to investigate everything for the good stuff? Labels like "New Wave" are just the highest level of curation in my opinion. The heavy metal family trees are the best, the more unviewable they are on a full screen the better. But The Cars are the epitome of a New Wave band to me. They are thoroughly modern, even forward looking ( look at all the stuff Ocasek and team influenced or had a hand in producing - their influence is ALL over Weezer's first for example) but they unembarrassedly looked backwards for inspiration and incorporated it, not entirely without irony, to court the mainstream. I'll compare them to the Ramones once again here - those guys CRAVED mainstream success. All they wanted was a giant record deal and mass adoration. I'd also call the Ramones power pop, just like the Cars. I love a lot of punk bands, but I often think they misinterpreted some of the lessons imparted by those guys. Anyways... I think what I love so much about this album is that it pushes all of my musical buttons. They are a melody-first band who are able to still maintain a bit of an edge. They don't ever get too full of themselves, and incorporate just enough humor and earnestness to avoid a lick of pretentiousness. There are no 4 minute guitar solos or weird experimental throwaway tracks. If I knock these guys for anything it would be a lack of emotionality in the vocals. But this is more than covered for in the instrumentation. This is good times and hummable tunes. Nothing too deep. On a Cars album you don't have to worry too much about filler. They are on par with the Ramones in their ability to pour the sweetest of bubblegum pop melodies into the harder mold of rock n roll, and they don't seem like they ever courted trends too much. There are bands I like more, and there are bands with a higher output of hits - but few I can think of who were as CONSISTENTLY top tier as these guys. They put down Zeppelin numbers in that respect. Another top 10 album. Two in a row! Let's see if we can keep the streak alive. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - No skips! FURTHER LISTENING - Cool for Cats by Squeeze - Pretenders by Pretenders - "Get the Knack" by The Knack - New Clear Days by The Vapors - "In Heat" by The Romantics - Back on the Streets by Donnie Iris - "Look Sharp!" by Joe Jackson - Marshall Crenshaw by Marshall Crenshaw - Vacation by the Go-Go's - The Blue Album by Weezer - Return of the Rentals by The Rentals

I GUESS YOU'RE JUST WHAT I NEEDED (JUST WHAT I NEEDED)

I was never into The Cars, but their influence is undeniable.

Insane awesome album great first three for my mile long run. Best friend’s girl!

Classic album! I love the cars and this is my favorite of theirs! It's literally got so many of their best songs on it! My best friends girl, just what I needed classic!

My Dads first album If you only knew how many times my Dad told me the story of him buying his first album. My brothers and I eventually made a game out of it - who could call a Car’s song out the fastest and make the quote before my Dad could “tHIs WAs tHE fiRST aLBum I eVeR BAhT” 😂😂 This album is actually great. Moving In Stereo still gives me special thoughts reflecting on Fast Times At Richmond High. Bye Bye Love, Let The Good Times Roll, Youre all Ive Got… hits on hits

A stone cold classic. One of those rare (debut!) albums that plays like a greatest hits comp

Overall: 10/10 :) :) :) :) :) :) After ending 2024 with a 1 star album, 2025 is off to a good start cause this is one of my all time favourite albums. When I was in high school I decided I wanted to get into records and my mom gave me all of her old records since she didn't listen to them anymore. I remember looking through her records and being intrigued by this album cover. There's something about it that just instantly felt iconic to me. It ended up being the first album I ever listened to on vinyl and I think it's an understatement to say that it was life changing for me. As soon as the opening chords of Good Times Roll came in I was entranced. You might think I'm crazy for saying this but it's a core memory for me. To this day (about 12 years since I first heard it) I still listen to it at least once a month. Every single song is a banger and Benjamin Orr was such a rockstar 😍 Ugh, gonna go listen to it 20 more times today Fav Song: Moving in Stereo Least Fav Song: ????? Impossible, are you nuts?

A new wave masterpiece

A classic. Ocasek and the boys did a phenomenal job on this album. This also has my all-time favorite Cars song "Moving in Stereo". IYKYN.

Fantastic rock album. Each song in the first half can be a hit in its own right, with the second half more experimental. The synth and harmonies paired up with their straight rock n roll sound makes this such a classic and it many way timeless as almost a first pop punk album, closer to early 2000s rock than contemporary albums.

Great album start to finish. The Cars have a certain sound and a certain formula that can be heard across most of their songs, but it just WORKS. The beginning of Good Times Roll is such a great opening and the song is simply cool all the way through. In fact, the first three tracks (GTR, My Best Friend's Girl", and "Just What I Needed") are such classics I'd call this a 5 just on those tracks alone, but the rest keeps me interested and wanting to hear this album again and again (and of course "You're All I've Got Tonight" and "Bye Bye Love" are also classics). I'll also point out that this is a great pairing with Blondie's Parallel Lines which we randomly got a few days back. Perfect one-two punch of new wave.

I've never engaged with The Cars deeper cuts. I certainly know the hits and a few other tracks here and there. This self-titled is an impressive debut record that clearly influenced a lot of bands after. 1978 wasn't exactly the crest of the New Wave but the music has that early 80s 'sound' and does it well. It's mostly fun, pop-rock with a masterful patina of synth and other New Wave-y sounds. It was good, overall. Didn't strike me as great (although the hits are REALLY good). It was a perfect companion to the start of a long drive, today. For now, it is a (4/5) from me, but I could see growing to love it more.

Listening to this album today made me realize that I know absolutely nothing about The Cars. They are one of those big early 1980s acts that didn’t extend into the 1990s enough for me to take notice. This is a new listen and I really enjoyed this album. Wish I could’ve spent more time pondering it today but it’s been a busy week. It’s got enough straightforward rock in its DNA to keep my attention. Perhaps the 1978 year helped restrain some of the more arty and synthier directions you could feel the band itching to go with during certain tracks. A successful debut that makes me curious enough to see what else The Cars did. Track Highlights Good Times Roll Just What I Needed You're All I've Got Tonight. Moving in Stereo

The Cars fait partie de ces groupes formés de l'article "The" et d'un nom commun au pluriel (exemple: The Doors et son imperturbable organiste Manzarek). Pour autant, ce n'est pas aux Doors que le style des Cars nous fait penser mais bien à celui de Queen. L'album s'ouvre en effet sur une introduction intitulée "We Are The Winners" suivie du titre "Don't Block Me Now". Quelques pistes plus tard apparaît soudain le titre "Nonconformist Rhapsody". Pas assez flagrant pour vous peut-être ? Alors comment expliquez-vous que le dernier morceau s'appelle "We Will Move You" et que l'on voit dans son clip le batteur taper deux fois ses mains sur ses cuisses avant de les taper une fois entre elles ? Rendez-vous à l'évidence..

enjoyed this - wee bit dated, but good tunes and tight band.

As much as I hate to say it, this album is super overrated. The thing is I really wanted to love this album. I love the concept behind it. Meaning I love the album cover, band name, and the very simple drums, guitar, bass, and the honestly beautiful synth. Sadly, it just feels like standard rock and roll with no experimentation. Maybe when the album dropped it was vastly different than anything else but listening now feels like a chore. Every song (except "I'm in Touch with Your World") sounds like any basic pop rock and roll hit you'd hear on the radio. Again, conceptually I should adore this band, but the execution is not what I expected. Maybe I'm a dumb douche who doesn't know anything. Idk.

Like a car, you hear it coming, you hear it going, you never need to hear it again

Really good! Mainstream rock, but with a hefty injection of "new wave" (aka synths and minor chords). There's something about 1978: loads of bands from that year sound so, erm, 1978 (the Vapors, Boomtown Rats, Elvis Costello & the Attractions, etc etc). (Mainly) blokes in suits, not quite punk but lots of energy; bit of synth in there. Anyway, to me, the Cars fit in to that gang, and are among the best of them. Some real tunes here. In fact it seemed to get better and better; side 2 was even better than side 1. I'd shamefully neglected The Cars, apart from a couple of big hits, so this was a great discovery. (Also, it's mad that music like this is nearly 50 years old. Despite sounding very 1978, it also sounds pretty fresh in places.) 9 out of 10 but I'll round up cos it's all good, tbh.

Just what I needed amongst all the metal, rap and beardy 70s men with guitars

There are a handful of rock bands whose first album is both a classic of the genre, and as good or better than anything they have ever done: Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Black Sabbath and Devo come immediately to mind. This record belongs in that category. I’m not necessarily a Cars listener, but I really like this album. Elliott Easton is on point. Some of the songs are a little puerile, but the best rock usually is.

Yeah I mean I don’t know if there is a more perfect album. For a while I thought this was a greatest hits album it is that good. Guitar playing could be my fav part. What a perfect power pop album

Every song on this album is a banger! Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this one.

This made me realize how many singles from the Cars I actually knew. That being said it does make the album a little top heavy, but the rest of the tracks are pretty great too. I wish I found this sooner.

It always blows my mind to go back and see how many great songs came off the first album of classic bands. The Cars is no exception. This album makes me love the Cars al over again. I can’t imagine anyone not liking it.

Pretty much a perfect pop-rock album. I frequently make the mistake of thinking it a key album of the 80s but, of course, it pre-dates the 80s - which speaks even more highly of its achievement, I think, in setting a strong tone for many other releases that followed it. It's not an album I turn to very often, but every time I do I'm reminded that it's just so damn good!

-S Tier- Good Times Roll My Best Friend’s Girl Just What I Needed I’m in Touch with Your World Don’t Cha Stop You’re All I’ve Got Tonight Bye Bye Love Moving in Stereo -A Tier- All Mixed Up AVG SCORE: 4.89 / 5.0 - - - Not only is there not a single skippable song on this album, this is one the closest albums to musical perfection as far as I’m concerned. Absolutely transcendent.

Perfect timing, since I was fantasizing about a smokin' Phoebe Cates coming out of the pool and removing her top. So I guess you could say this was...just what I needed.

Heartbeat City was one of my absolute favorite albums when I was a teen. I was less familiar with this one, but many of its songs are well known classics to me. I really enjoyed this trip to their origin point! It does feel like they helped create the sound of the 80s by going beyond guitar-bass-drum rock. "Moving in Stereo" really feels like we're there already.

I really like this album so far. Easy to listen to, very catchy on the first listen. I've heard one of their bigger hits (Just What I Needed) before, but The Cars were not a band that I was explored previously. I will definitely be looking into some of their other albums. Moving in Stereo is a jam!

Love this album. The first 3 tracks are absolute gold and it doesn't really drop off too far from there. I've loved Just What I Needed for years and can't believe it's taken this long to give the rest of the record a run. Amazing.

I love the cars, but it's one of those bands I never know it's them until someone points it out. It helps that I love the first song on the album. OOOOOO I know the 2nd one too. Yeah no doubt, I like this album a lot.

Already listened! A personal favorite

Straight jams back to back.

A great one from my youth.

Classic. Great songs and sounds.

Really like the Cars. Excellent album cover. Came out in 78 deep I to my punk rock. However has the new decade arrived started listening to them more. Really like the 50s rock n roll sound and the energy. A good high 4 pity no half points

Lots of good tunes on here Bonus points if you listen to it while driving

Podoba mi się ten album.Szczególnie niektóre piosenki (Just what I needed). Całość jest ciekawa i wciągająca. :)))

Wasn't sure about this when it first started, but after the first couple songs, I started getting really into it. One of those albums you just can't help but move your body to. Standouts for me were "I'm In Touch With Your World", "You're All I've Got Tonight", and "Bye Bye Love". Short, too--when it ended, I actually said "damn!" out loud because I was so disappointed there wasn't any more. Definitely has the potential to become a favorite.

Very strong. Just great musicianship and although it does feel like rock from that era, they very much have their own sound.

Only 35 minutes! Love a short album. Good blend of talking heads and moody electronic music. Moving in Stereo is a BOP

pas mal !

En soit c'est très classique mais ça marche bien, bon mood bonnes musiques

Fun listen drenched in 80s vibes

Ric Ocasek's vocals have the same shouty and nasal pitch as David Byrne & Tom Verlaine, but The Cars are far closer in nature to Blondie & The Go-Gos than they are to the Talking Heads or Television, which means that this isn't deep music - it's not even deep pop music - b/c it's pop & nothing more. Blondie reached perfection once w/ 'just pop music' on Parallel Lines, & it's been done before & since, but it's not an easy thing to pull off, at least from 1970 onward. The Cars don't quite reach pop perfection on this debut, tho they get damn close. The two geniuses are Elliot Easton & David Robinson - the lead guitar is as rockin' as anything while the drums thump & pump. I love this most: at times, you'd swear you were listening to the Allman Bros.

the cars are the main contributor to urban sprawl and environmental degradation. the cars are a waking nightmare. 1 star.

I really hate to say this but this would have been an easy five for me if they didn’t take a few tracks off in the middle.

Kinda like early Queen, without any of the rediculous talent, or Freddie Mercury, or creativity.... So, not really like them at all. Just What I Needed gets a point and a half alone however, what a bop.

I recognized these

This thing is basically a debut greatest-hits album. Track after track, you get that unmistakable Cars shine: tight hooks, slick guitar lines, and vocals that somehow sound detached and warm at the same time. Even the deep cuts feel like you’ve known them for years, which almost no band can claim on album one.

I had heard this album a few times before, and don’t know why I didn’t purchase it back in the day. I really like it, and it takes me back to my old college days. The only reason that I don’t give it 5 stars is because I seem to tire of it somewhat quickly. But all in all, it’s excellent.

I went in with pretty low expectations, figuring that Just What I Needed, a song I adore, would be the only real highlight, but to my shock and pleasure this is really fucking good! To begin with, I forgot about Good Times Roll and My Best Friend's Girl, two songs I don't frequently play but still dig a lot. Those, combined with the aforementioned brilliance of JWIN, made for a severely underrated opening three track run. The deeper cuts didn't disappoint either; I'm In Touch With Your World and You're All I've Got Tonight were splendid, and the groove on Moving in Stereo (not a deep cut based on YTM play counts but still one I forget about often) is absolutely amazing. The only track that didn't really click on first listen was Don't Cha Stop, and I wouldn't be surprised if that changed with time. Very impressive listen. Several classic hitters of the early new wave scene, a song that scratches my favorites list, and a VERY tight runtime make me a very happy camper. I might have to poke around some more of the group's work sometime.

Love the hits on this album!

Pretty close to a 5.

I love the Cars. This is a tremendous (debut) album, chock full of hits. Punchy pop, immediately puts me in a good mood. Rock on.

for me, The Cars are probably the definition of a Greatest Hits band, classic singles but the sound is so characteristic that the album tracks become a bit samey. Probably unfair on this album as it's their debut and 2/3 of the tracks are played to death on the radio but there you go. Great album, buy the Greatest Hits!

Devo for people who wear pea coats. Excellent synths on this record, though.

I dig this so much...in spots. No one swallows his histrionics the way Ric Ocasek does. To me, this music is all the updated swing and swagger of 50s rock for the contemporary new wave crowd. This must be one of the earliest examples of power pop, and it's all just so pure. Yep. "Moving in Stereo" would be the perfect song to strip to.

Starts out pretty strong, but tapers off in the back half

Yeah it was fine, the non-hit songs are a bit repetitive

Very in the middle. Not bad, but not amazing.

So is this the Pixar Cars movie's soundtrack?

Hits aside it didn’t do that much for me. I am definitely a “Best of The Cars” kind of guy.

The Cars are The Cars. You drive ‘em on the left, drive ‘em on the right. Susceptible to theft in the middle of the night.

what a very mid album some iconic songs from movies but none of these songs are in the iconic CARS movie which is a missed oppurinity.

Pretty nice, but nothing the local rock band couldn't come up with.

My first impression of The Cars is a slightly less weird version of Talking Heads, like if Ric Ocasek was a simple streaker compared to David Byrne’s compulsive public masturbator. A sticky analogy, but the late 70s were a weird time. Unlike the new wave and power pop albums that came out in the early 80s, this album thankfully largely avoided that canned sound that instantly dates so many otherwise stellar Reagan-era albums. ¨My Best Friend’s Girl¨ sounds like what ¨My Sharona¨ would have sounded like with a better mind behind it. The guitars, jangly and subtle, make me want to pull out a Smiths album. Unfortunately, the further into the album you go the more 80s it sounds, with synths and other tricks from that period. I guess that makes it ahead of its time, but that’s the aural equivalent of investing in Beanie Babies after 1998. Do I hate 80s music? A bit. Regardless of poor production choices, I do love big hooks and simple-seeming but clever lyrics, and The Cars do deliver. Are they weird? Yes. Does it sound dated? Sort of. Worth listening? Yes.

не моя вабще музика. спочатку здалося що це нагадає мені про фільм хеві метал, але по ітогу це звучання нагадало мені про nitw. а ще навіяло якісь думки про те як було б класно жити в 70-80х в америці і тусуватися в якомусь локальному рок бенд. хз вобщем. звучання недостатньо рокове але і хуйней не назвеш.

car

This is good fun, but not necessarily essential. It is fun new wave catchy singalong pop. Good driving (no pun intended) rhythms with occasional proper long guitar solos! The vocal hooks are bubblegum! A very high 3, maybe a 4 with more familiarity.

This is probably considered some kind of cult classic but I found it pretty bland!?

not my personal taste tbh

A bit too zany 70/80's for me

New wave for people who like Tom Petty.

Meh