The Cars

The Cars were a rock and new wave band from Boston formed in the late '70s and fronted by lead singer Ric Ocasek. They scored a number of hits with songs like "Just What I Needed," "Good Times Roll," "Shake It Up," and "Drive."

They were famed for their mechanical pop/rock; their influences were punk, garage rock, and bubblegum pop. They were also considered more commercial then their peers and this mindset caused them to have trouble crossing over to the current rock radio.http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/cars/bio.jhtml They were more accessible than their rock counterparts, creating a more tuned and pop-friendly style.http://80music.about.com/od/artistsband1/p/thecars.htm

The peak of the Cars' success came in 1984 with their multi-platinum record Heartbeat City. The RIAA certified the album as having sold over four million copies. Heartbeat City featured the song "You Might Think," whose music video earned them success because of its originality and how frequently it aired.http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thecars/biography

History of The Cars

Ric Ocasek, Greg Hawkes, and Ben Orr started together in a folk band called Milkwood, and even released an album in 1972. The trio continued to create and join bands until Ocasek, Hawkes, and Orr created the Cars along with newcomers David Robinson and Elliot Easton, both of whom were members of bands before the Cars.http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thecars/biography

In 1977, the band members sent a demo tape to WBCN in Boston featuring their song "Just What I Needed." The song soon became the most-requested song and they signed with Elektra Records, creating their first album. The Cars didn't release another album until 1979, when Candy-O gained platinum status.http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/cars/bio.jhtml

The Cars had a long string of hits, but Heartbeat City would be their biggest selling album. Released in 1984, it featured the hits "You Might Think', "Drive", "Hello Again", and "Magic".http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thecars/biography

Their last album, Door to Door, enjoyed mild success, but seemed "half-heartened" and soon the band broke up in 1988. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/cars/bio.jhtml

After the band split up, Ocasek went on to become a successful solo artist and record producer, producing such albums as Weezer's multi-platinum "Blue Album." He is also married to supermodel Paulina Porizkova, and has two sons with her.http://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/paulina_porizkova/biography.php Some of the former band members teamed up with Todd Rundgren and other musicians to form "The New Cars" in 2005, playing old Cars favorites in addition to dipping into Rundgren's catalog.