The Cars discography

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The Cars discography
Studio albums7
Compilation albums8
Video albums4
Music videos20
Singles26

The discography of the American rock band the Cars includes seven studio albums, eight compilation albums, four video albums and 26 singles. Originating in Boston in 1976, the band consisted of singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter Ric Ocasek, singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, lead guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes, and drummer David Robinson. After signing with Elektra Records, the band released their self-titled debut album, The Cars in 1978. Backed by the successful singles "Just What I Needed" (number 27), "My Best Friend's Girl" (number 35), and "Good Times Roll" (number 41), the album was a major commercial success, selling one million copies by the end of the year, peaking at number 18 on the Billboard 200 chart in March 1979.[1][2] The album remained on the album chart for 139 weeks. The band's follow-up, Candy-O, was released a year later in 1979, and peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200. Its singles included their first Top 20 hit "Let's Go" and "It's All I Can Do", which reached number 41.[1]

Their third album, Panorama, was released in 1980. Although it peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified Platinum, it was less commercially successful than its predecessors.[1] A single, "Touch and Go", peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their next album, Shake It Up (1981), fared better commercially, going platinum by the end of the year and spawning their first Top 10 single with its title track.[1] 1984's Heartbeat City was the band's most successful, hitting number 3 on the Billboard 200. Its lead single, "You Might Think", reached number 7 in the US, with three more singles: "Magic", "Drive", and "Hello Again" reaching number 12, 3, and 20, respectively on the Billboard Hot 100.[1] Their Greatest Hits album, released later that year, contained the singles "Tonight She Comes" and a remixed version of "I'm Not the One", and has gone 6x platinum.[1] Their final album before their breakup, Door to Door (1987), spawned the single "You Are the Girl" which reached number 17 on the Hot 100; it was their last Top 40 hit as a band.[1][3]

The band reunited for the album Move Like This in 2011, without Orr who died of pancreatic cancer in 2000.[4] It reached the Billboard 200 Top 10 and peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart; its single, "Sad Song", reached number 33 on the Billboard Rock Songs chart. The Cars were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 and reunited once more to perform at the induction ceremony.[5] The reunion was their final performance with Ocasek, who died in 2019 of cardiovascular disease.[6] As of 2001, the Cars had sold over 23 million albums in the United States.

Albums[]

Studio albums[]

Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications[7][8]
(sales threshold)
US
[9]
AUS
[10][11]
FRA
[12]
GER
[13]
NL
[14]
NZ
[15]
NOR
[16]
SWE
[17]
SWI
[18]
UK
[19]
The Cars
  • Release date: June 6, 1978
  • Label: Elektra
18 35 5 29
  • US: 6× Platinum
  • UK: Silver
  • MC: 2× Platinum
Candy-O
  • Release date: June 13, 1979
  • Label: Elektra
3 7 6 30
  • US: 4× Platinum
Panorama
  • Release date: August 15, 1980
  • Label: Elektra
5 19 14
  • US: Platinum
Shake It Up
  • Release date: November 6, 1981
  • Label: Elektra
9 20 40 12
  • US: 2× Platinum
Heartbeat City
  • Release date: March 13, 1984
  • Label: Elektra
3 15 29 15 41 1 26 20 25
  • US: 4× Platinum
  • UK: Gold
Door to Door
  • Release date: August 21, 1987
  • Label: Elektra Records
26 26 57 10 9 29 20 72
  • US: Gold
Move Like This 7
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Compilation albums[]

Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications[7][8]
(sales threshold)
US
[9]
AUS
[10][11]
NZ
[15]
UK
[19]
Greatest Hits
  • Release date: October 18, 1985
  • Label: Elektra Records
12 3 2 27
  • AUS: 4× Platinum[20]
  • US: 6× Platinum
  • UK: Gold
Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology
  • Release date: November 7, 1995
  • Label: Elektra Records
Shake It Up & Other Hits
  • Release date: June 19, 2001
  • Label: Elektra/Rhino Records
Complete Greatest Hits
  • Release date: February 19, 2002
  • Label: Elektra/Rhino Records
32 65 10
The Essentials
  • Release date: 2005
  • Label: WEA International
Classic Tracks
  • Release date: 2008
  • Label: Elektra/Rhino
The Elektra Years 1978–1987
  • Release date: March 11, 2016
  • Label: Elektra
Moving in Stereo: The Best of The Cars
  • Release date: 2016
  • Label: Rhino
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles[]

Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications[8]
(sales threshold)
Album
US
[21]
US Rock
[22]
AUS
[10][11]
CAN
[23]
FRA
[24]
GER
[25]
IRE
[26]
NL
[14]
NZ
[15]
SWE
[17]
SWI
[27]
UK
[19]
"Just What I Needed" 1978 27 96 38 4 27 38 17 The Cars
"My Best Friend's Girl" 35 67 55 40 3
"Good Times Roll" 1979 41 74 5
"Let's Go" 14 6 5 40 51 Candy-O
"It's All I Can Do" 41 17
"Double Life"
"Touch and Go" 1980 37 62 16 2 42 Panorama
"Don't Tell Me No"
"Gimme Some Slack" 1981
"Shake It Up" 4 2 10 7 10 48 26 Shake It Up
"Cruiser" 37
"Since You're Gone" 1982 41 24 10 37
"Victim of Love" 39
"Think It Over"
"You Might Think" 1984 7 1 24 8 49 27 20 88 Heartbeat City
"Magic" 12 1 96 14 10 50
"Drive" 3 3 10 6 9 4 3 12 5 15 3 4 [nb 1]
  • BPI: Gold
"Hello Again" 20 22 52 42 4 27 12 17
"Why Can't I Have You" 1985 33 11 90
"Heartbeat City" 75 78
"Tonight She Comes" 7 1 16 36 20 79 Greatest Hits
"I'm Not the One" (Remix) 1986 32 29 75 82 Greatest Hits (Shake It Up)
"You Are the Girl" 1987 17 2 69 33 30 Door to Door
"Strap Me In" 85 4
"Coming Up You" 1988 74
"Sad Song" 2011 33 Move Like This

Videos[]

Year Title Format
1984 Heartbeat City VHS, Betamax, Laserdisc
1985 The Cars Live 1984–1985 VHS, Betamax, Laserdisc
2000 The Cars Live VHS, DVD
2006 The Cars Unlocked DVD/CD

Music videos[]

Title Album
"Just What I Needed" The Cars
"My Best Friend's Girl"
"Let's Go" Candy-O
"Double Life"
"Dangerous Type"
"Panorama" Panorama
"Touch and Go"
"Shake It Up" Shake It Up
"Since You're Gone"
"You Might Think" Heartbeat City
"Magic"
"Drive"
"Hello Again"
"Why Can't I Have You"
"Tonight She Comes" Greatest Hits
"You Are The Girl" Door to Door
"Strap Me In"
"Blue Tip" Move Like This
"Sad Song"
"Free"

Notes[]

  1. ^ "Drive" originally peaked at #5 in the UK in 1984, but re-entered the chart in 1985 after being used for documentary footage during Live Aid, this time reaching #4.[citation needed]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Cars – Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  2. ^ Billboard March 24, 1979: 139
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8th Edition). Billboard Books. p. 109. ISBN 0-8230-7499-4.
  4. ^ Blau, Max (February 4, 2011). "The Cars Share Reunion Album Details". Paste. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  5. ^ Smith, Troy L. (March 20, 2018). "The Cars confirm performance at 2018 Rock Hall Ceremony". Cleveland.com. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  6. ^ "Ric Ocasek, Lead Singer of The Cars, Dead in New York at 75". NBC New York. September 15, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. Archived from the original on September 2, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Home". BPI. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b "The Cars Chart History:Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b c Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Australian Charts > The Cars". australian-charts.com Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  12. ^ "The World's Music Charts (Album artist 310 - The Cars)". Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  13. ^ "charts.de (Albums) > The Cars". charts.de Media Control. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b "Dutch Charts > The Cars". dutchcharts.nl Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b c "New Zealand Charts > The Cars". charts.nz Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  16. ^ "Norwegian Charts > The Cars". nowegiancharts.com Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b "Swedish Charts > The Cars". swedishcharts.com Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  18. ^ Steffen Hung. "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b c "The Official Charts Companys > The Cars". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. pp. 25, 53.
  21. ^ "The Cars Album & Song Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  22. ^ "The Cars Album & Song Chart History (Mainstream Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  23. ^ "Collections.gc.ca".[permanent dead link]
  24. ^ "The World's Music Charts (Song artist 501 - The Cars)". Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  25. ^ "charts.de (Singles) > The Cars". charts.de Media Control. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  26. ^ "The Cars". irish-charts.com eMedia Jungen. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  27. ^ Steffen Hung (January 20, 1985). "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved January 10, 2012.

External links[]

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