| The Essentials | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 2005 | |||
| Recorded | 1978-1987 | |||
| Genre | New wave | |||
| Label | WEA International | |||
| Producer | Roy Thomas Baker, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Mike Shipley, Ric Ocasek, The Cars with David McLees | |||
| The Cars chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [2] |
The Essentials by The Cars is a compilation of hits released by WEA International in 2005. [3]
All tracks are written by Ric Ocasek.
| No. | Title | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "My Best Friend's Girl" | The Cars | 3:44 |
| 2. | "You Might Think" | Heartbeat City | 3:04 |
| 3. | "Since You're Gone" | Shake It Up | 3:30 |
| 4. | "Shake It Up" | Shake It Up | 3:32 |
| 5. | "Just What I Needed" | The Cars | 3:43 |
| 6. | "Magic" | Heartbeat City | 3:57 |
| 7. | "Touch and Go" | Panorama | 4:55 |
| 8. | "Drive" | Heartbeat City | 3:55 |
| 9. | "You Are the Girl" | Door to Door | 3:52 |
| 10. | "Candy-O" | Candy-O | 2:36 |
| 11. | "Tonight She Comes" | Greatest Hits | 3:52 |
| 12. | "Let's Go" | Candy-O | 3:33 |
The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, it consisted of Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes (keyboards), Ric Ocasek, Benjamin Orr, and David Robinson (drums). Ocasek and Orr shared lead vocals, and Ocasek was the band's principal songwriter.
Richard Theodore Otcasek, known as Ric Ocasek, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. He was the primary co-lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and frontman for the rock band the Cars. In addition to his work with the Cars, Ocasek recorded seven solo albums, and his song "Emotion in Motion" was a top 20 hit in the United States in 1986. Ocasek also worked as a record producer for artists such as Motion City Soundtrack, Suicide, Bad Brains, Weezer, Nada Surf, Guided by Voices, and No Doubt. In 2018, Ocasek was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Cars.
Benjamin Orzechowski, known professionally as Benjamin Orr, was an American musician best known as the bassist, co-founder, and co-lead vocalist of the rock band the Cars. He sang lead vocals on several of their best known songs, including "Just What I Needed", "Let's Go" and "Drive". He also had a moderate solo hit with "Stay the Night".
Panorama is the third studio album by American new wave band The Cars, released in 1980. Like its predecessors, it was produced by Roy Thomas Baker and released on Elektra Records.
Shake It Up is the fourth studio album by American rock band the Cars, released in 1981. It was the last Cars record to be produced by Roy Thomas Baker. A much more pop-oriented album than its predecessor, its title track became their first Billboard top ten hit. Spin Magazine included it in their "50 Best Albums of 1981" list. In 2021, Rhino Entertainment re-released the album on neon green vinyl.
Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by American rock band the Cars, released on October 25, 1985, by Elektra Records. "Tonight She Comes", a previously unreleased song, and a remix of "I'm Not the One" were issued as singles to support the album. It was a commercial success, going six-times platinum.
"Just What I Needed" is a song by American rock band The Cars from their self-titled debut album (1978). The song, which first achieved radio success as a demo, took inspiration from the Ohio Express and the Velvet Underground. The song is sung by bass player Benjamin Orr and was written by Ric Ocasek.
The New Cars were a band formed in 2005 by two of the original members of the 1970s/1980s new wave band The Cars. The band was composed of original Cars members Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes, along with vocalist/guitarist Todd Rundgren, vocalist/bassist Kasim Sulton, and drummer Prairie Prince. The band performed The Cars' songs, some new material, and selections from Rundgren's career.
Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology is a two-disc, career-spanning compilation album of songs by the American new wave rock band the Cars. It features most of the band's singles, as well as many album tracks, non-album B-sides and unreleased songs.
Complete Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by American rock band the Cars, released on February 19, 2002, by Elektra Records and Rhino Records. It contains 20 singles and notable album tracks in chronological order of their original release. Sales of the album reignited following Ric Ocasek's death in September 2019.
Shake It Up & Other Hits is a budget compilation album of the Cars' songs, released by Rhino Records in 2001.
This Side of Paradise is the second solo studio album released by Ric Ocasek, lead singer and songwriter of the Cars. It was released in 1986 by Geffen Records. Though it was a solo album, other members of the Cars played significant roles. Greg Hawkes plays keyboards and bass throughout the album, and also co-wrote "Hello Darkness". Benjamin Orr is on backing vocals for three songs. Along with Hawkes and Orr, the track "True To You" also features Elliot Easton on guitar. Both production and drumming were by Chris Hughes. Hughes was the recent producer of Tears for Fears most popular two albums. Steve Stevens from Billy Idol's band plays guitar on over half of the album.
Troublizing is an album by Ric Ocasek, released in 1997.
"Good Times Roll" is a song by American rock band The Cars released as the first track from their 1978 debut album The Cars. Written by Ric Ocasek as a sarcastic comment on rock's idea of good times, the song features layered harmonies courtesy of producer Roy Thomas Baker.
"Dangerous Type" is a 1979 song by the Cars from their second studio album, Candy-O. It was written by Ric Ocasek.
"My Best Friend's Girl" is a song by American rock band the Cars from their 1978 self-titled debut album on Elektra Records, released on June 6 of that year. Written by Ocasek as a song about something that "probably ... happened to a lot of people," the track found radio success as a demo in 1977.
"Candy-O" is a song by the American rock band the Cars, the title track of their 1979 album Candy-O. It was written by Ric Ocasek, the song was not based on a real person. The song features a prominent guitar solo by Elliot Easton and lead vocals by bassist Benjamin Orr.
The Cars North American Tour Spring 2011 is a set of eleven concerts in the United States and Canada featuring the newly reunited American band The Cars. Announced in April 2011 prior to the release of the band's album Move Like This, the concerts feature material from Move Like This and from the band's 1970s and 1980s albums.
"I'm in Touch with Your World" is a song by the American rock band the Cars, from their debut album, The Cars. It was written by Ric Ocasek.
The Cars Unlocked: The Live Performances is a 2006 live album and video of American new wave band the Cars released by Warner Music in 2006. The album has received mixed reviews due to the mixed quality of the source material.
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Other albums | |
| Singles |
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| Other songs | |
| Concert tours | |
| Related articles | |
| The New Cars | |
