The Cars

6 - AVERAGE

3 stars This is a perfect example of a good album that I’ve listened to a bunch and will continue to listen to but that is not necessarily an album one must listen to before they die. It’s good but it’s not spectacular. The Cars are a “fine” band and is their finest album.

Thumbs up for Just What I Needed, Good Times Roll, and My Best Friend's Girl

3.5 stars

Favorite track(s): Just What I Needed, Don't Cha Stop

2e moitié de l’abum commence à être plus intéressant, avec des structures plus éclatées.

Meh

Good but ultimately forgettable.

6/10 Favourite: Just What I Needed Least Favourite: I'm in Touch With Your World

Nice! Just one stand out song but not bad

Some fillers but mostly enjoyable

Had some good stuff and minimal bad stuff but mostly in the middle for me

another ok from me

Glossy shiny pop, full of hooks.

Know the album and the artist. I know several of their other albums, and I do feel that their other albums were better as a whole, such a Candy-O or Heartbeat City. Probably a hot take.

Great 70's rock, gotta love it

01) Good Times Roll - 8,0 02) My Best Friend's Girl - 8,0 03) Just What I Needed - 7,5 04) I'm in Touch with Your World - 6,5 05) Don't Cha Stop - 6,5 06) You're All I've Got Tonight - 7,0 07) Bye Bye Love - 7,0 08) Moving in Stereo - 7,0 09) All Mixed Up - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,17 (72/100) Current ranking: 395/743

I was quite excited for this album and it sounds pretty similar to what I thought and I loved it. Some songs were at times annoying and underwhelming but then u had beautiful moments throughout. This was an enjoyable record without many flaws and I kept liking it more and more. Favourite songs were Bye Bye Love by far. Overall I enjoyed this and I’m giving it a solid 7.9/10

I was quite excited for this one. I love "Just What I Needed"! and "Cars"... wait, idiot... that's the Gary Numan song. What other Cars songs do I know? Let's see... uh... hm. Nope. Okay, well that's fine. I do like "Just What I Needed", so I'm sure the rest of the album is probably just as good. Fun rock stuff with great energy, right? Oh. It's... fine? Underwhelming? Ah. okay. I mean it's not bad at least... Overall, worthy of a 3.

Okänt för mig. Lite gött så där men inte min vanliga musiksmak. En objektiv 3a från mig.

Holy moly, an album that I've heard every song on the radio beforehand. Honestly, a solid listen with upbeat easy listenings.

The Cars’ self-titled debut is one of those albums that always seems to appear on “essential” lists, and while I can understand why, I can’t quite share the same level of excitement. The band blend pop, new wave and rock with a sleek, radio-ready polish, and the results are undeniably catchy — 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘕𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘔𝘺 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥’𝘴 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭, and 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘙𝘰𝘭𝘭 are deserved classics. But beyond those hooks, the album doesn’t fully captivate me; it’s well-constructed, clever and cool, yet emotionally distant and a little too glossy to truly hit hard. I like it — I just don’t love it. A solid, enjoyable listen that feels more like a perfectly engineered product than a record I’ll return to often.

Kind of boring

Fine pop rock

Excellent first three songs. The rest are meh.

Bra poprock i den där fina blandningen av det gamla (sextiotal, glamrock) och det nya (syntar, new age). Men det är ju inte en klassiker. Stark trea

Not bad, I recognized a few songs. They all kinda sounded the same. World in Stereo is cool. Decent rock with some proto synth-pop elements.

Ric, you wasted all MY time. Jk, this album is OK. 3/5

This cover is terrifying, but the album is good. Has a couple of stand outs, and on average it’s pretty fun. It has a nice playful, uplifting vibe to it. Nothing overly exciting, but I liked it. 7/10

Not bad, pretty fun with a couple of standout tracks. Nice synthy bits

Rock classico e leggero, ci piace. Calmo ma abbastanza pompo quando deve.

Loved the sound but didn’t grab me

Strong start to the album, then fades.

Hard to rate today’s, I feel high 3 but it warrants another listen for sure, it’s pretty interesting especially for its time

Another inoffensive album that is fine but doesn't stand out 3

was nice

So 80s. Although it was from the 70s.

Yeah OK

New wave classic dad rock. You can hear the 80s sound trying to break free in this late 70s album. There’s four hit songs on here that most will instantly recognize; whether or not you like them is up to you. I thought this album was fine, but a little lacking for me. Another 3/5

3,5. Godt

An easy way to go back to the 80s and have a nice time. Some timeless hits. A few make it into my library. would listen again.

Even though this album has a number of hits and hooks, it falls surprisingly flat for me. "Just What I Needed" deserves its classic status, and I appreciate the other songs that have become staples...but I also don't have much of a desire to listen to any of them. Shrug emoji?

Album correct. De la musique qui se tient, des tounes bien ficelées, de bonnes mélodies et lignes de basses... mais ça ne me rejoint pas.

Has some bangers

Nice synth, but that’s all

This has all the hits and is a solid new wave rock/pop album, but when it comes to the Cars, I'm more of a sitting in the wayback than a driver seat kind of fan

only one good song on here

ok

Light 3,5

The music is new to me, and the title track is exciting. By by Love is exciting, as is Movin in Stereo, where you can still hear the old daring steps. A solid 3 out of 5.

I had no idea what to expect from this album, but I can honestly say I enjoyed it for the most part. There were many fun synth leads over tangy guitar riffs which I really enjoyed. But besides the production I didn’t love the lead vocalist’s voice and I thought many lines in the project were unnecessary and corny. My 3 highlight tracks were, Just what I needed, Bye Bye Love, and Moving in Stereo.

This is what I’m here for — classic albums that I’ve never heard before (for whatever reason). And as someone who believes that good art is well edited art (movies should, with rare exception, be no longer than 100 minutes) I am thrilled by the 35-minute run time. That’s a tightly composed album. Even Illmatic is 39 minutes! I wonder how much of that is due to the constraints of the physical product — vinyl (the main media at the time) encouraged recording shorter albums that could be pressed to one record. Whereas Orton had the luxury of CDs and their significantly longer run time. Anyhow, on to the music. Turns out I know the first two songs really well. Like they were huge. The rest of the album is an interesting conglomeration of punkish riffs, electro bleeping and upbeat pop lyrics. While it’s an enjoyable ride, if I’m being honest, I’m probably not revisiting this one any time soon. Also, totally expected “I want you to want me” to be on this album. Fact check: that song was recorded by Cheap Trick. Oh well.

For an album that has so many songs continually playing on classic rock radio, I never really connected with this one. It is a good album but something about it just makes me want to pass. I like a few of the songs a lot and when they come on even think to myself 'oh I forgot about this song!' but I still don't think I would buy this and listen to it all the time. Maybe it's just too generic sounding for me? I don't know. I can't really pinpoint any complaints but I just have never been blown away by this one. 3/5

3 estrelas

This is fun. Just simple classic rock. Nothing crazy impressive or anything here, but definitely great! The first three songs are sooo great! Liked Songs: "Good Times Roll" , "My Best Friend's Girl" , "Just What I Needed" , "Don't Cha Stop" , "Bye Bye Love" , "All Mixed Up"

Good 3.25

Fun listen but nothing too memorable.

Very very fun record. I forgot how many hits this group had until listening to this album in full. Every song has such a positive and energetic vibe to it and makes it a real delight to listen to. Technically not an 80s album, but setting the mood for what's to come. Before beginning this project, 80s was my least favorite decade, but I'm slowly coming around to it.

Fun, I liked it. Great sound, quality mix. Bunch of songs that I've heard already but didn't know the band.

one good song

#2 in the list, great album with some bangers!

It’s ok

A pretty good one to start up again with, idk I enjoyed most of the songs, but it doesn’t feel like a wow album as a whole either, fairly middle of the road

After reading the reviews I thought I’d recognise some of these tracks - but completely new to me! Nothing really grabbed me though, it was fine but probably won’t get another spin.

meh 2-3

It’s a solid 3, maybe higher. Some good tracks though jumps around reaching back to the 50s but ahead of its time with an 80s sound.

Nice

I remember my first introduction to the Cars by the father of a former girlfriend of mine and listening to this album in university. It's a hat trick of radio hits to kick it off, but the filler that follows weighs the album as a whole down a bit. Still, a good contribution to this list.

It’s just middling. Nothing horrific but nothing exceptional about it

3 out of 5. Some good songs here, makes me more excited to see if any of their later albums make it on here.

It was okay, I didn't have a strong opinion.

just what i needed is one of my top songs for the year, wish i loved the whole album just as much, still a good album and i would listen again and give another go.

Algumas boas, mas achei mediano. Ponto alto foi a bye love.

Музыка: 6/10 Разнообразие: 4/10 Тематика и вайб: 7/10 Цепляемость (отдельные песни зашли): 4/10 Реиграбельность (можно ли рандомно врубить на фон): 6/10 Итог: 5.4

huh

Album de rock Assez quelconque

Good songs, but cars won’t be my fav 80s artist

Underratedly quirky, but keeps its pop rock sensibilities. Just What I Needed is an all-time 10/10 radio single. If it comes on the radio and you don’t turn up the volume, that is a complete musical atrocity.

The hits are classics. The rest is "meh".

Good fun, but I don’t need it in my library

The classics are classic, the rest of the album is solid and very cards. Good smooth jams. Rating: 3.4/5

Vroooooooom

I enjoyed listening to this album, it was pretty good.

I'm going to start this out with a useful metaphor: basketball was invented by Canadian James Naismith in 1892 but our national teams were utterly dominated by other countries until very recently. Catchy, radio-friendly rock from the tail end of the 70's -- the decade arguably most dominated by rock radio. You could pick any of the first three tracks ('Good Times Roll', 'My Best Friend's Girl' and 'Just What I Needed'; all singles) and get a sense of the album as a whole. 'Just What I Needed' is my standout for the album, as a whole. The record rolls along competently with polish, pout (thanks to bassist Benjamin Orr, and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, who both sing lead) and propulsive drums. The synths meander around in the background with a tone that sounds a bit sci-fi, but not in an unpleasant way. The whole affair sounds a bit cheesy to my 2025 ears but that's probably a function of time. As much as The Cars sound like the geometric centroid of all radio rock (not quite Styx, not quite Supertramp, nor BTO, nor Genesis; neither blues nor pop), to some extent that's because that common thread of rock & roll they identified was turned into a template after them. There's a whole genre of bands that refined and polished that median rock template over time (Cheap Trick begat The Cars begat The Replacements and on and on) and the result is that their imitators have made their music sound generic. There's something to be said for the skill and talent and hard work it takes to chart (or direct) the zeitgeist of rock so precisely. On the other hand, it's the most supremely radio-friendly rock you could find and you've listened to it before -- whether you've heard this album or not. It's the most broadly palatable cafeteria lunch you've ever seen -- your whole office is perfectly satisfied by it and yet you'd never bring a date to impress them. You could probably put The Cars on at a party and nobody would notice the music at all. I guess that makes this the perfect 3/5 record. It's all totally competent music and I'd never come back to this out of craving for something. You should give it a listen: between the harmonies, the early melodic use of synths, the falsetto leads and the concise guitar solos and the straight, clean toms rhythms, you'll catch things that other bands you actually love have borrowed from. And then you'll go back to listening to those other bands, anyway. The Cars might've invented something like basketball, but other bands are still beating them at it.

Nice easy listen

Boring as an album, has some highlights though

This seems incredibly safe, and somewhat formulaic.

Not bad, just what I needed was a good track

The Cars' debut album of the same name is a wild mix of classic rock guitars, new wave vocals, art rock keyboards and synthesizers, psychedelic drums, distinctive but minimal bass, wild experimental sounds, and 70s cheesiness. Remarkably, this balancing act is largely successful, which I believe is largely due to the simple but compelling compositions, the coherent production, and the truly strong vocal harmonies. Under the conditions described, less is often more, so the more straightforward songs like “Just What I Needed” and “Don't Cha Stop” work best. Of the more opulent songs, I can recommend “You're All I've Got Tonight” and “All Mixed Up.”

Sounds decent but nothing special to my ears. Pioneering a sound is of course impressive. Going back to the original after hearing the things that came after almost always makes it sound less impressive than it was at the time. The album is varied and there is some nice sounds and beats in it. The main feeling I get when I listen to the album is nostalgia, and it makes me feel like I'm outside with friends on a warm summer night. There is nothing I would say I dislike about the album, but none of the tracks are standouts to me. Will probably never play again, but wouldn't mind listening to it again if someone else puts it on.

I understand why people like this but it was not just what I needed.

It's the cars baby

Some familiar bangers, but otherwise…

It was okay, I wouldn't switch away but I won't be seeking it out again.

Fun but forgettable, not too many things that stand out or shock 3/5

Perfectly passable pop album without any standout performances for me. I could see people be really into this one, but without any nostalgia it's nothing I haven't heard before

esse disco tem tudo pra eu gostar mas só não rola. Não tenho como desmerecer mas sei lá por que ele não fica na minha cabeça

I've gotten a lot of albums already where I'm like ugh not another old people band, and this one is no different. I know one The Cars song and it's THAT ONE so what we have here is not like that song. But almost immediately I can hear how it's influenced a lot of 90s rock and post punk like Weezer, the Pixies and even indie sleaze - LCD Soundsystem, The Strokes for sure. I'm really digging this. I'm sure it shook things up a lot in 1978. But it does not include THAT SONG which came much later coz the vibe of this album - punky, precise, synthy, sunglasses at night - is so far away from THAT SONG.

ehhh... kinda good ig !?

Very easy to listen to - pleasant way to pass 3/4 of an hour

3+, dobry początek, charakterystyczne brzmienie ale po pierwszych kilku utworach staje się zbyt powtarzalny

coś co bym puścił pubie

Ouais c’était sympa, bien rythmé Plutôt rapide on se fait plaisir, après je trouve que ça casse pas 3 pattes à un canard

Plutôt sympa

I have to admit that I had never heard of The Cars before. And while this is probably not a record for the eternities, it was fun to listen to and more than (unknowingly) expected. I liked the simplicity of the rock songs, the often times clean and crisp guitar and bass lines, but also the synth pop elements and the Queen-like choir parts. Probably quite at the forefront for a late 70s album. Worst thing is the cover that surprisingly matches bad AI art from 1-2 years ago ;) Highlights: My favourite tracks were „Just what I needed“ and „Don‘t Cha Stop“.

Not great not bad felt the lyrics were particularly monothematic and didn't particularly show much variety. Orchestration of the songs and instruments were alright albeit not particularly to inspired

This is a nice little album, some brilliant tracks here and then some very middle of the road songs. But I think on the whole I enjoyed it enough to listen again in the future. My previous experience of Cars was from Band/Live Aid using drive over a montage of starving people in Ethiopia back in 1985 so it good to hear what else they did. All mixed up is a banger!

Im sad that this website only lets you rate albums in full stars as this album would probably have landed a 3.5. I really enjoyed it in the beginning, would love to listen to the first two songs in a car on a warm summer day on my way to a beach. But it loses me somewhat after that, definitely has a lot of moments and I could see it growing on me, might pick up again.

Kind of easy to listen to, I like the use of synths, it sometimes reminded me of ELO, but for me there wasn't a melody that stood out or lyrics that sprung out. With their sleek, mechanical sound inspired by proto-punk, garage rock, and bubblegum pop, Boston-based quintet the Cars racked up a string of platinum albums and Top 40 singles, becoming the most successful American new wave band of the late '70s and early '80s. They had enough rock & roll attitude to cross over to album rock radio, while still being heavily influenced by the art rock of artists like , , and . Their first two albums (1978's The Cars and 1979's Candy-O) were new wave classics; their fifth album, 1984's Heartbeat City, was a modern pop masterpiece fueled by a run of videos that became MTV staples. The Cars broke up in 1988, but their music's popularity and influence never faded. This continued interest led to the band reuniting twice, in the mid-2000s without and (who passed away in 2000) and again in 2011 with all the living members involved.

I dunno, i feel like I should like the Cars more than I do, but its always just milquetoast to me.

Eh, feels like a parody that I have heard in ads my entire life.

Satisfactory US new wave.

Very classic rock, enjoyable, though became repetitive towards the end. 3.

You're telling me that a group of cars, with tires for hands, made this music? Fuck outta here

quaintly agreeable and from its time

No es el tipo de album que escucharía, tendría que darle mas de una escuchada. Pero el ingenio en las figuras ritmicas y los riffs, me parecio algo muy resaltante, muy probablemente lo tendría que escuchar de nuevo para sacar encontrar mas cosas.

Not bad with some familiar hits

There's something classic in here and something mundane. It's like I'm at the pub again.

We hebben wel eens vaker van die jarentachtigmeuk gehad, met gekke piepjes en zo'n aanstellerig stemmetje. Het werkt deze keer niet op de zenuwen en het het werkt niet op het gemoed. Met andere woorden, 35 minuten van m'n leven die ik nooit meer terugkrijg.

Classic dad rock album.

Pleasant rock. Not too exciting

Catchy

Solid new wave album with some awesome tunes. Crazy that this was 1978 and not early 80s.

Some great tracks on here, but it sags in the middle. Also, I wasn't a big fan of the lyrics. I found them very "fine".

New wave

So much new wave in this list. These guys are pretty good though

Alright

If the whole album was only, Just What I Needed, it would be a 6/5 Unfortunately it’s not Moving in Stereo is gas tho

ts is NOT timeless. synthy riffs are awesome esp on just what i needed and you’re all i got tonight bye bye love has a great guitar riff every other phrase. good vocals and instrumentation

A solid album if not my favorite. First three songs are classics.

Never heard of this bad, or familiar with any of their songs on this album. It’s got that very new wave mechanical robotic sound, which to be honest a lot of the music of this era sounds like this so it is hard to differentiate for me to what makes it’s so special. I’m sure people who understand the technical aspects of sound making would really appreciate that side of it more. It’s a fun album, my stand out track was My Best Friends Girl, that got added to my playlist as I will definitely be dancing around to that again. A very good listenable album with no skips

Absolutely fine. Not what I expected. I expected synths, and I don't know why. Maybe the cover art. It was fun for a bit, but ultimately I won't be returning to this. Looks like I struggle with some albums from this era. Something to do with the thin production.

Better than expected, having only heard ‘drive’ before. Good pop songs, some boring generic rock shite too

eh

The Cars

great!

One of those albums where I don't really understand the five stars, but I'm happy for those who love it. Just felt very basic to me.

I was not really in this mode when listening. Maybe another day would have meant more stars but today it is a 3. I can hear later punk bands and also a bit of Queen in the vocals which is a good mix. However the lyrics are a bit too monotonous for me.

Bit of a mixed bag and don't know this as an album. I know some of the tracks though, so I might have a greatest hits lurking somewhere. Not a favourite, but definitely would listen again.

Kinda fun early synth rock albumpje, niet verkeerd, maar af en toe beetje gedateerd en niet alle nummers even memorabel.

Het irritantste vond ik de delen waar de band samen als een koor de lyrics zongen, maar bij bijv youre all I got tonight begon ik eraan te wennen. Wel geinig om naar te luisteren, maar ook weer niet echt nummers waarbij ik denk: omg wauw dit is geweldig.

Wel geinige Proto 80s rock

Many songs of my youth and enjoyed hearing them! Unknown songs I didn't like as much sure to the vocals.

I remember this being fine, and it was a little more than fine. I don't love Ric Ocasek's voice and there's a lot of synth timbres that sound off the shelf - sometimes charming, sometimes amateur.

It's got some good songs but also some weird little ones

Gostei

Good album! I have not heard it complete before and it was a pleasant surprise.

Acho que nunca tinha ouvido. Um pouco new wave, nao diria que é muito, diria que é pop!! Legal! Ouviria mais e vou ouvir os outros albuns, quiçá neh...nao vou prometer...

4/1001 The Cars 'The Cars' 1978 The hits are instantly recognisable, but the rest of the album is forgettable. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Average 5/10

I liked it

It was cute. I only knew “just what I needed” but I enjoyed the rest enough. It’s middle of the road though

Whoa, it sounds like Sparks if they weren't funny

Even tho i'm not a big fan of rock, cars and gas this was good

Late 70s new wave. Pleasant enough.

Perfectly pleasant American rock, but nothing special.

A lot of classic songs but a bit flat for me

bien un poco de aire fresco en el pop

3*

As an ideal listener, aka someone who owns multiple automotives, I felt like I was listening to a devo album, which prompted me to realize this came out the same year as the first devo album, so I really don't know who did it first but well done either way. My parents were probably hooking up to these tunes so I'm not going to be listening much after this day. Props to the Cars for making an energy efficient album with no speed bumps.

Decent with a few great guitar solos 3.3

I felt meh about it.. not for me

Feels like dad rock that tries to be cool. It's pretty good though, despite that

i liked the first part more than the second

A corny, boring waste of time. Half the instruments sound like they're recorded in another room. Can't quite give it a 2.

Katchow

very much collection of singles rather than a whole album. good music, not for me tbh

A good new wave album. Lot's of familiar songs. Does feel like a distilled version of what David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Talking Heads were already doing, but more accessible and pop. Enjoyable, but it doesn't blow my mind.

Ok, meget anonym. Lille 3’er

Rigtig gode numre!

I can imagine how these songs were bangers on the radio in 78. There's still a few good ones though, the rest is pretty generic. Small 3!

Eh, it was alright.

Album starts with some heaters and I was vibing but quickly got stale for me after that. Drum parts weren’t very interesting and felt stiff. Can respect the fact they inspired many to come

Some lf the album tracks such as “I’m In Touch With Your World” are more interesting than I expected from knowing the hits.

A strong 3. Ric Ocasek is an underrated and influential figure in the history of rock.

many iconic tracks, easy to listen, nothing ground breaking, but nothing offensive

College Favorite... decent trip down memory lane... in a car ;-)

3.5* 82%

Recognised the song “My Best Friend’s Girl” but didn’t know anything else prior to listening. I really liked the guitars and the synth elements throughout the album. A lot of it sounded familiar in a way I couldn’t place my finger on. I assume that means they’re featured on soundtracks I’ve heard or else have heavily influenced other artists i have listened to (David Byrne and Scissor Sisters comes to mind)

.Just What I Needed! As duas primeiras são bem fraquinhas na minha opinião.. os refrões desse album ficam irritantes as vezes. Mas pra compensar, as guitarras são um tesão do comeco ao fim. Mas fora isso, album bem mediano. Pop agradavel e gostosinho de botar pra ouvir sem pensar muito. 3.5/5

It was enjoyable to listen to but didn’t really stand out to me. A few of the tracks were a bit synth-heavy for my taste and I found some of the lyrics quite repetitive. I did have a good time listening to it, just don’t see myself coming back to it. Fav song: My Best Friend’s Girl Least fav: I’m in Touch with Your World

Not quite a 4

Wow that was relly gud.

I’ve known of The Cars and have heard pretty much this whole album as one off songs, but I didn’t know any of the songs as The Cars before today. There’s nothing special about this band or album. The first 3 tracks are deeply rooted in Americana rock history, but are honestly mediocre songs are any era. They have a good harmonizing cadence that they find a hook and chant it for a few minutes over decent guitar riffs. Overall the vibe is cheesy 70s pop rock, not bad as a throw in song on a mix, but whole album, even at 35 minutes, is too much. 5/10 #52/1001

Some great songs at the beginning and then a bunch of filler

I ignored this when it came out as we already had Blondie , Talking Heads , The Clash , The Jam , The Dammed etc etc etc. I thought this was just mid 70s AOR..... How wrong I was. This was my first time hearing this and it's pretty good.

Some bangers, though kind of vapid

It sounds kinda modern. Pretty nice

If you had asked me to name a song by The Cars before listening to this I would have said Drive, for the obvious reason. And it's because of that track that I have never paid them any attention, because it's really not that good. I can now say that I have been missing out. Yes I do know My Best Friends Girl, and You're Just What I needed, but it had never clicked that they were by this lot. And this is rather a good album. From the first track I thought not bad, sounds familiar. By the second I knew why. And the other stand out track was Moving in Stereo. Yeah, it's a good album, not at all like Drive (thank god). Got to be worth a high 3.

Lone of the better starts to an album that we’ve had on the list so far. Being so front-loaded on a short album takes away from the experience a little bit. The back half isn’t bad, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the beginning. Will come back to this one for the hits and that’s probably it.

I remember when it first came out thinking it was so cool. Now it is so overplayed on FM radio I can’t stand to hear it.

I think I recognised one song. Not bad but very 80’s

Really liked this one! Not familiar with these Bostonians, so nice meeting!

Ne može se reći da je išta loše, jednostavno meni nije leglo.

Enjoyable listen but nothing stuck out for me, nothing bad about it, just not my taste. 6/10.

Another classic 70/80’s album

Goed, maar niet zo speciaal gewoon goed

i know this is all revisionist history but it's fun to hear late 70s music start to sound like 80s music

A mostly fun power pop record.

A couple of good songs. Pretty good, comfy listening

Wish I could give this a 3.5

Fairly enjoyable listen! Definitely prefer the more rock focused songs over the synths. Fav: my best friend’s girl, just what i needed, you’re all i’ve got tonight, bye bye love Least: I’m in touch with your world rating: 3.8

Like Hit Me One More Time..., The Cars is crowded with a number of huge radio hits that cut through and against each other. However, they aren't victims of the loudness wars, they're written and recorded for FM radio. Not as trebly as transistor radio hits, not as bombastic as the late-90s brick wall sound, The Cars has sonic depth and clarity that plays as well on a car stereo, in the roller disco, or at home on your turntable. And while each song is a sort of single, composed and arranged only to complete its own journey from studio to consumer, they are not so strongly in competition with each other as on the Spears' record. It sounds like a gang of hitmakers, doing what they can with a rigid set-up, just what they can fit on the stage at the tiny Boston club. So all the songs sound of a piece, but also like they're trying distinguish themselves from each other. And it is this sense of a gang working together, but with each edging toward the spotlight, that excuses some of the clumsiness (mostly Elliot Easton's meandering guitar) and uncools some of the sheen (does I'm in Touch sound like a very careful Magic Band?). If there is a competition here, it's between Ocasek and Orr. On aggregate, Orr wins with his four contributions - great stuff. 3.5 All very catchy, very cute songs full of funny keyboard noises and arch vocals. But somehow entirely unlovable. Rock music with no edge, pop music with no drama. Well done The Cars. 2/5

Amazing album! Almost feels like a greatest hits album. There are so many chart toppers on this one. The one thing that I didn’t care for is that the songs that weren’t hits aren’t that great.

It's alright, but it doesn't feel essential. Reminds me of Roxy Music at times. Favorite song: just what I needed.

I'd never listened to a whole Cars album before but knew the big singles — 3 of which are on this album. This was a decent listen. Overall the songs are catchy, but they tend to get repetitive (Let the Good Times Roll especially). I liked a few of the deeper cuts more than the singles, but nothing really stood out. There is some experimentation with sound — I forgot how country My Best Friend's Girl was — but it's fairly standard 80s pop-rock. Some of the songs sound like a combination of Queen and Talking Heads, which was kind of interesting. It's a competent album, but not groundbreaking for me personally. 3/5

Some occasional great, more new-wave focussed, songs. However, overall too much glam/soft-rock 80s vibes for me

First side sounds like a rocky version of Talking heads Second side sound more rock Bye bye Love is my favorite of the album

Had heard the hits, which I was fine with. Other songs didn't really change my opinion much. Liked the Blondie record that came up early better FWIW

First song set the tone for the whole album and was riding a good vibe wave. Will definitely listen to it again.

Good.

It was a pretty good album which fused like electro pop rock elements and I can say I enjoyed all of the songs of the album however only 4/9 ended up on my playlist which is still a pretty good number since I don't usually listen to this type of music

Middle of the road rock, which suites quite nicely to the background while doing office work. There were also some echoes of Talking heads, which is never a bad thing...

good fun! I enjoyed this album for the most part. Last few songs drop off a bit but it's an enjoyable listen. Classic late 70's

More of a crowd pleaser than a masterpiece. It’s not necessarily mediocre but it’s not an album I’m looking forward to playing again Just What I Needed Moving in Stereo You’re All I’ve Got Tonight All Mixed Up Bye Bye Love My Best Friend’s Girl Good Times Roll Don’t cha stop I’m in touch with your world

pretty good, a jolly old time

A fun and well-made pop album. I recognize this is quality but I can’t say I’m super into it myself. Best song: You Might Think

It's alright

No esta nada mael disco Los coches del grupo Los coches

overrated

A couple of good songs, but it gets very monotonous after a while.

The singles were great! Love the guitar work on this - really interesting and probably innovative for the time, and really helps this to stand out from the other synth-rock of the era. The rest of the album was kind of underwhelming to me songwriting-wise though.

Never listened to The Cars before. It was pretty short but solid album with a few good songs. I liked Good Times Roll, Just What I Needed and Moving In Stereo. Probably not something I'd revisit often but not bad. 5.5/10

Often touted as the ultimate American new wave/pop crossover, in reality The Cars are much more pop and less new wave than, for example, the CBGBs bands like Blondie or Talking Heads who hit it big about the same time. In reality they’re straight ahead rockers and any connection with new wave is oblique at best. It sounds a bit overproduced in retrospect and the occasional weak tracks really are weak. What they are very good at is knocking out bona fide hits. Best Friend’s Girl in particular is a top notch bit of chart-ready songwriting.

I enjoyed it. Not sure I’d go back to it, but very listenable!

Most of the songs are kind of annoying but the last two songs are good

One song does not make an album and the rest is fairly meh.

Fine, held up by a couple big hits

I listened to this album on a channel called Classic Rock. The top comment is from a guy who talks about the custom hi-fi setup in his 1965 Pontiac GTO. “Cars were blaring along with meatloaf, Styx, Edgar Winter Group, Warren Zevon, Kansas…” and so forth. So that pretty well grounds this recording in time, place and cultural zeitgeist. Like a lot of music of its ilk, I feel no need to revisit some of these megahits, which are probably playing right now on your local Boomer FM album-oriented rock stations. But past the first few tracks, I hear a tension within the band between the vaguely retro bubblegum pop hits of “Good Times Roll” and “My Best Friend’s Girlfriend” that made this band famous and more adventurous fare like “Moving in Stereo” and “Don’t Cha Stop.” Suspecting there may have been multiple songwriters, I checked, and they’re all credited to Ric Ocasek. Which I supposed figures: In addition to marrying Paulina Porizkova, he went on to become a sought-after producer, with credits on albums from the likes of Bad Brains, Weezer and Guided by Voices.

I only knew the first three songs, frim the radio I suppose. The rest were forgettable.

De jaren 80 komen er aan

1- 2/5 low-key wanna skip 😞(i did soz) 2- 2.5/5 like 😈 but also idk 3- 4/5 already heart this song😈🙏( i know it’s popular🙄) 4- 3.5/5 i fw this (?) yea i do 😈 5-3/5 😈🤨😏 6- 3.5/5 i can c me fw this 😈🙏🤭😏 7- 4/5 this goes harddd 😈🙏‼️ 8- 4/5 listened 2 this alot b4😞 it just goes so hard tho😈🫃 9- 3.5/5 idkkkkk ngl wait kinda real tho 😈

Pretty good, light weight

Lots of people are praising this album as a 5/5 but I just don't see it. I have a feeling nostalgia is fuelling some of those ratings. There's not really wrong with the album, I just think there's better albums out there.

Love the sound, like the tunes. Good vibes, just would have liked more bangers. No bad songs, but no songs better than Just What I Needed.

Good album. I had heard a few of the songs before and they are great. Good stuff

Best Weezer album

It's a good album. Hell, I guess it's a great album, but it just feels a little generic to me, even if they might have contributed to the invention of this generic sound. Still, it deserves its place here.

There are great moments in this album, especially the 2 last songs when the band becomes more uplifting. Enjoyable new wave, but I can't say I would come back to it very often.

Decent album. 3 stars

I think I definitely wasn’t in the mood for this album.

Just fine, nothing really stuck with me.

Neat to see Ric Ocasek while he was still playing (I know him for producing Weezer's blue album). It's a solid enough album but none of the songs really stuck out to me. Cool this is on the list but also would've liked to see a Weezer album.

Kul! Bra! Inga riktiga bangers kanske men ändå riktigt bra. Var lite förvånad över att det kom ut -78, känns nyare. Någonstans mellan 3-4 för mig men jag ger det 3 av 5 idag.

An ok album with one two good and recognisable songs, but nothing that exciting.

Neither bad not good

One of the best album of music history!

Dat derde album van Big Star kun je eigenlijk niet echt meer omschrijven als Power Pop, als je iets daarna dit hoort. Het is zoet, het is catchy, en het heeft een lekker tempo. De eerste drie nummers vooral, daarna zakt het wel wat in. Ergens vind ik het heel goed in elkaar steken, maar aan de andere kant kan ik veel songs niet écht serieus nemen. Enfin, ik heb grotendeel van de nummers mee geneuried, dus een ruime voldoende is wel op z'n plaats. 7/10 Highlights: Just What I Needed Bye Bye Love All Mixed Up

Album vol met veels te aangedikte 80-s tracks. Maar gelukkig waren de echte guilty 80's nog niet aangebroken in 1978, anders was deze plaat echt helemaal uit de bocht gevlogen. De zoete catchy powerpop wordt nu af en toe aangevuld met een rock n roll solo. Toch nog een nawee uit de 70's. Het is pop en het is zoet, en toch ben ik blij dat de synths en echte guilty hooks hier ontbreken. Dat maakt deze plaat wel behapbaar. 7/10 Just what I Needed You're All I've Got Tonight

I liked it. Out of the records in the same era this has a bit of a different vibe to it.

3/5

Oh, very fun! I know at least a few of these songs already, but could not have told you they come from The Cars. Nice work, y'all 👏👏👏

Totally listenable if maybe a little average. I like that this isn't needlessly 1 hour and 10 minutes with like 3 seven minute tracks as they albums often are.

This feels like a bit of an inflection point for the punkier rock elements of the '70s starting to give way to more of the '80s synth pop. This has a bit of a nice mix of the two in a way that sounds pretty fresh compared to a lot of the other stuff I've gotten on here (though still dated now of course). I generally don't really love the '80s pop stuff, but I think I like the songs that lean into it a bit more on here, the others can be a bit generic sounding. This also gets out to a hot start, the first three songs on here are all hits. It falls of a bit after that, but the vibes are generally solid. This feels like a 3.5 to me. It's not my favorite thing in the world, but the vibe is good and there's a few hits. I think it's going to be a round down situation, but it's close. Favorite song: Just What I Needed Other: Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl, Don't Cha Stop, Bye Bye Love, All Mixed Up 2/4/25

fun album, pretty basic rock but still enjoyable listen.

Fine

Some good tracks but not my favourite.

Nothing wrong with this album, but I found most of the tracks to be a bit bland and boring. I like their hit, Drive, but the sound of that track is world's apart from the fare on this, The Car's debut album.

Holy smokes this album kicks off with a bang! The first three songs are certified HITS. Unfortunately, the rest of the album struggles to live up to their standard. They never really find their footing again as they lean heavily on their synths and even try their hand at some Bowie-esque tunes.

Very fun. Was grooving to this while cooking. Starts stronger than it finishes

I played this in the lab and it fit right in. Gets the energy pumping, hips shaking. I enjoyed it. I'll probably play a couple of the earlier tracks at social events, or when I need something that gives me the confidence of a rockstar and gets me strutting down the street.

Stronger beginning than end! But still v fun.

Quite surprised by this. Was expecting 80s pop ballards but it was a bit more rocky than I expected. There’s at least 3 songs that sounded at times like that Fountains of Wayne song. I wouldnt say I got much from it and probably wont be back, but a decent pop rock album

First few of songs were a bit drab, thought it was some sort of classic pop rock thing. It then became a bit better but still middle of the road. I'm sure it had some more new wavey art rock elements but I had a quick listen to some of the tracks again and it's very classic rock. Fine without being noteworthy, 2.5.

Just What I Needed is decent, and I also liked Moving in Stereo. A bit inoffensive, 2.5.

Again, knew "just what I needed" from this, but wouldn't have been able to name the band. Did think it was good, maybe slightly too on the fluffier side for my liking. 3

Fun stuff

По мнению А: 3/5 По мнению С: 4/5 ИТОГОВАЯ ОЦЕНКА: 3/5 (23.01.2025)

271/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

Pretty cool

I like "Just What I Needed". The rest of the album is okay, in that if I never heard it again I would be okay. "Best Friend's Girl" isn't bad either. 3/5.

They really frontloaded this thing, huh? An onslaught of jams at the beginning and then a bunch of duds after that. I appreciate how weird some of the lyrical choices are ("I NEEDED SOMEONE TO FEEEEEEEEEED") and weirdly The Cars greatest hits was one of like 3 non-Beatles albums my parents had in the car growing up, so I fancied myself a real Cars guy. But as an album this doesn't really hold my attention. I'll stick with the greatest hits (especially since it has YOU MIGHT THINK on it)

I wore this tape out in high school working out in my basement. It's so singable. The three track run at the beginning is unbeatable. This is peak new wave. Which may not be everyone's cup of tea. I love the synths, the hand claps, the at times country sounding guitar, and the unique sound of Ocasek's voice. Of all the skippable songs played on classic rock radio, I'm never turning off Thee Cars.

Really three and-a-half stars. (Why can’t I give half stars? I’m oppressed.) But five stars for Just What I Needed, an undeniable pop banger.

This one blew me away. A lot more to it than I expected from occasionally hearing the Cars on the radio. It’s pop, but a little dark and a little artsy, and it hits hard. It doesn’t sound like a first album at all. Seems like they had already figured out exactly the sound they wanted and executed on that vision. Great record throughout. “You’re all I’ve got tonight” is a favorite, and “moving in stereo” was a surprise treat for me. However, I did lose my boner during “I’m in touch with your world”

Power pop at its most average! The singles were still familiar and perfectly listenable but it didn’t particularly do much. Reliable, easy, inoffensive, average! 1978’s Ford Cortina!

Lots of straight-ahead rock. Not very much my thing, but they executed the songs really well. Some repetitiveness, but overall, a mediocre experience.

OK

Kinda boring, ok, but in no way exceptional.

I couldn't focus on this album idk why..but it seems to be very pleasant to lesson to when you're on the way somewhere with friends

bellino, ma senza esagerare

Every time The Cars come on my dad repeats a story about how when he saw them they were the most boring act he'd ever seen and they got shown up by Wang Chung or the Fixx or someone. Anywho, my thoughts are that Ric Ocasek just really likes repeating the same thing over and over again. 3 stars only because Living on Stereo is a masterpiece.

Прикольна, но не моё, для дороги путешествия клас лайк

I initially thought it was unremarkable and boring and unmemorable, BUT I think the album improved a LOT in the second half (You’re all I’ve got tonight and onward). Kind of liked You’re all I’ve got tonight - sounds a bit like Queen and some fun harmonies. I really liked All Mixed Up. Listened then for a second time and I liked the album a lot better! It’s fun! They do remind me of Queen quite a bit with some of the harmonies. Just what I needed - love the “ribbons in your hair” part and also some interludes have this video game-like music which is really cool.

'Just What I needed' is still the most notable. I enjoyed the first few as well.

I was shocked to find out this went 6x platinum as I'd never heard anything from it (except snippets of JWIN). They kind of remind me of The 1975, fairly inoffensive radio synth pop that's actually better than a lot of people give it credit for but is nothing truly mindblowing. I was going to give this a 3/5, but based on the fact that Just What I Needed WHIPS it's getting a 4/5. I'd definitely listen again, an over all enjoyable experience that's probably closer to a 3 than a 5. Call it a 3.75. Favourite Tracks: Just What I Needed, All Mixed Up Least Fav Track: My Best Friend's Girl

I personally don't like that "clean" type of rock music. Feels like it's missing the point there. Too sleek, to boring.

I feel like I used to rly like the cars, but aside from a couple songs I rly liked this didn’t do alllll too much for me

Well, another band from the 70s that I have never heard of and will forget about very soon. 1000 albums out of 70 years history of recording music on physical media is really a lot. So I'm not exactly surprised that there is so many random and average bands in here. This is just one of them.

Mid

It’s ok, not new to me. A bit too Rockabilly for my taste but a reminder of when mainstream pop that I didn’t like was still musical.

Está bueno, solo que no está increíble, es rock genérico en mi opinión, pero suena bien

Muy interesante escuchar todo el album, yo solo conocía los grandes hits del grupo. Voy a escuchar toda la discografía porque creo que me va a gustar de mas en mas

Classic bangers. Can’t help but think about how fun it would be to see the band live when this album was released

2 hits and the rest all sound the same to me.

При прослушивании почувствовала себя героиней старого Линчевского фильма. Знаете, после учёбы прийти домой, завязать высокий хвост, взять банку колы и сбежать к своему бойфренду байкеру. Второй диск альбома мне зашёл больше, но добавила всего две песни. В целом немного не мой вайб, но, думаю, если бы наша friend group услышала его году в 18/19 - нам бы очень зашло. Ставлю 7

слушал и прям возникала мысль «укуси меня пчела это чистая классика, прям по книге написанный альбом» неплохо, но без какой-либо изюминки, безликий для меня в какой-то степени

Decent operatic rock. Sounds like discount Queens.

I didn’t mind the coming here and wasting all my time, time.

The Cars

Gear: Moondrop Variations Artwork: 🚗😆🔦😱💥💀 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎶🩷✨🧼 Rating: 🚗🚗🚗(🚗)/5