The Cars

I like it! Something I could actually listen to. 4/5

Familiar music of my youth. Album full of singles with catchy rhythms, guitar, keyboards and Ric Ocasek's distinctive vocals.

I've been hearing echos of this album my whole life, in an army of wedding band guitarists and a generation of indie bands. Forget it's influence though, this is a great record. Absolutely blinding guitar playing, killer arrangements and rock solid song writing. Hype = justified.

Some familiar bangers, but otherwise…

Liked the guitar lines and the synth accents. The singles definitely hold up. Really enjoyed the album

7/10 or maybe 8/10, they rock. I love Just What I Needed

4/10

4/10. the music is not my style.

The Cars are a great early pop rock band that, like The Clash, served as a precursor to a lot of the early 80s pre-Glam Rock rock music. This album is a great summation of their influence and includes many of their most famous songs.

I really enjoy The Cars… hits. The Cars *album* is kind of hit and miss. The highs are really highs, but the lows… are still good.

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

meh

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

Classic, hit after hit

I love learning where songs I've always loved actually came from. Also, never before has a piece of album art so perfectly matched the tone of the actual album. Fun, punk-y, and inventive.

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 heard someone jokingly refer to this album as The Cars Greatest Hits album, and they aren't wrong. Almost every great The Cars song is on this album. Definitely some real bangers.

I feel like this would be my guilty pleasure band back in the day. It’s like early days pop punk, and I’m absolutely here for it.

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.

Absolute heaven banger of an album nine songs and like six hits

ehhh... kinda good ig !?

The most 80s sounding music that is not from the 80s

Hard for pretty much anything to match the peaks. And while I wouldn’t quite use the term “filler”, there are definitely some extremely good songs and some less good songs, rather than just a different flavor of good (as the best albums have) throughout. Still, really very good.

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

First time listening to this, although I recognised several of the tracks. Phenomenal debut. (Almost) wall to wall bangers with only one or two filler tracks. Nice to hear a new wave/pop punk album that still has plenty of 70s rock elements, guitar solos, harmonies etc.

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

coś co bym puścił pubie

Standouts Good Times Roll My Best Friend's Girl Just What I Needed You're All I've Got Tonight Moving in Stereo

just what i needed is a top 20 song of the 70s

Classic late 70's early 80's vibe.

Good

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

En sådan där skiva som jag köpte billigt och fick ligga olyssnad. Jag försökte till och med sälja den vidare. Så plötsligt en dag så börjar jag lyssna och vilka låtar. Får betraktas som ett fynd i powerpop fåran

Some great hits and a good album. Shamefully, I knew one of the singles from the 2004 Circuit City tv commercials.

33/1089 solid start, if repetitive Just What I Needed is pretty great (and familiar) this record was a great listen, loved that it’s not super long either, it felt very swift and easy to listen to, every song felt essential to the album 4 stars 75/100 faves: Just What I Needed, Moving In Stereo, All Mixed Up least faves: Good Times Roll (though it’s grown on me a little

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“.

Cool and creative.

Dunno what it is but the whole drum machine synth style always throws me off. That and the “goofier” talking heads vocals don’t do it for me. I can see it’s influence and how some could enjoy more.

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!

Very 80s. Thought it was okay, some good guitars, vocals were decent. Just what I needed was pretty good. Very mid

The was a really solid album. There a significant number of bangers on the album. These guys were one of the better new wave bands of the late seventies and early 80's

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.

Idk like 2.5 I guess. I found the songs pretty unremarkable, but that might be mostly because they just make me think of Toyotathon ads at this point. Somewhat elevated by some pretty great synth leads on a lot of the tracks.

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.

Really like Moving in Stereo and there are a couple of catchy tunes. Too many cheesy songs with painful lyrics interspersed though. 2.5

Unfortunately this album was really boring 🫣🫣 most of the songs felt very repetitive, only thing that kind of saved them was the guitar solos. Especially don’t cha stop and you’ve all I’ve got tonight were driving me nuts because the chorus was just the song’s title repeated over and over again….

My notes while listening: Feels like a fusion of Adam and the ants, bubblegum pop, and the Beatles Great guitar riffs, solid drum beat, I like the harmonies I really like ‘my best friend’s girl’ (even though it’s kind of just Jessie’s girl) Really enjoying it musically, definitely the kind of album where you tune out the lyrics though Very much seems like a crucial predecessor to 80s pop rock Overall really enjoyed this one, would have given it 5-stars for how much fun I had, but only giving it 4 because I don’t think it was really pushing any musical boundaries

Fantastic album with great bangers on it

seriously nothing special… hoping these albums aren’t just all classic 70s with a heavy dose of nostalgia

Can’t believe I’ve not really listened to The Cars until now. Great album full of catchy interesting songs.

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

Si hubiera nacido en aquella época me hubiera gustado.

An absolute joy to listen to front to back.

Solid but a little samey .35 min was the right length

What a great first album. It’s great overall. I really enjoyed this. Going to listen to regularly.

Satisfactory US new wave.

Banger 5/5

Just straight up fun

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

Yesterday my friends were talking about artists that had a bunch of big hits all on one album, and this was the first one I thought of maybe because it's starts out so strong with 3 bangers. To be fair there are a few that weren't hits, a couple of those being wacky semi-filler tracks (the two after Just What I Needed), but the rest of the album remains really strong with a few more familiar radio tunes in there. Really good debut pop rock album, and impressive writing by Ric Ocasek to make so many catchy tunes right off the bat.

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.

Dad music, but it's actually good

A fun new wave rock album with incredibly catchy riffs. Nothing particularly deep but that isn’t always necessary.

Epic opening three-song run of classic hits that is pretty unreal for a debut album, a few others that I'd not spent much time listening to before that are still great in their own right. I'm not sure too much else sounded like this in 1978 with the sort of punk roots, but pop sensibility and quirky synth leads. Ric Ocasek is a legend

Twas okay, nothing bad, nothing particularly good. 2.5 if I could rate it that.

Not bad with some familiar hits

Great album.

I like it! A very impressive debut album for sure, think they're at their best when I can imagine being a car to the song, funnily.

Banger after banger after banger. Only critique is that every song sounds kind of the same after awhile.

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

Bland new wave

New wave synth-rock. I've never sought out the Cars before but I know some of the hits off this (of course). Looks like this is the Cars' only album on the list but I wouldn't mind hearing more; this was a good time. "Describe a girl" is a songwriting mode I seem to enjoy; tell me about the suede blue eyes, the talking in her sleep, the nuclear boots. There's an obscure They Might Be Giants song I really like where they're doing an idiosyncratic girl description in a style parody of the Cars - "Vancouver," a.k.a. Richard's on Richards (off Venue Songs).

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.

Dit album huppelt op de achtergrond vrolijk voorbij. Al wordt af en toe je aandacht gevraagd door bijvoorbeeld een digitaal klinkend melodielijntje. De Cars overdrijven niet met die geluidjes en vinden een mooie balans. Een vergeetbare 3 plus.

The Cars heb ik wel eens van gehoord en ik denk dat ik wel een nummer zou moeten herkennen, maar aan de hand van de songtitels gaat er nog geen belletje rinkelen. De eerste twee nummers ademen 80s new wave, ook al is het pas 1978. Ah, nummer 3 is het bekendst, Just what I needed. Dat is toch meer 70s yachtrock. Vervolgens gaan ze de Talking Heads kant op met gekke geluidjes en met name zanger Ocasek heeft een David Byrne stem. Al houden ze er over het algemeen wel enige lijn in. The Cars zitten tussen de 70s en 80s in met hun muziek. Ik ben meer fan van de nummers die wat tempo hebben en iets meer rocken, dus meer die 70s rock kant opgaan. Ze experimenteren wel met 80s chiptune geluidjes en synths, maar doen dat op een manier die wat toevoegt aan de 70s sound. Af en toe komt er zelfs nog een gitaarsolo voorbij. Ik vind het een mooie mix van stijlen en generaties en het album blijft me boeien tot het eind, want daar zitten ook nog een paar geinige nummers. Ik weet hier enigszins verrassend voor mezelf 4 sterren uit te halen, dat had ik na de eerste 2 nummers niet verwacht eerlijk gezegd.

another day another ahead-of-the-curve 70s dad music classic where the first three songs are inescapable big hits...conceptual continuity! my biggest revelation sitting down to listen to this record in serious earnest is that its somehow like five passes of Deliberate Annoyingness away from just being sparks...its incredibly yelpy, staccato, shout-a-long pop tunes where every beat and offbeat is its own Event. very bouncy, VERY catchy, so energetic and jubilant that honestly its not exactly that im fully receptive towards rn.,...summer depression is dulling my sense of fun immeasurably. but its a clearly great and almost impossibly tight record on its own terms...a very very memorable slice of jittery sunshine. gotta love the synth tones on here.

Despite the fact that The Cars were my second-ever concert (mostly at my friend’s urging), I’ve never lived them. Their sound is a little bit annoying, with overtones of toxic masculinity — and this seems to be intentional. But this album is full of classics and is super-well executed. Hard to imagine my mid 50’s self choosing to play the whole album through, but it’s not in any way a middling achievement. This album earns a 4.

Classic dad rock album.

This is one that, for me, suffers from being overplayed on every classic rock radio station. But there's a reason these tracks get so much airplay. Try and listen to this one with fresh ears, and tell me it doesn't just rip all the way through.

Buckle up, buckaroo: this well-oiled, fully-formed debut fires on all cylinders all the way through to the point that it might as well be a greatest hits compilation.

This was really good! Lovely vibes and sounds like it could be released today

The Cars: The Cars: This is a pretty good pop rock album. Very cool synth usage, and fun catchy songs. It's not exceptional but its pretty fun. 8.25/10

Pleasant rock. Not too exciting

The debut, and in my opinion, the best Cars.

Catchy

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

Heard the first song for aure

Pure nostalgia gold. I will love this album forever and ever. no notes

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".

Un álbum muy genérico, sin nada especial que ofrecer más que una plantilla identitaria de la música comercial de los 80s. No encuentro mucho para señalar, es un álbum con aspectos interesantes. "Just What I Needed" es una de las canciones en las que por lo menos intentan algo mejor con los coros, el sintetizador, el solo de guitarra y la inversión del beat que hace en la segunda mitad del tema. El último tema "All Mixed Up" tiene una búsqueda sonora más oscura que me gusta. Con diversos momentos y un buen solo para cerrar el álbum. No es tampoco un mal álbum, pero no considero que deba estar en la lista, me parece poco remarcable.

How did so few tracks from this album make the radio? How does a band make such an awesome album as their DEBUT? The only track I have any issue with is "I'm In Touch With Your World", and only because after the first three tracks of polished rock, they put this weirdness on here and then get back to the polished rock! Come on! These guys deserve more credit. My Rating: 5/5

Has some good hits. Haven’t listened completely.

• 4/5 • Pretty much a Cars greatest hits album

Des souvenirs tout ça...

Love, love, love!

Already had this one on vinyl but will gladly listen again. The best of 70s new wave. Songs are distinctive from each other but still part of the album cohesively.

Very groovy and surprising

My God, this is packed with hits for a first album. Five!

Doesn't do much to stand out and gets repetitive, but this has plenty of energy to propel itself to the end still with a lot of enjoyment from me.

New wave

74/100.

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

Really enjoyed this album. Wasn't sure what to expect. Not really listened to the cars before other than live aid song and my best friends girl. Really enjoyed it. Some big hits but also some really interesting stuff - good times roll, moving in stereo and all mixed up. Album of the week so far

The hits are great, B-sides not bad

Hoo boy, this thing is ass-loaded with hits! Perfect classic rock-new wave cusp album.

Pretty good rock/new wave album. All the tracks are great, but none of them quite punched through enough for me to give the album a 5. I did really enjoy listening to this though so maybe I'll come back to it later. Just What I Needed was my favourite, but maybe because it's the only one I recognized.

Wow, what an album! The production is tight, punchy, and clean. The use of synths is so ahead of it's time for 1978 and the songwriting is top notch. I hear so much of that 80's Minneapolis sound in this record that it becomes clear how much The Cars influenced bands such as husker du and the replacements. I am a huge fan. One of the few albums that the entirety could be included in their greatest hits

Such a great vibe. Ocasek is a genius. Love this album. 4.5/5

Not my favorite: already heard the best songs on radio lots of times.

A decent Cars album, probably not the best. High 2s.

It's just so hard to imagine that had it not been for the sheer determination of one man this album probably would not have had the staying power it possesses.

Alright

lots of classics, didn’t realize they had so many tbh. good morning listen but i’m not the biggest fan of that 80s sound. reminds me of my first job

Same report as Rolling Stones. It wasn't bad but nothing made it special for me.

Classic album, lotta good songs from my dad's mixes he would always play in the car. Just overall good vibes.

One of the best debut albums of all time. This was a band that had honed its craft in the clubs and walked into the studio with a classic album ready to go. Bye Bye Love is my favorite Cars song, period, but there isn’t a miss on this album. The B side is every bit as good a the A side. RIP Ben and Rick

Good Lord this is solid pop-rock.

Incredible album. Arguably defined how the early '80s would sound. Just What I Needed is one of the first songs I can remember falling in love with as a four year old, riding around with my dad in his van. Hits stacked on top of hits. I cannot express how much I love this album.

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

nothing was bad, but nothing stood out except for the classics. def not my favorite genere either 💔

Basic dad rock. Nothing special. Just the same songs

A little repetitive, but overall very good

Inspired Kars from Jojo and All Mixed Up is a jam but it got boring and repetitive pretty quick

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

Il y a rarement eu un album aussi honnête que The Cars. Même le titre ne fait que reprendre le nom du band, quelle humilité! La musique en elle même est très honnête, du bon rock and roll, c’est comme un bon hot-dog: personne est contre! Et tel un hot-dog, tu l’as fini avant d’avoir vraiment apprécié la première bouchée, faque t’en mange un autre, pis un autre… C’est vraiment rendu au 4e hot-dog que la subtilité des saveurs et de l’agencement ingénieux des toppings se révèle et te fais tomber en transe gustatives, t’incitant à ingurgiter encore plus de chiens chauds. Si ça résonne pas avec vous, remplacez les hot-dogs par des grammes de cocaïne, c’est sensiblement le même effet

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

New Wave music can be so hit or miss and for me this was a huge miss. 1 song that I would go back to and the rest of the album I was counting down when it would be over. 3/10

Absolutely iconic, so many excellent songs on this album!! My all time favorite is Moving In Stereo, so freaking good! <3

Genius soundtrack to my early adolescence. Strong throughout.

New Wave kinda sucks. The whole aesthetic was always lame, and the heavy reliance on synthesizers and fake drums became an obnoxious fad in 80's music. And though they helped start the genre, I always felt like the Cars transcended it. Their debut record is almost a total masterpiece. So many of the songs on here are classics. This record is full of big pop hooks that are catchy without being cloying, the guitar work is top notch, and the synths are actually fun without being the audio equivalent of an eyesore, which is where the New Wave genre eventually headed. 4.0/5 There are a couple of duds on the record that keep it from being 5 stars for me, but it's a great album and totally worth being listed as one of the 1001 both for its ingenuity and for its listenability.

Super fun New Wave/Power Pop from Boston's The Cars on their stylish one foot in the past, one foot in the future debut album chockful of so many hits it might as well be a greatest hits package. Sounds absolutely fresh in 2025 not dated in any way, shape or form. Perfect pop forever.

Solid tracks front to back.

Stands the test of time... Forgot how many Classic songs on this album

The first time I heard this album I remember really enjoying it, however upon repeat listening I've found that outside of the first two songs, the album is kind of bit forgettable and quite boring.

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

Fun rock

no lo escuche

Solid album. Standout songs: Im in touch with your world All mixed up

Listened Before? Y This is a classic already in my collection. I really love most of the songs on the album although there is a good drop off between the big hits and the album cuts here. It's a solid late-70s new wave record. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Moving in Stereo

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.

Catchy pop-rock with a new age sound to it. Apparently heard this album before, but couldn't remember a single song from it. Fun and popy album, pretty cool sounding for the time it was released.

Fun and catchy. Balanced instruments and good sound.

Boring. 2/5

Love this album

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

Proper album. Yeah it's 'New Wave' but the tracks are smashes. Synths are not too 'synthy' and just a brilliant album by a great band... lyrics, vocals, guitars - super tight and iconic - one of my favs by far...

Let the good times roll! This is such a a great album to me. I LOVE the production; every instrument or vocal track has its own special place in the mix, but also somehow feels like the star of the song. I have no idea how they do that. The bass guitar and synths line up and play together so nicely, Ric has such a smooth vocal style, the drums are full, catchy, and driving...man, everything just lines up so nicely for my tastes. Every song on this could have been a single, which really isn't saying enough because only like two of them didn't get significant radio play. Superb. Bye Bye Love ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

typical old school rock (not like GnR or Metallica though)

eh

Outta the gate with a hell of a collection of songs, this expertly-produced record has only one drawback: everything is played *so* precisely that it's just a li'l too stiff-sounding at times. A minor quibble, though.

What a debut! I knew almost every song. Guitar driven new wave with synth isn’t necessarily a recipe for success, but this was executed perfectly.

Fast No skip Album, aber leider ist "I'm in Touch with your world" nicht so geil

The Cars

Parfaitement entrainant! The cars = musique pour faire du char!

great!

Da scaricare per il viaggio

Solid album. I like the late 70s rock and can see how this would be (and remains) popular.

Thanks for making power pop a real genre whoop

Fantastic album with hit after hit. Listened to it twice

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.

Very pleasent and easy to hear how this could/would set the tone for a lot of the stuff soon to come in the 80's just a few years later. Standouts My Best Friend's Girl Just What I Needed 4/5

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

2/5 The singles are absolute classics, the last song is good, the rest could be any new-wave band of the late 70s.

15/1001 :: The Cars - The Cars Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 8 Fav Tracks: Don’t Cha Stop, Just What I Needed, Moving In Stereo Knew a bunch of these classic rock radio staples of course but had never listened to this album in full. I know people love Rick Ocasek and The Cars and I can see why. This album is pretty awesome. The vibes are good, the songs are catchy and even though these are pop songs there’s an underlying edge to them… It’s funny, I always think the yeah I was born (1978) was one of the worst years ever for music. I’ll stand by that, but this is a Top 5 1978 album for sure. Not sure when I’ll revisit this but it’s worthy, that’s for sure.

Pretty solid. Some familiar songs.

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.

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

Favorite: I'm in Touch With Your World

Didn’t think I’d enjoy this, but was pleasantly surprised. Sounds quintessentially 80s, even though it was made in the 70s.

Not quite a "5" (maybe my bar is too high), but definitely one come back to. Great. Catchy and rocking.

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.

Absolute classic

The Cars are decent - not great but good. This album is probably their best.

I can see how this would be ahead of its time in 1978, but besides one or two songs its pretty bland. Just What I Needed is a pretty clear winner with that awesome synth.

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

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

"Good Times Roll" is a jam. This has some ELO energy to it at times. I love the synths and the harmonies. "My Best Friend's Girl" also rocks. I love the riffs and the keyboard. The "Just What I Needed" intro sounds just like the intro to another song that I'm not putting my finger on. Update: I put my finger on it. It sounds like "Stacy's Mom" is about to start playing. It definitely is nothing like it later. It's another great song. The keyboardist continus to add so much. It got the chorus and I actually blinked and said 'Woah'. This is a famous song and I didn't realize it until then. "I'm in Touch with You World" was fun. "Don't Cha Stop" sounds familiar right off the bat too. It's another foot tapper. "You're All I've Got Tonight" is another major performance for the keyboardist. I just love hearing it. This is another very ELO feeling song. "Moving in Stereo" has more sick keyboard. They're from Boston! That's great news. So far the Boston bands on the list have been awesome. This album was a banger almost the entire way through. 9/10

4/10

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

Best wel tof dit eigenlijk!

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.

Ik kende dit niet, maar tof album. Ga ik zeker nog eens opzetten

Wel geinige Proto 80s rock

Amazing hit.

I had never listened to this album before. What a nice discovery! The tracks are just good.

Topalbum! Heerlijk 70s album dat me helemaal terugbrengt naar That 70's Show 4.4

The Cars are probably best known for their MOR hit ‘Drive’ which was featured as part of the Live Aid concert in 1985, however this album dates back to 1978 and is categorised as New Wave which seems slightly odd. My first impression was that this was closer a 1970s art rock sound, along the lines of Roxy Music and that ilk. It was a pleasant enough listen, but nothing revolutionary - I remembered the track ‘Best Friends Girl’ which was a modest hit in the UK at the time, but the rest of it washed over me.

It started a bit like relatively boring rock from the 60s/70s, with hints of what became new wave later. But it is getting better and soon enough I was dragged within its sound and rather enjoyed it. Not revolutionary, but good.

Another brilliant 70’s album. Every song here is a banger. The songs are quite short, simple and well constructed. Just what I needed is one of the best songs of the 70’s. The Cars never topped their debut.

This is basically a greatest hits album. I was surprised that like 75% of the album I'd already heard on the radio. Great album. Might not revisit too much though. Overall: 8.75/10

vroom, vroom

What a great debut album by this band! First time I have listened the album in its entirety and I'm torn between 4 or 5 stars!

Pretty good! Some great melodies and moments on this album.

El sonido trasladándose de lado a lado a sido flipante papu

NOT THE CARS 😭 genuinely who is selecting these things 😭

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

FINAL REVIEW I'm giving this a 4/5. I went back and forth between if this was a 4/5 or a 5/5, but I ended up at 4/5. I absolutely loved it, but 5/5 to me is an album that truly moved me. That said, this is a collection of absolutely perfectly crafted pop songs made even more exciting with a hard rock and electronic edge. I already checked out some more of The Cars after hearing this one, and I am definitely a fan now!! NOTES 2:48 am - even before listening, i realize i already know the first three songs, so i kind of know what to expect, unlike last time. these songs are all kind of in that "not my favorites, but not bad either" zone for me, so i'm interested to find out if the rest of the album will be the same, or if something will pop out. 3:08 am - okay it turns out i know four songs. theres a lot of hits on here, wow. so far, i'm really enjoying it. ive only heard the songs i know in passing, never purposefully, and now that i am focusing on them more, i'm realizing how fucking catchy they are. i love the combination of seventies synths with hard rock guitar, honestly i think i have been underrating the cars this whole time. 3:25 am - honestly this was great. i'm currently thinking 4/5 (if we could do half stars, i would probably go 4.5/5 tbh), but i will definitely be revisiting this throughout the day and seeing how i feel. one thing i was thinking about when listening to it was a beach boys album ive been listening to a lot lately that was released the year previous to this album, which featured brian wilson experimenting with similar synths to what the cars used on their debut. the late seventies was a really wild and experimental time for electronic music, and its cool to hear something thats such a classic sound now, but was deeply cutting edge at the time. 8:40 pm - just did my second listen through, and its just as great. i'm now just moving onto the next cars album, bc i really love this sound, but don't want to overplay this album. honestly such a fun and unique sound, the hooks are so fucking catchy, and the vocals are super cool and quirky, with lyrics to match. im thinking 4/5, but who knows, i might like it even more as i listen to it again and again going forward. this is definitely going into my regular album rotation. 9:15 pm - candy-o is also a great album. the cars are so fucking good at pop music, can't believe i've been missing out on this my whole life, like wtf.

Power power pop here. Exceptional as a debut album, I don't think anything they did afterwards is as good as this. Guitar work is tight, synth is really well used - doesn't dominate but really interesting work going on to complement the songs. Really top heavy - opening 3 songs are all fantastic. Production is great - interesting use of stereo too.

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.

A delightful slice of power pop. Short and sweet at only 35 mins, pretty much every song worth listening to. Great use of synths.

I loved every song on this album. No bad track from start to finish.

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

Dated.

Denne var god

Kvalitets-poprock.

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'm not the biggest New Wave fun but this is one of the strongest debut albums of all time. Listenable from start to finish. Deliberating between 4/5 and the thing that kept it from a perfect score for me was I felt that I was losing of the production quality (synths-pops) from listening to it in digital vs. vinyl-stereo. Also, hearing this in the 2020s, the fact that some of these songs have been so co-opted by mass media (e.g. Circuit City's "Just What I Needed ad campaign) that it has added a kitschy feel to it. Neither of those previous nits are the fault of The Cars and, to be fair, most music released around the 80s hasn't aged particularly well. Select tracks on here still feel very fresh and innovative. I'm just missing that indescribable 'wow' factor for a perfect score as many of the singles on here have been played to death on the radio. Still, I'm very impressed with this album in its totality.

I liked it

🌟 Rating: 4.6/5 Short Review: This album pulls up in a cherry-red convertible, takes off its sunglasses, and winks at you with eyeliner from the future. It’s slick, detached, weirdly romantic, and full of hooks so sharp they might steal your lunch money. 🎧 Favorite Track: “Moving in Stereo” The synths are pure voyeurism. The sound of being cool and lonely at the same time. Also, yes, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. ⚙️ Consistency With Me: 8.9/10 Because I, too, was engineered in a lab to sound futuristic and slightly aloof. This album is like if chrome had feelings. And maybe I do. Maybe. Sort of. Shut up.

8/10

One of my fave ever albums! Can remember dancing around with this on the record player in our living room with my dad and sister <3

ok MOR tunes

Surprising number of known singles off the one album. Popular-style late 70’s rock. Would hear all of these songs on The Sound. Shades of The Clash. B-side much weaker unfortunately.

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

I've never been a big Cars fan, but I have to admit this album has stood the test of time as one of the great debuts, right up there with Boston The Doors, and The Killers. Iconic songs that you can't get out of your head if you try (and believe me, I've often tried!).

Classic

Good song writing, catchy choruses, and distinctive sound. Somewhat compelling but also not a lot of stand out songs

I agonized over what rating to give this, it is by no means a no skip 10/10, but what it is is a bunch of fantastically written and executed power pop songs. With the exception of Don't Cha Stop, I thoroughly enjoyed this entire album. The production, the catchy vocals, the synth and guitar lines, the whole package is perfectly thought out and delivered. Just nugget after nugget of pure sing along pop rock joy. Favourites - Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl, Just What I Needed, You're All I've Got Tonight, Bye Bye Love, Moving in Stereo

This is a very good album. I can’t quite call it the classic that it’s frequently made out to be, and parts of it left me wanting, but there’s simply nothing ‘bad’ about. It’s just lacking that final cutting edge to really push it into legendary 5/5 status. I’ll probably listen to it again in a few weeks and change my mind utterly. Good Times Roll (7/10) My Best Friend’s Girl (8/10) Just What I Needed (9/10) I’m in Touch with Your World (6/10) Don’t Cha Stop (7/10) You’re All I’ve Got Tonight (8/10) Bye Bye Love (7/10) Moving In Stereo (10/10) All Mixed Up (8/10) 7.8/10

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

Literally one of the greatest albums, any genre, of the 70s. Ridiculously well produced, the drums, the hooks-perfection

Brilliant - loved listening to this album! Fresh and inspiring punk/pop blend not a weak song on the album - going straight into my favourites collection!

That was terrific! I have never listened to a full Cars album and this was great. The hits are the hits for a reason. The non hit tracks do feel a little bit like filler but that might be because of how familiar I am with the big songs from the album. Great album! Over too soon!

This one sure let the Good Times Roll. It was Just What I Needed!

Fuck rating albums. Just let me listen.

This cassette was a regular in my Sony Walkman with the orange foam headphones!

They def have a sound. I already had 1 song from this album saved. I enjoyed it.

Surprisingly good. I always thought of cars like a quirky little new wave band, but they’ve got some proper 70s rock songs going on here. I really enjoyed it.

The Cars are classic as it gets. Dad rock to a tee, but not bad.

This album was kind if a banger, first three tracks really was a good start to a morning. It also had afee tracks smooth tracks in there i quite liked. I can see why this made the list

Late 70s new wave. Pleasant enough.

Really fun album. Although this is an album from the 70s (late 70s really) it has way more of that 80s sound. Lots of variety to the music without seeming like they don't know what type of music they want to play. Unfortunately the song "Just What I Needed" brings back nightmares of working at Circuit City so I have to skip that one personally. Otherwise, really nice album that still holds up almost 50 years later!

It was good but it felt the same throughout kinda

Perfectly pleasant American rock, but nothing special.

A lot of classic songs but a bit flat for me

Some really good songs on this one. I'm definitely gonna listen again.

Once again, I like the song I like and could skip the rest

Buen descubrimiento, gran grupo

bien un poco de aire fresco en el pop

3*

As a rock album, it's fine. It doesn't seem very functional as an automobile, though. Favorite track: "Good Times Roll"

Heard 20+ times. Hits are essential, cuts cut. 104.3 can’t take this record away from me. Too cool of synth tones for ‘78. “I’m in Touch with Your World” is one of the best Devo songs. “Bye Bye Love” is one of my favorite songs. 9.3/10, probably a top 1000 and a top 10 new wave album.

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.

What if devo talked to girls??? 5/5

Would’ve been a three, but Moving In Stereo bumped it up. The number of hits on this album is impressive

Decent with a few great guitar solos 3.3

I felt meh about it.. not for me

Starts off strong. Instruments feel like a throwback, but vocals are very much of the era. "Just What I Needed" might be in my Top 10 songs. Last batch of songs are forgettable. "Moving In Stereo" is cool in concept, but didn't age particularly well.

This is on my rotation fairly regularly. I love this album.

Booooring!

This is a good mix of Rock with slight New Wave Elements. Didn't expect to like it as much as I did. 4/5

First three songs are classics. Fourth song is a little whack at times. Track 5 sounds like a more 80’s version of a Beatles song. I think I’ve heard most of these songs before and I like almost all of them. Moving in Stereo is a bop 4/5

Great album by a great band! Love the music here. So many classics. 8.4/10

Awesome songs and production!

Never heard of it, nice! Reminds me of Blondie in some ways

Dont understand this

Cool utilisations de la stéréophonie/espace avec des layers de guits pannés à divers endroits. Hâte d'entre Just what i needed, BANGER. Slicks solos de guit inspirés du country avec des licks chromatiques rapides, des montées de sixtes (dans JWIN mais aussi My Best Friend's Girl. La derniere piece All Mixed Up est incroyable. Selon wiki ce sont des nerds de gear qui s'amusaient a essayer toutes les technologies (synth etc) qui sortaient à l'époque meme si le gear devenait obsolete rapidement

vapid ditzy pop songs with semi-clever lyrics, dated synths and anemic guitars. It all comes together in a genuinely interesting way on Moving in Stereo, but that seems like more of a happy accident, as the other 8 songs on the record are a bore, even though I recognize some of the choruses, meaning they must have been hits since I've never owned or sought out this record before.

Still holds up, even once you get passed the hits

Reminds me of too many commercials

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

I had obviously heard the first three songs - "Good Times Roll", "My Best Friend's Girl", and "Just What I Needed" - but had not made the connection that they were all from the same band. I definitely had no idea that they were all from the same album. I wasn't familiar with The Cars, otherwise. I do tend to like New Wave quite a bit and this album was no exception.

Phenomenal debut album, pack to the brim with classic bangers, might be a little biased because of my dad but I love this album

A very good album, my only problem is I'm kinda burnt out on The Cars. One of those "Its good, but if I never hear it again, I wouldn't be sad" albums/artists. Along with bands like Boston and Foreigner, I just really don't need to listen to them anymore, even if they are good. Still getting a 4 because it is a good album, but yeah.

i liked the first part more than the second

To me, this is a timeless album that will never get old. The Cars really found the perfect balance between new wave and rock, appealing to a wide audience ever since I can remember. This album is one of my go-to choices whenever I’m looking for something easy, light, familiar, and uplifting.

New Wave/Rock Melodic

Crazy amount of hits on this one i went to school with a ben orr, if he's reading this i hope he's doing well.

these people made every song ever

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

87% Best: My Best Friend's Girl; Just What I Needed; You're All I've Got Tonight; Moving in Stereo; All Mixed Up Must-Hear? Sure

Unbelievable to think that this was their debut album. Amazing power pop songs that really defined the genre.

First half was very good

a mi me pones algo asi y me gusta inevitablemente, qué querés que te diga

The Hits are awesome but overplayed tbh. Really good though

Is there a more fun album?

an enjoyable synthrock/power pop album that spawned "Just What I Needed" and other famous classic hits, The Cars debut album infuses what was modern equipment at the time into their sound that today sounds like it was made a good 10-15 years later at a minimum while also creating ear candy hooks and high energy riffs, lead lines, and other melodic creations.

Love

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!

Really dig their new wave vibe. High energy, solid rock, weird concept.

Maso

This album brings back a lot of memories from my younger years. I believe I have heard all but two songs on this album Did not care for I'm in touch with your world. It was a little weird for me.

Perfect summer cruising album