The Cars discography

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

The Cars discography
Studio albums	7
Compilation albums	8
Video albums	4
Music videos	20
Singles	26

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

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

Albums

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions										Certifications[7][8] (sales threshold)
		US [9]	AUS [10][11]	FRA [12]	GER [13]	NL [14]	NZ [15]	NOR [16]	SWE [17]	SWI [18]	UK [19]
The Cars	Release date: June 6, 1978 Label: Elektra	18	35	—	—	—	5	—	—	—	29	US: 6× Platinum UK: Silver MC - 2X Platinum
Candy-O	Release date: June 13, 1979 Label: Elektra	3	7	—	—	—	6	—	—	—	30	US: 4× Platinum
Panorama	Release date: August 15, 1980 Label: Elektra	5	19	—	—	—	14	—	—	—	—	US: Platinum
Shake It Up	Release date: November 6, 1981 Label: Elektra	9	20	—	—	40	12	—	—	—	—	US: 2× Platinum
Heartbeat City	Release date: March 13, 1984 Label: Elektra	3	15	29	15	41	1	—	26	20	25	US: 4× Platinum UK: Gold
Door to Door	Release date: August 21, 1987 Label: Elektra Records	26	26	—	57	—	10	9	29	20	72	US: Gold
Move Like This	Release date: May 10, 2011 Label: Hear Music	7	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Compilation albums

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

Singles

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

Videos

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

Music videos

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

Notes

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

References

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

External links

• Unofficial discography of The Cars