The Cars - Profile of the New Wave Hitmakers

Origins & Early Years of the Cars:
The Cars formed in Boston in 1976 at the same time as punk scenes began to explode in New York and London, but the band drew only slightly from that rebellious new style in forging its highly accessible, tuneful pop/rock sound. Pretty soon pop and album rock radio embraced the band and helped launch its ascent to '80s music royalty, aided by the addition of the band's demo for "Just What I Needed" to the playlist of influential Boston radio station WBCN.

Debut Album:
After signing with Elektra Records, the Cars released their self-titled debut album. Fueled by the hit singles "My Best Friend's Girl" and "Just What I Needed," the album climbed the charts quickly. Filled with rock radio staples, The Cars still stands as a landmark album, and its genius lies in its marriage of Easton's blistering fretwork, Hawkes' inventive synthesizer work, and Ocasek's tight songwriting.

Ongoing Consistency:
Over the course of the next 10 years, the Cars would be constant occupants of the pop charts, MTV and music collections. Their videos in particular, for songs such as "Drive" and "You Might Think", became MTV mainstays and continued to increase the band's exposure. Meanwhile, the group's output avoided a significant decline in quality, as each subsequent album with the exception of 1987's Door to Door was guaranteed to contain at least two brilliant, near-perfect pop songs.

Breakup, Dormancy, Reunion?:
Following the Cars' disappointing final album, the group disbanded. And while Ocasek became more involved in production, his former bandmates quietly pursued smaller projects. Almost 20 years later Hawkes and Easton began entertaining the possibility of reforming the band. Though Ocasek and Robinson amicably rejected the idea, the other two Cars turned to friend and longtime star Todd Rundgren, a partnership that in 2006 resulted in a supergroup, aptly called The New Cars.

The Cars - Legacy & Loss:
Even with so much time past since their last release, the Cars have always remained a vital and thriving anchor of rock radio. And their lightly edgy pop/rock continues to influence a new batch of musicians, as modern alternative acts such as Franz Ferdinand and the Killers continue to expound upon the innovative, accessible sound pioneered by this highly original American band. It's just too bad Ben Orr, who died of cancer in 2000, couldn't be around to make his own choice about reforming.