The Cars: Complete Greatest Hits poll

Maybe not their most representative or even their best, but "It's All I Can Do" will always be my most-loved. And Easton's solo on it smokes.

One more for It's All I Can Do

Is it wrong to say that all the fast ones sound the same and the slow ones suffer from the same disease? I find it impossible to choose between "Tonight She Comes," "My Best Friend's Girl," "Just What I Needed," "Let's Go," and "Dangerous Type." Even "You Are The Girl" works in this context.

Ric Ocasek – lead vocals on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Benjamin Orr – lead vocals on 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15

you may wonder, when this poll has ended, who voted for "The Dangerous Type." Just for the record, that was me.

Vivid memories of "Dangerous Type" playing over rock radio at the pizza place I went to play Defender after getting off the school bus and making the world stop.

rogermexico itemizes in painful detail why that song is THE ONE. the others kick ass, but "the dangerous type" conjures memories of Defender = Game Over.

It's not The One.

This is hard! For purely nostalgic reasons: Magic.

Moving In Stereo was the 7th grade contrarian's choice off of the first album, and I'm sticking with it. (Not to mention the inevitable movie scene that it recalls, which is important if you were 13 when that movie came out.)

Voted "Just What I Needed," but now having second thoughts. Actually, my fave Cars moment is the segue between "Shoo Be Doo" and "Candy-O" on Candy-O, which rocks mightily.

Shoo Be Doo is my secret favorite Cars song!

SECRET NO MORE!

"Shake It Up".

Alfred, I urge you to think of one romantic interest in your life with whom you are unlikely to rendezvous ever again, for whatever reason. I further challenge you to contemplate the lyric "She's a lot like you/the dangerous type." I then, finally, challenge you to not feel the deep chill that indicates that this song is, indeed, the one.

It's a good song! I might prefer Candy-O over the debut, actually. But this band doesn't engage me emotionally. Christgau's line sums them up: "fleet, efficient, essentially meaningless" (that's a compliment).

"Tonight She Comes:" Most worthy exclusive track ever prematurely added to a greatest hits collection?

Jeez, love the ballads - "Since You're Gone," "Drive," the latter of which I recall being lauded by Jack Nitzsche as a perfectly arranged song. And love the Tele solo on "Best Friend's Girl." But right now I'm feeling ... "Bye Bye Love."

"Drive" is pretty damn great, but it sounds to me like a thousand lonely laundromats at 2am now.

"Tonight She Comes:" Most worthy exclusive track ever prematurely added to a greatest hits collection?

For years I've been forgetting to create a poll based on this question.

"I'm Not the One" is my favorite of the ballads. Love the guitar figure.

"Drive" is pretty damn great;, but it sounds to me like a thousand lonely laundromats at 2am now.

ha

"Drive" was ruined for me by the big deal Jim Ladd made about it on SoCal radio when it first came out.

This one...

There have been a number of times I have listened to 'Bye Bye Love' and thought, 'Why, this is the best song I have ever heard."

drive for sure. love that track

nice to see ppl giving props to "Bye Bye Love," voted for that as soon as i saw the thread

"You're All I've Got Tonight"

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Let's Go remains a daily theme song of my life.

Always pleased when I heqar bye bye love on rock radio.

Moving in stereo is dope too though

This was very tough, and, in the end, I just had to say "Let's Go."

Am I the only one seeing a poll thread without any poll options?

Anyway, "Touch and Go" has always been my favorite single of theirs.

Am I the only one seeing a poll thread without any poll options?

i think it has something to do with being a Mod.

"let's go" is first among equals for me. i love the central riff, and the part where it breaks down -- "i don't want to hold her down don't want to break her crown ..."

(also i never realized how many of my favorite cars songs benjy orr sang)

A million people are going to vote for the obvious "Just What I Needed" without comment, so let me just say that I voted for "Just What I Needed" and despite its obviousness I'll take it over any of the other worthy contenders here (including everything off soundtrack-to-my-childhood _Heartbeat City_.)

I had no idea Benjamin Orr sang lead on "Just What I Needed" and "Moving in Stereo."

Just what I Needed is so perfect

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

justice is served

Haha. I proudly was Magic's only vote.

This is a GREAT compilation.

silent majority wasn't keeping quiet anymore

It's All I Can Do wuz robbed!

These guys were true hitmakers. And the majority their songs were done in a relatively short stretch, from The Cars in 78 to Heartbeat City in 84. That's six fairly condensed years of rocking.

All Mixed Up Should have been there

"Drive" cos yeah....misery

so!

i've never bought or listened to a cars album because it didn't seem necessary, nor have i had any single or dls. it's just radio or party play. but i do _know_ all of these. and they're often great to me, now.

but i also remember listening to my tape of the modern lovers on my walkman in boston while going by strawberries when heartbreak city was dropping, and it was ridiculous, and i was thinking "why is boston such crap"?

Magic deserves better

Will a fan of the first three albums get anything from the "experimental" Ocasek solo albums?

dunno, never heard it. I also agree Magic deserved better; that album is unfairly maligned, it's one of the best pop albums of its year.

yeah it owns

heartbeat city

Will a fan of the first three albums get anything from the "experimental" Ocasek solo albums?

― Halfway there but for you,

Only Beatitude qualifies.

And really only "Jimmy Jimmy."

I'm listening to samples of the record and it's not far from Panorama, maybe?

That's about right.

heartbeat city

otm!!