100 Word Album Review

The Cars — The Cars — 1978

Maybe subject to copyright.

By 1978, rock and roll was beginning to fracture.

Refusing to be labeled as just one thing, The Cars released their eponymous self-titled debut album in June of 1978. The Cars put the world writ large on notice that things had changed.

The album blends disparate genres like power pop, minimalist rock, noise, guitar rock, etc. into something unique and relatable. Through a modern lens, it’s impossible to describe just how important this album was, and remains.

Guitarist Elliot Easton joked: “The album should be called Greatest Hits.”

He’s not wrong.

Arguably, The Cars were never this good again.