Watch the Cars Perform "Just What I Needed" at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Cars—a genre-bending quintet that sold millions of albums during their heyday, the late Seventies through the Eighties—were among the honorees at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland this past Saturday night.
All five original members—singer/guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes, drummer David Robinson and late bassist Benjamin Orr—were included in the induction. Orr, who sang some of band's best-loved songs, including “Just What I Needed,” died in 2000 at age 53.
“New Wave, Post Punk, Power Pop—tonight, they’re all riding together into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," said the Killers' Brandon Flowers, who introduced the band. "On the back of what is now established as one of the greatest debut albums ever made, the Cars were named 'Best New Artist' in the 1978 Rolling Stone Readers Poll. Forty years later, they still sound like a new band to me.”
As if out to prove Flowers correct, the Cars—whose lineup was bolstered by Weezer bassist Scott Shriner for the occasion—ran through a handful of hits, including “You Might Think,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Moving in Stereo” and “Just What I Needed.” You can check out “Just What I Needed” above. Below, you'll find "My Best Friend's Girl," "You Might Think" and the band's lengthy but heartfelt "thank you" speech.
The Cars have been eligible to join the Hall since 2004; they were previously nominated in 2016 and 2017. Besides the Cars, this year's nominated acts included the Moody Blues, Dire Straits, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Bon Jovi.
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
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