The Cars

1
  • Year:
    2018
  • Inducted by:
    Brandon Flowers (The Killers)
  • Category:
    Performers

Introduction

Hook-savvy with the perfect combo of new wave and classic rock, you can't help but sing along to The Cars.

The band's magnetism and intellectual arrangements resonated with an audience ready to leave the left of the dial underground and cement themselves into the mainstream.

Hall of Fame Essay

2018

Ashley Kahn

Every now and then, a band hits the ground running with a sound so developed, brash, and beyond established categories that it redefines them.

In 1978, the Cars were that band, arriving at a time of discord more than harmony, when musical tribes were at odds with one another: old-school rockers, punks, and New Wavers, pop music enthusiasts and fans of disco and other dance-floor sounds - each staking out territory to preserve and protect its own.

The Cars' brilliant, self-titled debut - all handclaps and quirky vocals, crunchy guitars, and futuristic synth lines - defied the divisions of the day and reminded us what rock was all about.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Program Cover 2018
1 of 4
2018 Inductees The Cars Performing
The Cars had it all: the looks, the hooks & beat romance lyrics
Brandon Flowers

Photography: Tyler Twins; Getty/WireImage