The definitive Cars playlist

Whether talking rock, pop, new wave, or even some punk, The Cars were one of the most versatile and innovative bands of all time. More than 40 years after the release of their smash debut album, Cars classics can still be heard with regular frequency. Here's our list of the 20 best songs from this widely celebrated Hall of Fame band.

The Heartbeat City album from 1984 marked a return to true pop prominence for The Cars, who saw a steady decline in overall popularity since the band's stellar, self-titled debut from 1978. However, with "Mutt" Lange replacing longtime producer Roy Thomas Baker and the presence of MTV, this was a heavily polished album that reached No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100 and produced six singles. This title cut is the last on the album and often gets lost amid its more well-known tunes. It's an underrated song within the band's legendary catalog. 

The only charting single from 1980's Panorama album, "Touch and Go" reached No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100. Professional critics and certain fans of the band will point to Panorama as a step back for The Cars, notably when it came to commercial success. This poppy number, which still has a new-wave feel, remains one of the group's most celebrated tunes — even if the album it hails from is not considered among the Cars' strongest efforts

While the band's debut album is considered one of the great new wave/rock albums of all time, the 1979 follow-up, Candy-O, actually charted better — hitting No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. With multi-talented bassist Benjamin Orr singing lead, "It's All I Can Do," the second single from the album, offered a softer, poppier side to The Cars. When it came to these slowed-down, more melodic tracks, Orr was often the band's go-to guy in capturing that sort of mood. 

Released as a standalone single in 1985, "Tonight She Comes" can be found on the band's greatest hits record from the same year. Originally slated to be a Ric Ocasek solo tune, "Tonight She Comes" found its way into the Cars' catalog and, riding the success of Heartbeat City, reached No. 7 on Billboard's Hot 100. The track is also known for one of guitarist Elliot Easton's most notable solos. Easton remains one of rock's most underrated guitar players. 

The third single from Candy-O, "Double Life" never charted, but in the annals of The Cars' Hall of Fame legacy, it's a song that should be more celebrated. Ric Ocasek wrote and sings lead on the song, but the harmonic value of the piece is one of its strengths. Simply put, this is a solid new wave/rock song that shows off the collective talent within the group. 

The title cut from the band's aforementioned second album. Though it was never released as a single and hardly ever received radio airplay as the American B-side to "Double Life," "Candy-O" grew into a favorite with Cars' fans — and generally a popular live track. Benjamin Orr once again handles lead vocals, and Elliot Easton's distorted guitar work is the undisputed highlight of a song that packs quite the rock punch for being just over two-and-a-half minutes in duration. 

The opening track from Heartbeat City, "Hello Again" was the fourth song from the album to crack the top 20 (reaching No. 22) on the Hot 100. While the tune continues the trademark new wave, eclectic sound that made The Cars famous in the first place, there was an obvious pop tinge that helped kick off the band's vibe at the time. In turn, it opened the door to more broader appeal while also keeping the die-hards in the fold.

Among the greatest debut albums of all time, the aforementioned self-titled first album from the band peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard 200 and produced six songs that remain staples of classic-rock radio. "Bye Bye Love" was not one of the three singles officially released off the album, but it has definitely held its own with the rest of this classic record. While the new wave sheen of the early Cars' sound is obviously there, it's also one of the band's "dirtier" sounding songs. 

Another hit from Heartbeat City, "Magic" reached No. 12 on Billboard's Hot 100. It's an upbeat number, poppy, but eclectic enough that the true Cars sound isn't completely cast aside. It's also another example of the band's exceptional musicianship, notably Easton, Hawkes, and bassist Benjamin Orr. Of course, the song's overall popularity can be attributed to its music video, featuring a Christ-like Ocasek walking on water during an elaborate pool party.  

More from Candy-O. "Let's Go" is the opening track and first single released from the album. Featuring some stellar synthesizer work courtesy of Greg Hawkes, a memorable hook, and Orr once again on lead vocals, "Let's Go," which reached No. 14 on the Hot 100, is catchy enough that it's one of those tunes that grows on the listener over time. Like nearly every song on this list, it has grown into a classic rock radio staple. 

Another gem from The Cars' debut record, the almost futuristic-sounding "Moving in Stereo" segued in the album's final cut "All Mixed Up." However, on its own, the song is one of the most prominent Cars tracks co-written by keyboardist Greg Hawkes. "Moving in Stereo" has long received regular radio airplay, even though it was never released as a single. "Moving in Stereo" might be best known for its inclusion in the classic comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High. We'll never look at Phoebe Cates the same way again.

When the needle first dropped on The Cars' debut album, the sounds of "Good Times Roll" was the listeners' introduction to this new wave/rock outfit that would go on to become one of the most popular bands of all time. "Good Times Roll" was actually the third single released from the album, and though it never cracked the top 40, it's one of the band's most recognizable tunes. It's a track that offers a sarcastic take on the "good times" associated with rock and roll.

As Ric Ocasek told Rolling Stone, "My Best Friend's Girl" is exactly about what the title suggests. Though he claimed that the song isn't about any particular personal experience, Ocasek just assumed plenty of people have had former love interests eventually end up with a close friend. Released off The Cars' debut album, "My Best Friend's Girl" reached No. 35 on the Hot 100, and it has remained popular more than 40 years later. 

The Cars enjoyed a bounce back of sorts with 1981's Shake It Up record. The title track was a big reason. It peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100 to become the band's first top-10 single, mostly because it spanned musical genres such as new wave, pop, dance and even disco. It also hit No. 14 on the Billboard Disco Top 80. It's possibly the one song by The Cars that truly appealed to the masses at the time and continues to be enjoyed by a new generation of pop music fans.  

While "You Might Think" was the first single from Heartbeat City, and one of the band's most successful tunes of all time ((peaking at No. 7 on the Hot 100), it's likely most memorable for its innovative, commuter-graphic-dominated music video. In heavy rotation on MTV, the "You Might Think" video — complete with Ocasek's form appearing on various objects such as an alarm clock, a fly, and a tube of lipstick associated with his female infatuation — was the first to win MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year.

Original Cars drummer David Robinson wasn't the most prominent of the five, but he's showcased on another special moment from the band's first album. Robinson's tom-tom beat opens a song that is a long-time fan favorite despite never being officially released as a single. Arguably the most complete song on the record, "You're All I've Got Tonight" is as good as it gets when highlighting the collective musical strength of the band.

If there's a certain T-Rex vibe to the song's opening riff, it's because that's the case. Ocasek sings lead and plays guitar on the Candy-O finale. "Dangerous Type" was never released as a single, but over the years, it has been considered one of the group's best songs — though casual Cars fans might even consider it a deep cut. In 1996, fellow Boston-area band Letters to Cleo delivered a solid cover version of "Dangerous Type" for the teen supernatural flick The Craft.

The kick-off track to Shake It Up, "Since Your Gone" is a Ric Ocasek tale of heartbreak and a genuinely innovative power ballad. It's not often that a ballad leads off an album, but "Since Your Gone" is a tune about despair, with an upbeat tempo that would make any fan of pop music tap their toes. Though the song peaked just outside the top 40, it's another example of Ocasek's brilliant ability to spill his guts as a songwriter while further highlighting the talent of bandmates Greg Hawkes and Elliot Easton. 

Written by Ric Ocasek and sung by Benjamin Orr, "Drive" remains the Cars' most successful single in terms of position on the Billboard Hot 100 — reaching No. 3. "Drive" is not totally a ballad, though it is the most dramatic song on Heartbeat City. It's another great example of Orr's underrated prowess as a lead singer. The Cars' performance of "Drive" during 1985's Live Aid concert in Philadelphia is considered one of the most memorable musical moments from the entire event.

The first single from the Cars (released roughly a year before the band's debut album), and still, the group's undisputed masterpiece. Written by Ocasek and sung by Orr, the song captures everything the Cars were about from an actual musical standpoint. Just the right recipe of rock, pop, new wave, and even some Velvet Underground-infused punk, "Just What I Needed" only made it up to No. 27 on Billboard's Hot 100. However, perhaps it is the reason why The Cars are considered among the most musically gifted groups of all time.