The Cars

In late 2004, The Cars hit song "Just What I Needed" was played in Circuit City television ads.
. In the late 1990s, rumors circulated of a Cars reunion, but Orr's death of pancreatic cancer on October 3, 2000 put an end to them. In 1971 the Cowsills stopped playing together as a band, but they have produced albums and performed from time to time. The Cars announced the group's break-up in February 1988 (1988 in music). The Cowsills were also known as spokespeople for the American Dairy Association, appearing in advertisements promoting milk. After the resulting period of superstardom, the Cars released their last album Door to Door in 1987, but it failed to approach the success of their previous albums. There were approached at one point to play the roles of the children on the television series The Partridge Family, but they were not willing to have actress Shirley Jones play the role of their mother instead of their real mother.

The bands hits dominated the charts for over nine years; their most successful albums were 1978's The Cars, which featured one of the most popular New Wave songs of all time in "Just What I Needed," and 1984's Heartbeat City, which included four Top 20 singles: "Magic," "Drive," "Heartbeat City," and "You Might Think," which also won the MTV Video of the Year Award (see 1984 in music). The Cowsills also made many television appearances throughout the late 1960s and into the early 1970s, including on their own television special. While Elliot Easton could do the occasional guitar solo, The Cars' sound was defined much more by Greg Hawkes' synthesizers and the huge harmonies of Easton, Robinson, and Hawkes behind Orr's and Ocasek's lead vocals. In 1969 they had another number two hit with their version of the title song from the musical Hair. The Cars successfully bridged the gap between the guitar-oriented rock of the 1970s and the synth-oriented pop of the early 1980s. After being signed by MGM records, they quickly became a popular act in the U.S., with their biggest hit song, The Rain, the Park and Other Things, reaching number 2 on the pop charts and selling more than one million copies. The nucleus of the group was composed of guitarists Ocasek and Orr. They were encouraged by their parents, Barbara and Bud Cowsill, who drove them around to shows in the family's station wagon.

The band's members were Ric Ocasek (born Richard Otcasek), the band's principal songwriter, rhythm guitarist, and part-time lead singer; Benjamin Orr (born Benjamin Orzechowski), bassist and part-time lead singer; Elliot Easton, lead guitar and backing vocals; David Robinson, drums and backing vocals; and Greg Hawkes, keyboards, saxophone, guitar, and backing vocals. Originally inspired by the Beatles, the Cowsills developed their musicianship and harmonized vocals in performances at school dances and churches in their hometown. They hailed from Boston, Massachusetts and were signed to Elektra Records in 1977 (1977 in music). They were later joined by their siblings Susan and Paul and their mother, Barbara. The Cars were an American New Wave band, one of the most popular to emerge out of the early punk scene in the late 1970s. The Cowsills was a band that was formed in 1965 by four brothers — Barry, Bill, Bob, and John Cowsill — in Newport, Rhode Island. Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology (Rhino Records, 1995).

Door to Door (Elektra, 1987). Greatest Hits (Elektra, 1985). Heartbeat City (Elektra, 1984). Shake It Up (Elektra, 1981).

Panorama (Elektra, 1980). Candy-O (Elektra, 1979). The Cars (Elektra Records, 1978).