The Cars

The Cars were an American New Wave rock group formed in 1976 in Boston, Massachusetts. Led by Ric Ocasek on vocals and guitar, the band also included Benjamin Orr on vocals and bass, Elliot Easton on guitar, Greg Hawkes on keyboards, saxophone, and guitar, and David Robinson on drums.

Initially known for their guitar-driven rock sound with progressive keyboard accompaniment, The Cars quickly transitioned to a heavily synth-based pop-rock style after releasing their first album. Throughout the late 1970s and into the 1980s, they became one of the most successful American New Wave bands with numerous platinum albums and Top 40 singles.

In 2006, Greg Hawkes and Elliot Easton joined forces with Todd Rundgren, Kasim Sulton (both from Utopia), and Prairie Prince (formerly of The Tubes) to form The New Cars. They performed mainly original Cars material live. In 2011, The Cars released a new album without Benjamin Orr who had passed away in 2000. They embarked on a tour again with Greg Hawkes taking over on bass and Ric Ocasek as the sole lead singer.

The Cars were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. They reunited once more to perform at the induction ceremony before Ric Ocasek's passing in September 2019.