RIP, Ric Ocasek

Ric Ocasek..., RIP to a real one. My relationship with The Cars started in 1983. Inspired by my tapehead father and uncle, all I wanted for my 8th birthday was a Sony Walkman (the blue one with orange foam pads on the headphones). That year my dad came through and my uncle even kicked in a few tapes that included The Cars debut. From then on I was a fan. Even as I've grown much older I remained astonished at the cool electronic synth and drum machine sounds they used on most of their albums. Like most of the coolest pop-culture things in modern American history, there's a Northeast Ohio connection in the form of their bass player and co-lead singer, Benjamin Orr, who sadly passed away in 2000. When you dig through The Cars' catalog, you quickly realize that it's actually Benjamin Orr who sings lead on 40% of their most noteworthy songs. I'm sure they're catching up in heaven right now as I type this up.

I hope you enjoy my little playlist of Ric Ocasek Cars bangers. I took creative license by playing the Orr-led "Bye Bye Love" after "You're All I've Got Tonight" because not playing those two tracks in the proper sequence only serves to increase the chances of a black hole opening up in the universe to swallow us all. After many decades of strict observance, I've noticed that classic rock stations have recently started to ignore that unspoken rule, probably because their playlists are programmed by computers instead of human beings nowadays... Oh well, not on my watch.

You're All I've Got Tonight
Bye Bye Love
Dangerous Type
Since I Held You
Don't Cha Stop
Strap Me In
Hello Again
Magic
A Dream Away
I'm Not the One
I'm in Touch With Your World
Night Spots
Got a Lot on My Head
Candy-O
Good Times Roll
Since You're Gone