10 Classic Rock Bands Never Better Than Their First Album

The Cars' debut record was a gift to pop rock fans the world over. With the perfect blend of nervous energy and brash sonic sheen, this record had everything you wanted in a pop record from catchy choruses to phenomenal performances from Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr.

Once the band started to compile material for their next albums, that initial magic they captured on their debut seemed to fluctuate throughout their career. While they were still able to pump out great tracks on albums like Heartbeat City, the records didn't have the same consistency as the band's starting point. Songs like "Drive" and "Magic" may be fantastic, but if you put them against tracks like "My Best Friend's Girl," it's pretty easy to tell who comes out on top.

Those first steps may have been the band's strongest, but each member was still able to create classics outside of the band, with Ocasek being responsible for bringing nerd rock staples Weezer to mainstream attention. Are there hits to be found outside of this record? Yes, but not many that actually eclipse this record's brightness. The band have often joked that this album should have been called the Cars' Greatest Hits, but given the somewhat uneven albums that have come after it, it's kind of hard to argue with that crack.