The Cars in Soundtracks

A Catalog of The Cars in Soundtracks

One of my little nerdy obsessions…

I’ve been collecting a playlist on Youtube of the appearances of The Cars’ music, name, or influence in our culture. I’ve included television shows, movies, commercials, and cameos by band members. I’ve also added clips where someone else is covering a Cars’ song. This blog page is for my list of clips I’ve gathered.

Some video clips cannot be uploaded due to copyright issues; I’ll make a note next to the entry and let you know if there is another way to view it.

This list will always be a work in progress so if you’re interested in this kind of thing, check back from time to time. I’m working off the IMDB listing as well as following leads people give me (feel free to comment below if you’ve got something for me).  I kind of go with what I can get my hands on, how much time I have, and what mood I’m in at the time.

Here’s what I have so far:

(Just a heads up; the Youtube playlist is not in the same order as the list below. One of these days I’ll put Youtube in chronological order, but today is not that day. Haha!)

  1. 1979 —  Over The Edge: “Just What I Needed” ~ “My Best Friend’s Girl”
  2. 1979 — Promises in the Dark: “My Best Friend’s Girl”
  3. 1979 — WKRP in Cincinnati, season 1, episode 22: “Just What I Needed” (may not be available in all countries due to copyright)
  4. 1980 — WKRP in Cincinnati, season 2, episode 15: the Candy-O album cover makes a cameo appearance
  5. 1980 — WKRP in Cincinnati, season 3, episode 1: “Gimme Some Slack.” Unfortunately I do not have a clip for this. As I understand it, when WKRP first started taping episodes the licensing agreements they had were limited in time. Once the licenses expired, the owners of the episodes chose to substitute similar but generic music rather than pay to renew, even though it meant sometimes re-dubbing dialogue. I can’t find a version of this episode that still has the original soundtrack.
  6. 1980 — Times Square: “Dangerous Type”
  7. 1981 — WKRP in Cincinnati, season 4, episode 9: the Shake It Up cover makes a cameo appearance
  8. 1982 — Last American Virgin: “Shake It Up” ~ “Since You’re Gone”
  9. 1982 — Fast Times at Ridgemont High: “Moving In Stereo”
  10. 1982 — Smithereens: the Panorama album cover is seen on the wall
  11. 1983 — Doing It: “Shake It Up” (this is listed as pornography on IMDB so I don’t intend to search it out)
  12. 1983 — The King of Comedy: “Steal The Night” (Ric solo)
  13. 1983 — Videodrome: view of Candy-O album cover on the wall
  14. 1984 — Saturday Night Live: performed “Magic” and “Drive” (uploaded on Facebook)
  15. 1984 — Saturday Night Live: Elliot Easton appeared with Peter Wolf, performing “I Need You Tonight” and “Lights Out” (uploaded on Facebook)
  16. 1985 — The Sure Thing: “You Might Think”
  17. 1985 — Live Aid: “You Might Think,” “Drive,” “Just What I Needed,” “Heartbeat City” (unable to upload this to my own channel, but I did create a playlist piecing together videos that involved The Cars)
  18. 1985 — The Fall Guy, season 4, episode 20: “Hello Again” (flagged on YouTube as ‘inappropriate content,’ which is so weird since it is a scene from a show that aired on television!)
  19. 1986 — Top Gun: “Stranger Eyes” (trailer)
  20. 1986 — Saturday Night Live: Ric Ocasek performed “Emotion in Motion” and “Keep on Laughing” (uploaded on Facebook) (solo performance). Ric also appears in a “Church Chat” skit with Dana Carvey, Victoria Jackson, and Rosanna Arquette.
  21. 1987 — Date With an Angel: “You Are the Girl”
  22. 1987 — Made In Heaven: “I Still Want You” (Ric solo)
  23. 1987 — Made In Heaven: Ric Ocasek cameo as a garage mechanic
  24. 1987 — Saturday Night Live: performed “Strap Me In” and “Double Trouble” (uploaded on Facebook). Ric also appears in the opening skit with Dana Carvey and Elvira.
  25. 1988 — Hairspray: Ric Ocasek bit part as ‘Beatnik cat’
  26. 1990 — Pretty Woman: “Real Wild Child” (Christopher Otcasek (Ric’s son))
  27. 1990 — Quantum Leap, season 2, episode 13: “Shake It Up” (I was able to find this episode, but the music had been redacted and replaced with some generic soundtrack. Bummer!)
  28. 1990 — Attack of the Killer Refrigerator: “Heartbeat City”
  29. 1990 — An American Summer: “Good Times Roll”
  30. 1992 — Housesitter: David Robinson cameo as a caterer
  31. 1992 — Sjans, season 1, episode 3: “Drive” (foreign television show; unable to find a clip)
  32. 1993 — Freunde Furs Leben, season 2, episode 1: “Drive” (foreign television show; unable to find a clip)
  33. 1994 — The World’s Greatest Magic: “Hello Again” (I believe this was played during a magic routine by Topas. I’ve found a similar performance by him, but not the actual footage for this television special.)
  34. 1995 — Billy Madison: “I’m Not The One”
  35. 1996 — The Craft: “Dangerous Type” (Letters To Cleo cover, featuring Greg Hawkes)
  36. 1997 — The Saint: “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight” (Smashing Pumpkins cover)
  37. 1997 — Excess Baggage: “All Mixed Up” (Red House Painters cover)
  38. 1997 — Private Parts: “Since You’re Gone”
  39. 1998 — The Wedding Singer: “It’s All I Can Do”
  40. 1999 — 200 Cigarettes: “Just What I Needed”
  41. 1999 — Jawbreaker: “Good Times Roll”
  42. 1999 — Boys Don’t Cry: “Just What I Needed”
  43. 2000 — Freaks and Geeks, season 1, episode 12: “Good Times Roll”
  44. 2000 — Lucky Numbers: “Moving In Stereo”
  45. 2000 — Where The Money Is: “You Might Think” ~ “My Best Friend’s Girl”
  46. 2001 — Family Guy, season 3, episode 8: “Moving In Stereo”
  47. 2001 — Disney’s Golden Dreams: Elliot Easton cameo
  48. 2001 — Scrubs, season 1, episode 11: “Moving In Stereo”
  49. 2001 — Not Another Teen Movie: “Let’s Go”
  50. 2002 — Mr. Deeds: “My Best Friend’s Girl”
  51. 2002 — Sorority Boys: “My Best Friend’s Girl”
  52. 2003 — Alias, season 2, episode 14: “Moving In Stereo” (Another show where I was able to find the episode but the original soundtrack music was replaced. Rats!)
  53. 2003 — Pauly Shore is Dead: “Good Times Roll” (may not be available in all countries due to copyright)
  54. 2003 — Wonderland: “Good Times Roll”
  55. 2003 — I Love the 80s Strikes Back: brief discussion of the video for “Drive”
  56. 2004-2006 — Circuit City ad campaign: “Just What I Needed”
  57. 2004 — Drawn Together, season 1, episode 5: “Moving In Stereo”
  58. 2004 — 50 First Dates: “Drive” (Ziggy Marley cover)
  59. 2004 — The Prince and Me: “Shake It Up”
  60. 2005 — The Squid and The Whale: “Drive”
  61. 2005 — Cold Case, season 2, episode 11: “Moving In Stereo”
  62. 2005 — Just Like Heaven: “Good Times Roll”
  63. 2005 — Sky High: “Just What I Needed”
  64. 2006 — CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, season 6, episode 14: “Good Times Roll”
  65. 2006 — Cold Case, season 3, episode 22: “Drive”
  66. 2006 — Click: “Magic” ~ “Feeling’s Got to Stay” (Ric solo) ~ “Everybody” (Ric solo)
  67. 2006 — Everybody Hates Chris, season 2, episode 9: “Good Times Roll”
  68. 2006 — Brotherhood, season 1, episode 8: “Just What I Needed”
  69. 2007 — Rescue Me, season 4, episode 13: “Good Times Roll”
  70. 2007 — Transformers: “Drive”
  71. 2007 — Margot at the Wedding: mention of Ric Ocasek
  72. 2007 — Good Luck Chuck: “You Might Think”
  73. 2009 — I Love You, Man: “Good Times Roll”
  74. 2009 — Glee, season 1, episode 12: “You Might Think”
  75. 2009 — One Tree Hill, season 7, episode 8: “Moving In Stereo”
  76. 2009 — Confessions of a Shopaholic: “Emotion In Motion” (Ric solo)
  77. 2010 — Big Love, season 5, episode 5: “Bye Bye Love”
  78. 2010 — Cold Case, season 7, episode 13: “Since You’re Gone”
  79. 2010 — Cold Case, season 7, episode 18: “Just What I Needed”
  80. 2010 — Skateland: “Shake It Up” and a cameo of the Panorama album cover
  81. 2011 — Hick: “My Best Friend’s Girl”
  82. 2011 — Super 8: “Bye Bye Love”
  83. 2011 — Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: “Free” ~ “Let’s Go” ~ “Blue Tip”
  84. 2011 — Cars 2: “You Might Think” (Weezer cover)
  85. 2012 — Girls Against Boys: “This Could Be Love”
  86. 2013 — The Carrie Diaries, season 1, episode 3: “Drive” (may not be available in all countries due to copyright)
  87. 2013 — The Regular Show, season 4, episode 16: “You Might Think”
  88. 2013 — The Office, season 9, finale: “You Might Think”
  89. 2013 — Somebody Up There Likes Me: “Double Life”
  90. 2014 — The Mindy Project, season 2, episode 17: “Just What I Needed” (may not be available in all countries due to copyright)
  91. 2014 — The Mindy Project, season 2, episode 22: “Drive” (may not be available in all countries due to copyright)
  92. 2015 — 7 Chinese Brothers: “Bye Bye Love” ~ “Since You’re Gone”
  93. 2016 — The Goldbergs, season 3, episode 19: “Magic: (may not be available in all countries due to copyright)
  94. 2016 — The Goldbergs, season 4, episode 3: mention as a Live Aid participant
  95. 2106 — Everybody Wants Some!!: “Good Times Roll”
  96. 2017 — The Gifted, season 1, episode 2: “Shake It Up”
  97. 2017 — Love, season 2, episode 7: “Touch and Go” (may not be available in all countries due to copyright)
  98. 2017 — Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World: Elliot discusses legendary guitarist Jesse Ed Davis
  99. 2018 — The Goldbergs, season 6, episode 9: “Just What I Needed”
  100. 2018 — Bumblebee: “Let’s Go”
  101. 2018 — Age of Summer: “Double Life”
  102. 2018 — American Crime Story, season 2, episode 4: “Drive” (Aimee Mann cover)
  103. 2019 — Multiple Capital One commercials: “Good Times Roll”
  104. 2019 — Arrested Development, season 5, episodes 12 and 14: “Drive”
  105. 2019 — Stranger Things, season 3: “Moving In Stereo” (trailer)
  106. 2019 — Dead to Me, season 1, episode 5: “Drive” (cover by Brandon Scott)
  107. 2019 — Onward: “Magic” (trailer)
  108. 2019 — City On A Hill, season 1, episode 4: “Good Times Roll”
  109. 2019 — Commercial for TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card (Canada): “Just What I Needed”
  110. 2020 — Stargirl: “Just What I Needed” (may not be available in all countries due to copyright)
  111. 2020 — Fidelity Investments commercial: “Let’s Go”
  112. 2021 — American Pickers, season 22, episode 10: a Candy-O concert shirt is valued at $500 (may not be available in all countries due to copyright)
  113. 2021 — Animal Kingdom, season 5, episode 1: “Cruiser”