Ric Ocasek Albums Ranked

Richard Theodore Otcasek (March 23, 1944 – September 15, 2019), known as Ric Ocasek, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He was the primary lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and frontman for the rock band the Cars. In addition to his work with the Cars, Ocasek recorded seven solo albums, and his song “Emotion in Motion” was a top 20 hit in the United States in 1986. Ocasek also worked as a record producer for artists such as Motion City Soundtrack, Suicide, Bad Brains, Weezer, Nada Surf, Guided by Voices, and No Doubt. In 2018, Ocasek was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Cars. Here are all of Ric Ocasek’s albums ranked.

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5. Quick Change World (1993)

“The good thing about this album is that the sound is fresh and so well produced. Ric doesn’t try to sound like the cars and every song is different with some more edgier. Only exception is “She’s on” which looks like a song from Heart Beat City.”

4. Beatitude (1983)

“This was released as a solo effort from Ric Ocasek, during a hiatus by The Cars, but being the main songwriter from that group, and their primary vocalist, it’s not at all too far removed, and easily could have been their fifth album. There’s less of a rock sound on this one, with keyboards being more of a focus, but the songs are class. There’s also a touch of experimentation here and there. By the time the Cars released their next album, they had gone in a more commercial direction and became pop superstars, but Beatitude is easily one of Ocasek’s best statements as an artist.”

3. Troublizing (1997)

“My favorite Ric Ocasek solo effort. Great hooks, harmonies and songwriting. It’s has that familiar THE CARS pop/rock sound but goes well beyond that in terms of maturity. Produced by Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) and it was a wise decision placing him in the producers chair. He “gets it.” As a fan of The Cars, he did a great job structuring a near-perfect solo album for Ocasek. Melissa Auf der Maur (Hole, Smashing Pumpkins) appears on this album as well, performing bass duties and offering backup vocals.”

2. This Side Of Paradise (1986)

“An excellent hidden gem from the 80’s, this album is a proud addition to my library. Ric was the lead singer with another Classic band, The Cars. Every track is superbly produced with clear and distinctive riffs, melodic sounds and heavy beats. Published in 1986 all 10 tracks are pure genius!”

1. Nexterday (2005)

“In my view, Ric Ocasek is probably the coolest man on the planet. I had thought that Bryan Ferry was unsurpassed, but now I’m not sure – I think Ric Ocasek wins out overall. The kinds of atmospheres that he creates resonate at an existential depth that only literary geniuses like Nabakov can ever hope to put into words. One literary theorist speaks of “a pre-philosophical living-through of an event within a horizon, resulting in a reconfigurig of existential forces”.