Ric Ocasek

The Profile

American musician, singer-songwriter, and producer, best known as frontman of The Cars and for solo albums including This Side of Paradise (with the hit Emotion in Motion). Produced influential records for artists such as Weezer, Bad Brains, Bad Religion, and Nada Surf. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2018) with The Cars; died in 2019.

Frontman and principal songwriter of The Cars; successful solo career with the US hit single Emotion in Motion; producer of Weezer’s Blue and Green Albums, Bad Brains’ Rock for Light, Bad Religion’s The Gray Race, and Nada Surf’s High/Low; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (2018); died in 2019 in New York City.

Seven passionate reviews map Ric Ocasek’s solo road from Beatitude to Nexterday. Highlights praise This Side of Paradise and Troublizing, while Quick Change World/Negative Theater split opinions for their spoken-word tilt. Collaborations (Corgan, Vega, Verlaine) and 80s/NYC nocturnes recur. Overall: sharp ears, mixed-to-positive verdicts.