Heartbeat City | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 13, 1984 | |||
Recorded | July 1983 – January 1984 | |||
Studio | Battery (London) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 38:41 | |||
Label | Elektra | |||
Producer |
| |||
the Cars chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Heartbeat City | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Baltimore Sun | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Chicago Tribune | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Classic Rock | 9/10[4] |
Mojo | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 7.5/10[6] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Under the Radar | 8/10[9] |
The Village Voice | B+[10] |
Heartbeat City is the fifth studio album by American new wave band the Cars, released on March 13, 1984, by Elektra Records. This marks the band's first album not produced by long-time producer Roy Thomas Baker, instead opting to produce with Robert John "Mutt" Lange. Considered a "comeback" album for the Cars, Heartbeat City represented a return to the success of the band's self-titled debut album.
Music critic Robert Christgau noted that "the glossy approach the Cars invented has made this the best year for pure pop in damn near twenty years, and it's only fair that they should return so confidently to form."[10] Numerous tracks from the album received airplay on modern rock and AOR stations, with the singles "Drive" and "You Might Think" reaching the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, while the album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.