The Cars Classics Get Another Spin — Primary Wave Inks Broad-Reaching Deal with Ric Ocasek Estate

Photo Credit: Gus Stewart for Getty Images (Redferns Collection) / Primary Wave

Primary Wave Music inks a partnership with the estate of The Cars’ Ric Ocasek, which includes his publishing catalog from his time with the band.The Estate of Ric Ocasek and Primary Wave Music have announced their new partnership, with terms of the deal seeing the publishing giant partner with Ocasek’s estate on the artist’s publishing catalog. This includes all songs from his time with The Cars as a cultural innovator and driving force of the band, in addition to his music released as a solo artist.

In this new partnership, Primary Wave will now share in name, image, and likeness rights with the state, and will provide access to the company’s marketing team and publishing infrastructure, working closely on new marketing, branding, digital, and sync opportunities, as well as TV and film projects.

“It is an absolute honor to partner with the Estate of Ric Ocasek,” said Adam Lowenberg, Primary Wave’s Chief Marketing Officer. “His words, music, and overall vision left such an indelible mark on the historical music landscape. I cannot imagine my own youth without the songs of Ric Ocasek. We are so eager to begin creating new opportunities to introduce Ric’s world to a whole new audience.”

Over the course of his five-plus decade career, Ocasek sold over 20 million records with The Cars and had over ten Top 40 hits. The band was nominated for six Grammys, including Best New Artist in 1979, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. Ocasek was the primary vocalist and songwriter for the band, writing some of their biggest hits, including the critically acclaimed singles, “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Let the Good Times Roll,” and “Let’s Go.” Each of those songs are included in the multi-million-dollar deal, as well as their hit, “Drive,” which was the band’s highest charting single.Other gems from the catalog included in the partnership are the hits “You Might Think” and “Just What I Needed,” the former of which was the first single off the band’s fifth album, and which shot to the Top 10 on the Billboard 100. The accompanying music video was a huge hit, and one of the first music videos to use computer graphics.

Released in 1978, “Just What I Needed” was the first single off The Cars’ debut album and was the most successful single from the release. The track has become praised by fans and critics alike, with Rolling Stone including it on their “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list. The song influenced Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo to select Ocasek to be the producer for the band’s debut. His reputation as a producer developed, and he found himself working with other bands like Bad Religion and No Doubt.