“Just What I Needed” is a song by American rock band The Cars, released as their debut single from their self-titled debut album, released in 1978 on Elektra Records. After achieving exposure as a demo, the song became a successful single for The Cars, hitting the top 30 in America.[1] Appearing on numerous compilation albums, it has become one of the band’s most popular songs.
“Just What I Needed”, like many other tracks on The Cars, originated as a demo tape recorded by the band in 1977.[1] This song first appeared in 1977 on Boston radio stations WCOZ and WBCN from the said demo tape, along with its future follow-up single “My Best Friend’s Girl“.[1] Shortly thereafter, it became one of the stations’ most requested songs.[2]
The opening riff of “Just What I Needed” was borrowed from “Yummy Yummy Yummy“, a song by the Ohio Express.[1] It also features a prominent keyboard riff performed by Greg Hawkes. The song was sung by the Cars’ bassist Benjamin Orr.
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 96 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 35 |
| French Singles Chart | 4 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 38 |
| UK Singles Chart | 17 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 27 |
