"Bye Bye Love" is a song by the American

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

-based rock band

The Cars The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek ( rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (lead guitar), Greg Hawkes (keyboards), ...

. The song appears on the band's 1978 debut album

. It was written by bandleader

Ric Ocasek 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 co-lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and frontman for the rock ...

and sung by bassist

Benjamin Orr Benjamin Orzechowski (September 8, 1947 – October 3, 2000), known professionally as Benjamin Orr, was an American musician best known as the bassist, co-lead vocalist, and co-founder of the rock band The Cars. He sang lead vocals on sever ...

. The song was featured in the 2011 science-fiction film Super 8.

Background

"Bye Bye Love" is one of The Cars' oldest songs, dating back to the mid-1970s. The song was first performed, and recorded as a demo, by the band Cap'n Swing, which featured Ocasek, Orr, and guitarist

Elliot Easton Elliot Easton (born Elliot Steinberg, December 18, 1953) is an American guitarist. He played lead guitar and sang backing vocals for The Cars, and his guitar solos are an integral part of the band's music. Easton has also recorded music as a so ...

as members. In this early version, the recurring keyboard theme between the verse lyrics was significantly different. The song was later revived to appear on ''The Cars'' in 1978. Although the song was not released as a single, it has received regular airplay since the album was released.

Reception

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' critic

Kit Rachlis Kit Rachlis is an American journalist and editor who has held posts at ''The Village Voice'', ''LA Weekly'', ''Los Angeles Times'', ''Los Angeles'' magazine, ''The American Prospect'', ''The California Sunday Magazine,'' and currently ''ProPublic ...

said in his review of ''The Cars'' that "the songs bristle and -- in their harsher, more angular moments ('Bye Bye Love,' '

Don't Cha Stop "Don't Cha Stop" is a song by the American rock band the Cars. The song appears on their 1978 debut album ''The Cars''. Reception ''Rolling Stone'' critic Kit Rachlis Kit Rachlis is an American journalist and editor who has held posts at ''The ...

') -- bray." Jaime Welton, author of ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'', described the track as a "fan favorite", praising Elliot Easton as an "unsung hero, littering songs like 'Bye Bye Love' with staggeringly good fills."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

critic Greg Prato called it one of the "lesser-known compositions

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

are just as exhilarating" as the "familiar hits" on ''The Cars''.

References

1978 songs The Cars songs Songs written by Ric Ocasek Song recordings produced by Roy Thomas Baker {{1970s-rock-song-stub