"Stay the Night" is the debut solo single by

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 ( keyboard ...

vocalist and bassist Benjamin Orr, released in 1986 from his debut solo album '' The Lace''. The song reached No. 24 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in early 1987, becoming Orr's only top 40 hit as a solo artist.

Background

Prior to recording his solo album, Orr had been a founding member, along with singer and songwriter

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 ...

of the Cars. The Cars' first top 40 hit, "

Just What I Needed "Just What I Needed" is a song by American rock band The Cars from their self-titled debut album (1978). The song, which first achieved radio success as a demo, took inspiration from the Ohio Express and the Velvet Underground. The song is sun ...

", featured Orr on lead vocals, as did their biggest hit, " Drive", from 1984's '' Heartbeat City''. Following the Cars' 1985 ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

'' release, the band split up to pursue solo projects, with both Orr and Ocasek releasing solo albums in 1986, lead 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 ...

having released one in 1985. Weeks before "Stay the Night" entered the US top 40, Ocasek himself was in the top 40 with his own solo hit " Emotion in Motion". In both cases, those would become the only US top 40 solo hits for both Cars members respectively. The band reunited to record 1987's ''

Door to Door Door-to-door is a canvassing technique that is generally used for sales, marketing, advertising, evangelism or campaigning, in which the person or persons walk from the door of one house to the door of another, trying to sell or advertise a ...

'', which produced " You Are the Girl", their last top 40 single.

Track listing

US 7" (Elektra) #"Stay the Night" – 4:26 #"That's the Way" – 4:07

Chart performance

References

1986 songs 1986 debut singles Elektra Records singles {{1980s-pop-song-stub