Door to Door (album)

"Door to Door" is the sixth studio album by American new wave band The Cars, released on August 25, 1987, by Elektra Records. Produced by frontman Ric Ocasek with additional production by keyboardist Greg Hawkes, the album featured three singles. Among them, "You Are the Girl" was the only one to achieve significant chart success, reaching number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite its singles, Door to Door became the Cars' lowest-charting studio album, peaking at number 26 on the Billboard 200. The band disbanded within a year of its release.

Door to Door was the final studio album by The Cars featuring the original lineup before their disbandment in 1988 and the last album to include bassist Benjamin Orr, who passed away in 2000. The album marked a return to the band's original style, contrasting with their previous work which had heavily relied on studio effects and machines. This return to a more authentic sound included live drum performances by David Robinson, who had been sidelined by the heavy use of sequenced drums on their prior album, Heartbeat City.

During the recording sessions, The Cars revisited older material, including "Ta Ta Wayo Wayo," a song from their early days that had only been recorded as a demo in 1977. Another track, "Leave or Stay," was also a 1977 demo that was finally completed for this album. Both demos were later included on the 1995 compilation Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology.

The lead single, "You Are the Girl," achieved notable success, reaching number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Album Rock Tracks chart. The follow-up single, "Strap Me In," peaked at number 85 on the Hot 100 and reached number four on the rock chart. The final single, "Coming Up You," achieved number 74 on the Hot 100 and number 37 on the Hot Adult Contemporary chart.

The promotional tour for Door to Door became the band's last with the original lineup, and the final performance on December 12, 1987, at the Cobo Arena in Detroit was the last time the band played with Orr. The Cars did not release another studio album until Move Like This in 2011.