Ric Ocasek was the lead singer/guitarist for the Boston pop band the Cars. Ocasek began a solo career in 1982, releasing Beatitude. His second album, This Side of Paradise, was released in 1986; featuring the number 15 single "Emotion in Motion," it was his most successful record. Once the Cars broke up in 1986, he concentrated on production work; he didn't release another album until 1990. Both Fireball Zone (1990) and Negative Theater (1993) failed to chart. Ocasek's production career, however, was revived in 1994 by his work on the punk-pop band Weezer's multi-platinum debut, and he resurfaced as a performer in 1997 with Troublizing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine