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Shake It Up
Studio album by the Cars
Released	November 6, 1981
Recorded	1981
Studio	Syncro Sound, Boston
Genre	New wave dance-rock pop
Length	40:42
Label	Elektra
Producer	Roy Thomas Baker
The Cars chronology
Panorama (1980) Shake It Up (1981) Heartbeat City (1984)
Singles from Shake It Up
"Shake It Up" Released: November 9, 1981 "Since You're Gone" Released: 1982 "Victim of Love" Released: 1982 "Think It Over" Released: 1982 "I'm Not the One" Released: January 13, 1986

Shake It Up is the fourth studio album by American new wave band the Cars, released on November 6, 1981, by Elektra Records. It was the last Cars record to be produced by Roy Thomas Baker. A much more pop-oriented album than its predecessor, its title track became the band's first Billboard top-10 single. Spin magazine included it on their "50 Best Albums of 1981" list.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Robert Christgau	B
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Spin Alternative Record Guide	7/10

The Globe and Mail wrote that "Ric Ocasek and the boys have produced an understated and decidedly underwhelming package that makes no attempt to deviate from their patented, semi-robotic pop." The Boston Globe deemed the album "a conservative, cautious work that breaks no new ground."

Track listing

All tracks are written by Ric Ocasek, except where noted

Personnel

• Ric Ocasek – rhythm guitar, vocals
• Elliot Easton – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Benjamin Orr – bass guitar, vocals
• David Robinson – drums, percussion
• Greg Hawkes – keyboards, backing vocals

Production

• The Cars – arrangements
• Roy Thomas Baker – producer
• Ian Taylor – recording
• Thom Moore – assistant engineer
• Walter Turbitt – assistant engineer
• George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
• David Robinson – cover design
• Clint Clemens – photography

Charts

Certifications

References

1. "The 50 Best Albums of 1981". Spin. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
2. Shake It Up at AllMusic
3. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2011). "Cars". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
4. Robert Christgau rock critic
5. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 113.
6. Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 76, 77.
7. Niester, Alan (19 Dec 1981). "Inside the Sleeve Pop: Shake It Up The Cars". The Globe and Mail. p. F7.
8. Morse, Steve (29 Nov 1981). "Records". Arts. The Boston Globe. p. 1.
9. Kent 1993, p. 56.
10. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0463". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
11. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Cars – Shake It Up" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
12. "Charts.nz – The Cars – Shake It Up". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
13. "The Cars Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
14. Kent 1993, p. 434.
15. "Top 100 Albums 82". RPM. Vol. 37, no. 19. December 25, 1982. p. 19. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
16. "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
17. "American album certifications – The Cars – Shake It Up". Recording Industry Association of America. December 17, 2001. Retrieved September 19, 2019.

Bibliography

• Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

• The Cars albums
• 1981 albums
• Albums produced by Roy Thomas Baker
• Elektra Records albums