"Heartbeat City" is a song by American rock band the Cars from their fifth studio album of the same name (1984). It was released in September 1985 as the album's sixth and final single.
| "Heartbeat City" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by the Cars | ||||
| from the album Heartbeat City | ||||
| B-side | "Why Can't I Have You" | |||
| Released | September 1985 (1985-09) | |||
| Recorded | 1983–1984 | |||
| Studio | Battery (London) | |||
| Genre | New wave | |||
| Length | 4:31 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ric Ocasek | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| The Cars singles chronology | ||||
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Original US pressings of the LP and cassette versions listed the title of "Heartbeat City" as "Jacki".[1]
"Heartbeat City" was one of the four songs performed by the Cars during their performance on Live Aid in 1985, along with "You Might Think", "Drive", and "Just What I Needed".
"Heartbeat City" was released internationally as the sixth and final single the Heartbeat City album, where it was backed with "Why Can't I Have You". The song charted at number 78 in the United Kingdom and number 75 in Australia. Prior to its single release, "Heartbeat City" appeared as the B-side to "You Might Think" in the United States and "Why Can't I Have You" in the United Kingdom.
"Heartbeat City" has been described retrospectively as "ethereal" and as a "highlight" from Heartbeat City by AllMusic critic Greg Prato.[2] Donald A. Guarisco, also of AllMusic, characterized the track as "a memorable effort in [the] vein [of 'atmospheric moodpieces'], a hypnotic bit of new wave that mixed impressionistic lyrics with an entrancing electronic soundscape." He concluded, "The result was probably a little too esoteric to be a hit but it got some exposure as the B-side to 'You Might Think' and provide a fittingly arty finale for the Heartbeat City album."[3]
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 75 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[5] | 78 |
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| Related articles |
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| The New Cars |
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