Magic (The Cars song)

"Magic"
"Magic"
Single by the Cars
from the album Heartbeat City
B-side	"I Refuse"
Released	May 7, 1984
Studio	Battery, London
Genre	Rock; new wave; power pop;
Length	3:57
Label	Elektra
Songwriter	Ric Ocasek
Producers	Robert John "Mutt" Lange; the Cars;
The Cars singles chronology
Music video
	"Magic" on YouTube

"Magic" is a song by American rock band the Cars from their fifth studio album, Heartbeat City (1984). It was released on May 7, 1984, as the album's second single, reaching number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Top Tracks chart.^[5] The track was written by Ric Ocasek and produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange and the Cars. Ocasek sang lead vocals.

Music video

The music video for "Magic" is set at a pool party attended by an array of bizarre and comically deranged characters. It features Ocasek walking on the water of the swimming pool as the various characters gather to marvel at him. Toward the end of the video, some of the guests (perhaps in their own delusion) attempt to reach Ocasek by stepping onto the pool's surface believing that they too can walk on water, but only end up plunging into the pool. Ocasek remains standing (and dry) because, as the song title suggests, "it's magic".

The Cars shot "Magic" at the Hilton family house in Beverly Hills, which Kathy Hilton had leased to the band. A plexiglass platform sat under the surface of the water. The platform collapsed on the first take and had to be adjusted to support Ocasek's weight.

Personnel

The Cars

Ric Ocasek – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Ben Orr – bass guitar, backing vocals
Elliot Easton – lead guitar, backing vocals
Greg Hawkes – keyboards, backing vocals, Fairlight CMI programming
David Robinson – drums, Fairlight programming

Additional personnel

Andy Topeka – Fairlight CMI programming

Charts

Weekly charts

1984 weekly chart performance for "Magic"
Chart (1984)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[6]	96
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[7]	14
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[8]	50
US Billboard Hot 100^[9]	12
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)^[10]	1
US Cash Box Top 100 Singles^[11]	16

2019 weekly chart performance for "Magic"
Chart (2019)	Peak position
US Rock Digital Song Sales (Billboard)^[12]	13

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Magic"
Chart (1984)	Position
US Billboard Hot 100^[13]	97

References

^ Gerard, Chris (August 12, 2014). "Classic Album Revisited: The Cars, "Heartbeat City"". Metro Weekly. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
^ "Rock's 40 Best Summer Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. July 1, 2022. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
^ Edwards, Luke (March 23, 2024). "Best Cars Songs: 10 New Wave Hits To Rev Your Engine". Dig!. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine (26 January 2024). "The 30 best songs released in 1984". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 16 June 2025. 'Magic' is perfect power pop. From construction to production, it's all a gleaming hook machine.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8th ed.). Billboard Books. p. 108. ISBN 0-8230-7499-4.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6797." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
^ "The Cars – Magic". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
^ "The Cars Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
^ "The Cars Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending July 14, 1984". Cash Box. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
^ "The Cars Chart History (Rock Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
^ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 1984". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 25, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.

This 1980s rock song–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] Gerard, Chris (August 12, 2014). "Classic Album Revisited: The Cars, "Heartbeat City"". Metro Weekly. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2018.

[summer-2] "Rock's 40 Best Summer Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. July 1, 2022. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.

[Edwards_2024-3] Edwards, Luke (March 23, 2024). "Best Cars Songs: 10 New Wave Hits To Rev Your Engine". Dig!. Retrieved January 5, 2025.

[4] Stephen Thomas Erlewine (26 January 2024). "The 30 best songs released in 1984". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 16 June 2025. 'Magic' is perfect power pop. From construction to production, it's all a gleaming hook machine.

[5] Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8th ed.). Billboard Books. p. 108. ISBN 0-8230-7499-4.

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

[sc_Canadatopsingles_-7] "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6797." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 26, 2020.

[sc_New_Zealand_The_Cars-8] "The Cars – Magic". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 26, 2020.

[sc_Billboardhot100_The_Cars-9] "The Cars Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2020.

[sc_Billboardmainstreamrock_The_Cars-10] "The Cars Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2020.

[11] "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending July 14, 1984". Cash Box. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2017.

[12] "The Cars Chart History (Rock Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2021.

[13] "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 1984". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 25, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.

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v t e The Cars
Elliot Easton Greg Hawkes Ric Ocasek Benjamin Orr David Robinson
Studio albums	The Cars Candy-O Panorama Shake It Up Heartbeat City Door to Door Move Like This
Compilation albums	Greatest Hits Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology Shake It Up & Other Hits Complete Greatest Hits The Essentials The Cars Unlocked: The Live Performances The Elektra Years 1978–1987
Singles	"Just What I Needed" "My Best Friend's Girl" "Good Times Roll" "Let's Go" "It's All I Can Do" "Double Life" "Touch and Go" "Don't Tell Me No" "Gimme Some Slack" "Shake It Up" "Since You're Gone" "Victim of Love" "Think It Over" "You Might Think" "Magic" "Drive" "Hello Again" "Why Can't I Have You" "Heartbeat City" "Tonight She Comes" "I'm Not the One" "You Are the Girl" "Strap Me In" "Coming Up You" "Sad Song"
Other songs	"I'm in Touch with Your World" "Don't Cha Stop" "You're All I've Got Tonight" "Bye Bye Love" "Moving in Stereo" "All Mixed Up" "Candy-O" "Night Spots" "Dangerous Type" "Panorama" "Cruiser" "Blue Tip"
Concert tours	Road Rage Tour North American Tour Spring 2011
Related articles	Discography Songs Substitution Mass Confusion: A Tribute to The Cars BrainDead Glamour Camp
The New Cars	Todd Rundgren Kasim Sulton Atom Ellis Prairie Prince It's Alive! Utopia
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