With Benjamin Orr on vocals, Ric Ocasek on rhythm guitar, and Easton playing lead, Cap’n Swing began making their mark on Boston in early ’76 (via Sweet Purple June). It wouldn’t be long before the band would catch the ear of popular local DJ, Maxanne. Her association with the band would become so influential that after an unsuccessful performance in Manhattan, the Boston Globe reports that Ric Ocasek reached out to her for advice. Her suggestions? Replace the drummer. Get rid of the bass player. Orr should then switch to bass, giving more time for Ric to sing. Oh, and the band needed to change its name.

After being rejected by several record labels throughout 1976 and 1977, Ocasek and Orr knew they had to make those changes. They released their bass player and drummer. Orr ended up switching over to bass and David Robinson was hired to play drums. Ric meanwhile took on more singing duties now that Orr had to focus on the bass. The only thing that was left was the name of the band. Ric wanted to keep it simple. Robinson suggested “Cars,” he explained to The Wall Street Journal, because “It was easy to remember and it wasn’t pegged to a specific decade or sound. The name was meaningless and conjured up nothing, which was perfect.” The band agreed. And a little over a year later, in 1978, the Cars would hit No. 27 on the Billboard 100 with the single “Just What I Needed” off their self-titled debut album, marking the beginning of their chart dominance.