Just What I Needed is a song by The Cars whic established them as one of New Wave's leading hitmakers and helped get them a deal with Elektra Records. Lead vocals were by bass player Ben Orr, but it was written by lead singer/guitarist Ric Ocasek. Orr died of Pancreatic cancer in 2000. Ocasek wrote this in a basement at a commune in Newton, Massachusetts where he lived. The 2-track demo recorded by the band became the most-requested song by a local band in the history of WBCN, a popular rock station in Boston. This was the group's first single. The Cars evolved from a trio called Milkwood.