Again, in my neighborhood Safeway: “Cars,” by Gary Numan, ca. 1979. I rather like the song—I saw Numan in concert in Minneapolis (I remember the Orpheum but an online source says the Guthrie?1)—but could there be a more dystopian pop song?
1No, I’m pretty sure was the Orpheum. The opening act would have been Nash the Slash, who appeared masked and playing a guitar-like thing, à la Angine de Poitrine. I don’t remember the name, but the dates line up. He was not well received.