Latest Release
- SEP 15, 2023
- 12 Songs
- Pretenders (Expanded Edition) [2006 Remaster] · 1979
- Last of the Independents · 1994
- Learning to Crawl (Expanded Edition) · 1984
- Get Close · 1986
- Learning to Crawl (Expanded Edition) · 1984
- Learning to Crawl (Expanded Edition) · 1984
- Pretenders II · 1981
- The Singles · 1980
- Pretenders (Expanded Edition) [2006 Remaster] · 1979
- Pretenders (Expanded Edition) [2006 Remaster] · 1979
Essential Albums
- After losing guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bassist Pete Farndon to drug-related deaths, a sobered Pretenders returned to the spotlight with Learning to Crawl. Chrissie Hynde turned her distinctive contralto to sentimental songs, both romantic and reflective, that retained her trademark, clear-eyed bravado. Poignant singles like the shimmering love song "Show Me" and the rueful "Back on the Chain Gang" meshed perfectly with attitude-driven rockers "Middle of the Road" and "My City Was Gone."
- For their second album, The Pretenders pretty much redoubled the songcraft and the sentiments of their pop-crunching debut but added some musical restraint and life experience. (A year or more of relentless touring and chart successes can mean a lot in the hands of a great songwriter; just listen to “Day After Day.”) Like any truly great rock ’n’ roller, band frontwoman Chrissie Hynde could soothe and rock. Here she spins a melancholy childhood yarn involving “catching frogs in ditches and listening for elves” (“Birds of Paradise”) and then turns around and rails on an idiot punk (“Bad Boys Get Spanked”). Then, as if offering recompense for songwriting lessons learned, Hynde curtsies to one of the greatest songwriters ever by covering Ray Davies’ wonderful Kinks demo “I Go to Sleep” (the band previously covered The Kinks’ “Stop Your Sobbing”). This 1981 album’s two massive hits, “Talk of the Town” and “Message of Love,” bottleneck everything tight and tender about the band, which would soon be struck with tragedy when both guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bassist Pete Farndon died of drug overdoses.
- 2023
- 2022
- 2021
- 2021
Artist Playlists
- A thin line between tragedy and triumph.
- Classic '60s rock and pop meet punk—and get on famously.
- Their toughness and pop smarts echo throughout punk and alt-rock.
- The New Wave greats explore bluesy rock, R&B, and even downtempo.
Singles & EPs
Live Albums
Compilations
More To Hear
- On his new album, Pure Comedy. Hanni El Khatib calls in.
About Pretenders
Pretenders cloak a tender rock ’n’ roll heart with a snarling punk attitude. Led by the indomitable Akron, OH-born vocalist Chrissie Hynde, the band formed in London in 1978, debuting with a Nick Lowe-produced cover of The Kinks’ “Stop Your Sobbing.” A similarly melodic pop vibe permeated the 1980 hit “Brass In Pocket,” although many early Pretenders songs such as “Precious” and “Tattooed Love Boys” possessed a far more biting edge. The group overcame several tragedies, including the 1982 death of guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, and spent the rest of the decade and on into the ’90s releasing a mix of barnstorming rockers (“Middle of the Road,” “Night In My Veins”) and torchy fare (“2000 Miles,” “I’ll Stand By You”). Although the band’s lineup has evolved over the years, Hynde has continued to tour and release music as Pretenders—all the while maintaining the same independent spirit and no-holds-barred approach as she did when the group started.
- ORIGIN
- London, England
- FORMED
- March 1978
- GENRE
- Rock