I’m not exactly sure how American Chrissie Hynde (from Akron, Ohio) ended up in ‘70s Great Britain where (with three Englishmen) she formed the Pretenders - but I’m glad she did. When I was a kid, Chrissie and the boys were a staple of radio and MTV and- along with the Clash and Elvis Costello- the Pretenders were supposed to be the kids who were going to save rock & roll. Unfortunately, two of the Pretenders’ founding members died within a year of each other (drugs) but Chrissie (and the drummer) soldiered on and both are still currently performing.
Forget all the clichés about Hynde being tough on the outside but soft on the inside- the Pretenders wrote and performed great rock songs with edge, realism, and to which every person can relate (many of their songs play like mini-movies and that’s hard to do). Like other great artists, the Pretenders grasp- and don’t shy away from- the human condition (we are finite beings with infinite desires) and the best of their songs help listeners reach lofty heights before returning to earth. With the exception of The Singles, I’ve never really had a favorite Pretenders album but the cream of their output is still some of the best music out there and deserves to be heard. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!
01. Pretenders – “Stop Your Sobbing” (1979)
02. Pretenders – “Human” (1999)
03. Pretenders – “Back on the Chain Gang” (1982)
04. Pretenders – “Message of Love” (1981)
05. Pretenders – “Watching the Clothes” (1984)
06. Pretenders – “I’ll Stand by You” (1994)
07. Pretenders – “Mystery Achievement” (1980)
08. Pretenders – “Brass in Pocket” (1979)
09. Pretenders – “Kid” (1979)
10. Pretenders – “Don’t Get Me Wrong” (1986)
Listen to the playlist on Spotify...
... or check out the playlist on YouTube
(To open music in separate window, click title bar at top of video box)
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