Back on the Chain Gang (Live at Live Aid, John F. Kennedy Stadium, 13th July 1985)
Pretenders
Brass in Pocket
Pretenders
Middle of the Road (Live at Live Aid, John F. Kennedy Stadium, 13th July 1985)
Pretenders
Back on the Chain Gang
Pretenders
Stop Your Sobbing
Pretenders
Talk of the Town
Pretenders
Tattooed Love Boys
Pretenders
Stop Your Sobbing (Live at Live Aid, John F. Kennedy Stadium, 13th July 1985)
Pretenders
Message of Love
Pretenders
Day After Day
Pretenders
Artist Playlists
Pretenders Essentials
A thin line between tragedy and triumph.
Pretenders: Influences
Classic '60s rock and pop meet punk—and get on famously.
Inspired by Pretenders
Their toughness and pop smarts echo throughout punk and alt-rock.
Pretenders: Deep Cuts
The New Wave greats explore bluesy rock, R&B, and even downtempo.
Artist Biography
With a career stretching across five decades, the Pretenders are icons of punk and New Wave known for their legendary frontwoman, Chrissie Hynde.
∙ An Akron, Ohio, native, Hynde moved to London in 1973, where she bounced between short-lived punk outfits and played with future members of The Clash, The Damned, and The Psychedelic Furs.
∙ In 1978, she formed the Pretenders, and the band broke through the following year with their first hit singles: a cover of The Kinks’ “Stop Your Sobbing” and Hynde’s song “Kid.”
∙ Their self-titled 1980 LP—featuring the group’s first worldwide smash, “Brass in Pocket”—is ranked among Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time.
∙ The group landed their biggest US hit with 1982’s “Back On the Chain Gang,” which reached No. 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and appeared on their 1984 album, Learning To Crawl.
∙ A Top 20 hit in 10 countries, including the US, their 1994 ballad “I’ll Stand By You” has inspired cover versions by Shakira, Carrie Underwood, and Girls Aloud.
∙ The Pretenders were inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.