Classic '60s rock and pop meet punkāand 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.
ā 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.
ā In 1978, she formed the Pretenders, and the band broke through the following year with their first hit singles: a cover of The Kinksā āStop Your Sobbingā and Hyndeās song āKid.ā
ā Their self-titled 1980 LPāfeaturing the groupās first worldwide smash, āBrass in Pocketāāis ranked among Rolling Stoneās 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time.
ā The group landed their biggest US hit with 1982ās āBack On the Chain Gang,ā which reached No. 5 on Billboardās Hot 100 chart and appeared on their 1984 album, Learning To Crawl.
ā A Top 20 hit in 10 countries, including the US, their 1994 ballad āIāll Stand By Youā has inspired cover versions by Shakira, Carrie Underwood, and Girls Aloud.
ā The Pretenders were inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.