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Pretenders formed in London in 1978 after Chrissie Hynde brought together three musicians from Hereford: guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, bassist Pete Farndon, and drummer Martin Chambers. Hynde had already spent years moving through London’s music and punk circles, but this lineup gave her songs the combination of tension, melody, rhythm, and guitar detail that became the band’s unmistakable foundation.
The first album, Pretenders, arrived in January 1980 and reached number one in the United Kingdom. “Stop Your Sobbing,” “Kid,” and “Brass in Pocket” introduced a group that could sound confrontational, vulnerable, and effortlessly melodic within the same record. “Brass in Pocket” also became the band’s first UK number-one single, while the album established the original quartet as one of the defining rock groups to emerge at the turn of the decade.
Pretenders II followed in 1981 with “Talk of the Town,” “Message of Love,” “I Go to Sleep,” and “The Adultress.” The original lineup ended under devastating circumstances the following year. Farndon was dismissed as his drug problems worsened, and Honeyman-Scott died two days later. Farndon died in 1983, leaving Hynde and Chambers to rebuild the band after the loss of two founding members.
The transition produced “Back on the Chain Gang,” recorded with Billy Bremner, Tony Butler, and Robbie McIntosh. The song became Pretenders’ biggest United States pop hit and later appeared on Learning to Crawl in 1984. With “Middle of the Road,” “My City Was Gone,” “Show Me,” “Thumbelina,” and “2000 Miles,” the album transformed a period of grief and upheaval into one of the strongest records in the band’s catalog.
Get Close in 1986 moved toward a smoother mixture of rock, soul, and pop through “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” “My Baby,” and “Hymn to Her.” The same period also produced two songs for the James Bond film The Living Daylights, “If There Was a Man” and “Where Has Everybody Gone?,” followed by the 1988 soundtrack recordings “Windows of the World” and “1969.”
Hynde continued the Pretenders name through changing lineups and albums including Packed!, Last of the Independents, ¡Viva El Amor!, Loose Screw, and Break Up the Concrete. “I’ll Stand by You” became one of the band’s most enduring later songs, while soundtrack recordings, B-sides, covers, and the Pirate Radio box set revealed how much material existed beyond the principal studio albums.
The band returned with Alone in 2016, Hate for Sale in 2020, and Relentless in 2023, bringing the Pretenders studio discography to twelve albums. A live album, Pretenders Live: Kick ‘Em Where It Hurts!, followed in 2025. As of July 2026, Hynde and guitarist James Walbourne have also confirmed that they are writing material for another Pretenders album, although no new studio record has yet been released.
Complete List Of The Pretenders Songs From A to Z
A–E
- “1969” – 1969 soundtrack (1988)
- “2000 Miles” – Learning to Crawl (1984)
- “2000 Miles (Live)” – The Isle of View (1995)
- “977” – Last of the Independents (1994)
- “A Love” – Relentless (2023)
- “The Adultress” – Pretenders II (1981)
- “All My Dreams” – Last of the Independents (1994)
- “Almost Perfect” – Break Up the Concrete (2008)
- “Alone” – Alone (2016)
- “Angel of the Morning (Original Version)” – Pirate Radio (2006)
- “Baby’s Breath” – ¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
- “Back Down” – Pirate Radio (2006)
- “Back on the Chain Gang” – Learning to Crawl (1984)
- “Back on the Chain Gang (Live)” – The Isle of View (1995)
- “Bad Boys Get Spanked” – Pretenders II (1981)
- “Biker” – ¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
- “Birds of Paradise” – Pretenders II (1981)
- “Bless You” – Instant Karma 2002: A Tribute to John Lennon (2002)
- “Blue Eyed Sky” – Alone (2016)
- “Bold as Love” – Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (1993)
- “Boots of Chinese Plastic” – Break Up the Concrete (2008)
- “Born for a Purpose” – Tame Yourself (1991)
- “Brass in Pocket” – Pretenders (1980)
- “Brass in Pocket (Live)” – The Isle of View (1995)
- “Break Up the Concrete” – Break Up the Concrete (2008)
- “The Buzz” – Hate for Sale (2020)
- “California” – Pirate Radio (2006)
- “Chill Factor” – Get Close (1986)
- “Chill Factor (Live)” – The Isle of View (1995)
- “Chord Lord” – Alone (2016)
- “Clean Up Woman” – Loose Screw (2002)
- “Complex Person” – Loose Screw (2002)
- “The Copa” – Relentless (2023)
- “Creep (Live)” – Pirate Radio (2006)
- “Criminal” – Packed! (1990)
- “Criminal (Live)” – The Isle of View (1995)
- “Crying in Public” – Hate for Sale (2020)
- “Cuban Slide” – Extended Play (1981)
- “Dance!” – Get Close (1986)
- “Day After Day” – Pretenders II (1981)
- “Death Is Not Enough” – Alone (2016)
- “Didn’t Know When to Stop” – Hate for Sale (2020)
- “Didn’t Want to Be This Lonely” – Hate for Sale (2020)
- “Domestic Silence” – Relentless (2023)
- “Don’t Cut Your Hair” – Break Up the Concrete (2008)
- “Don’t Get Me Wrong” – Get Close (1986)
- “Don’t Lose Faith in Me” – Break Up the Concrete (2008)
- “Downtown (Akron)” – Packed! (1990)
- “Dragway 42” – ¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
- “The English Roses” – Pretenders II (1981)
- “Every Mother’s Son” – Last of the Independents (1994)
- “Everyday Is Like Sunday” – Boys on the Side soundtrack (1995)
F–J
- “Fast or Slow (The Law’s the Law)” – Learning to Crawl (Expanded Edition) (1984)
- “Fools Must Die” – Loose Screw (2002)
- “Forever Young” – Last of the Independents (1994)
- “From the Heart Down” – ¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
- “Get Out of London” – The Wild Thornberrys Movie soundtrack (2002)
- “Goodbye” – G.I. Jane soundtrack (1997)
- “Gotta Wait” – Alone (2016)
- “Hate for Sale” – Hate for Sale (2020)
- “Hold a Candle to This” – Packed! (1990)
- “Hollywood Perfume” – Last of the Independents (1994)
- “Holy Commotion” – Alone (2016)
- “The Homecoming” – G.I. Jane soundtrack (1997)
- “How Do I Miss You” – Packed! (1990)
- “How Much Did You Get for Your Soul?” – Get Close (1986)
- “Human” – ¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
- “Hymn to Her” – Get Close (1986)
- “Hymn to Her (Live)” – The Isle of View (1995)
- “I Go to Sleep” – Pretenders II (1981)
- “I Go to Sleep (Live)” – The Isle of View (1995)
- “I Hate Myself” – Alone (2016)
- “I Hurt You” – Learning to Crawl (1984)
- “I Hurt You (Live)” – The Isle of View (1995)
- “I Remember You” – Get Close (1986)
- “I Should Of” – Loose Screw (2002)
- “I Think About You Daily” – Relentless (2023)
- “I Wish You Love” – Eye of the Beholder soundtrack (1999)
- “If There Was a Man” – The Living Daylights soundtrack (1987)
- “I’ll Stand by You” – Last of the Independents (1994)
- “I’m a Mother” – Last of the Independents (1994)
- “In the Sticks” – Pretenders II (Deluxe Edition) (1981)
- “Jealous Dogs” – Pretenders II (1981)
- “Junkie Walk” – Hate for Sale (2020)
- “Just Let It Go” – Relentless (2023)
K–O
- “Kid” – Pretenders (1980)
- “Kid (Live)” – The Isle of View (1995)
- “Kinda Nice, I Like It” – Loose Screw (2002)
- “The Last Ride” – Break Up the Concrete (2008)
- “Legalise Me” – ¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
- “Let the Sun Come In” – Relentless (2023)
- “Let’s Get Lost” – Alone (2016)
- “Let’s Make a Pact” – Packed! (1990)
- “Lie to Me” – Loose Screw (2002)
- “Light of the Moon” – Get Close (1986)
- “Lightning Man” – Hate for Sale (2020)
- “Look Away” – Relentless (2023)
- “The Losing” – Loose Screw (2002)
- “Losing My Sense of Taste” – Relentless (2023)
- “Louie Louie” – Pretenders II (1981)
- “Love a Mystery” – Break Up the Concrete (2008)
- “Love Colours” – Last of the Independents (1994)
- “Lovers of Today” – Pretenders (1980)
- “Lovers of Today (Live)” – The Isle of View (1995)
- “Loving You Is All I Know” – The Other Sister soundtrack (1999)
- “The Man You Are” – Alone (2016)
- “May This Be Love” – Packed! (1990)
- “Maybe Love Is in N.Y.C.” – Hate for Sale (2020)
- “Merry Widow” – Relentless (2023)
- “Message of Love” – Extended Play (1981)
- “Message of Love” – Pretenders II (1981)
- “Middle of the Road” – Learning to Crawl (1984)
- “Millionaires” – Packed! (1990)
- “Money Talk” – Last of the Independents (1994)
- “My Baby” – Get Close (1986)
- “My City Was Gone” – Learning to Crawl (1984)
- “Mystery Achievement” – Pretenders (1980)
- “Nails in the Road” – ¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
- “The Needle and the Damage Done (Live)” – Pirate Radio (2006)
- “Nervous But Shy” – Brass in Pocket single B-side (1979)
- “Never Be Together” – Alone (2016)
- “Never Do That” – Packed! (1990)
- “Night in My Veins” – Last of the Independents (1994)
- “No Guarantee” – Packed! (1990)
- “Not a Second Time” – Pirate Radio (2006)
- “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” – Loose Screw (2002)
- “The Nothing Maker” – Break Up the Concrete (2008)
- “One More Day” – Alone (2016)
- “One More Time” – ¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
- “One Thing Never Changed” – Break Up the Concrete (2008)
P–T
- “Pack It Up” – Pretenders II (1981)
- “The Phone Call” – Pretenders (1980)
- “The Phone Call (Live)” – The Isle of View (1995)
- “Popstar” – ¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
- “Porcelain” – Extended Play (1981)
- “Precious” – Pretenders (1980)
- “Precious” – Extended Play (1981)
- “Private Life” – Pretenders (1980)
- “Private Life (Live)” – The Isle of View (1995)
- “The Promise of Love” – Relentless (2023)
- “Rabo Du Nube” – ¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
- “Rebel Rock Me” – Last of the Independents (1994)
- “Reconsider Me” – Pirate Radio (2006)
- “Revolution” – Last of the Independents (1994)
- “Revolution (Live)” – The Isle of View (1995)
- “Roadie Man” – Alone (2016)
- “Room Full of Mirrors” – Get Close (1986)
- “Rosalee” – Break Up the Concrete (2008)
- “Samurai” – ¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
- “Saving Grace” – Loose Screw (2002)
- “Sense of Purpose” – Packed! (1990)
- “Sense of Purpose (Live)” – The Isle of View (1995)
- “Show Me” – Learning to Crawl (1984)
- “Space Invader” – Pretenders (1980)
- “Stop Your Sobbing” – Pretenders (1980)
- “Swinging London” – Brass in Pocket single B-side (1979)
- “Talk of the Town” – Extended Play (1981)
- “Talk of the Town” – Pretenders II (1981)
- “Tattooed Love Boys” – Pretenders (1980)
- “Tequila” – Last of the Independents (1994)
- “Thin Line Between Love and Hate” – Learning to Crawl (1984)
- “Thumbelina” – Learning to Crawl (1984)
- “Time” – Loose Screw (2002)
- “Time the Avenger” – Learning to Crawl (1984)
- “Tradition of Love” – Get Close (1986)
- “Turf Accountant Daddy” – Hate for Sale (2020)
U–Z
- “Up the Neck” – Pretenders (1980)
- “Vainglorious” – Relentless (2023)
- “The Wait” – Pretenders (1980)
- “The Wait (Nick Lowe Version)” – Pretenders (Deluxe Edition) (2021)
- “Walk Like a Panther” – Loose Screw (2002)
- “Waste Not Want Not” – Pretenders II (1981)
- “Watching the Clothes” – Learning to Crawl (1984)
- “What You Gonna Do About It” – Flexipop! flexi-disc (1981)
- “When I Change My Life” – Get Close (1986)
- “When Will I See You” – Packed! (1990)
- “Where Has Everybody Gone?” – The Living Daylights soundtrack (1987)
- “Who’s Who” – ¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
- “Windows of the World” – 1969 soundtrack (1988)
- “Worlds Within Worlds” – Get Close (Expanded & Remastered) (2006)
- “You Can’t Hurt a Fool” – Hate for Sale (2020)
- “You Didn’t Have To” – Break Up the Concrete (2008)
- “You Know Who Your Friends Are” – Loose Screw (2002)
- “Your House Is on Fire” – Relentless (2023)
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The Pretenders Studio Albums
Pretenders (1980)
Pretenders II (1981)
Learning to Crawl (1984)
Get Close (1986)
Packed! (1990)
Last of the Independents (1994)
¡Viva El Amor! (1999)
Loose Screw (2002)
Break Up the Concrete (2008)
Alone (2016)
Hate for Sale (2020)
Relentless (2023)
Additional Pretenders Releases Represented
Extended Play (EP, 1981)
The Isle of View (live album, 1995)
Pirate Radio (box set, 2006)
Updated July 30, 2026.
Complete List Of The Pretenders Songs From A to Z article published on ClassicRockHistory.com © 2026
