Chrissie Hynde may have seemed like an overnight success at the dawn of the ’80s, and in a way she was. Most people had never heard of her before, and The Pretenders’ self-titled album was in fact their first. But behind the scenes, the Ohio-born Hynde had been toiling away for years in the U.K. music scene, first as a writer for the NME and later as a member of several bands that never really got off the ground.

The Pretenders’ first few years encompassed the best and the worst of the music industry: a debut album that was both a commercial and critical success, a decent follow-up, several tours and acclaim from their peers. But those years also saw record company pressure, internal strife and, most significantly, drug abuse. Lead guitarist James Honeyman-Scott died in June 1982 and bassist Pete Farndon (who had already been fired from the band) followed less than a year later. When I spoke with her in 2020, Hynde said, “We were two albums in, and half my band died of drug overdoses. There was a lot of trauma and dissent within the band. In any band, after the first album, people start getting married, they meet people and it starts changing the dynamic of things. It’s inevitable. You start out like it’s us against the world and you’re really united. [But] it doesn’t take long for lives to set in, and everyone starts having other priorities.”

In the 40 years and change since then, Hynde has released 10 more studio discs with the Pretenders, a couple of solo efforts and the occasional collaboration. She has had her ups and downs professionally and personally (some of which she discussed in her 2015 memoir Reckless). But she has always kept going. Her vocals and songwriting have remained distinct and of high quality; the Pretenders’ 2020 album Hate for Sale is one of their best in this writer’s opinion. Though the band’s lineup has changed more than once over the years, original drummer Martin Chambers has played on many of the band’s albums.

Chrissie Hynde turned a landmark 75 on September 7, 2026. We’ve decided to honor her with a list of 12 essential Pretenders songs. You’ll find rockers and ballads, big hits and deep cuts, old songs and new. Taken together, they offer proof of her genius as a songwriter. Happy birthday, Chrissie!

“Brass in Pocket” —1980

From their self-titled debut, this was the song that introduced most of the world to the Pretenders.  The title was inspired by an English musician named Ada Wilson, who used the phrase “brass in pocket” to mean money on his person. Over a slinky, midtempo groove, Chrissie Hynde listed the ways in which she was special. She wasn’t kidding.

“Tattooed Love Boys”—1980

Also from The Pretenders, but a million miles removed from “Brass in Pocket,” “Tattooed Love Boys” is a chaotic rocker that includes the classic line “I shot my mouth off and you showed me what that hole was for!”

“Talk of the Town”—1981

“Talk of the Town” finds Hynde at her most wistful. A minor hit, it was originally included on Tte Pretenders’ five-song Extended Play effort in May 1981. A few months later, it appeared again on their sophomore set, Pretenders 2.

“Back on the Chain Gang”—1982

“Back on the Chain Gang” was notable for a number of reasons. Released in late 1982, it was the first music the band had produced since Honeyman-Scott’s death. Although not a direct tribute to him, the lyrics sounded like they could have been. “Back on the Chain Gang” became the Pretenders’ biggest hit up to that point. It reached #5 on the Billboard chart and remained there for three weeks.

“Middle of the Road”—1984

The Pretenders Mk. 2 finally appeared at the start of 1984 with their third album, Learning to Crawl. In addition to Hynde and Chambers, the new lineup included guitarist Robbie McIntosh and bassist Malcolm Foster. “Middle of the Road” was the opening track on Learning to Crawl, and it’s a great one. Beginning with Chambers’ drums, it’s a rocking statement of purpose. Toward the song’s end, Hynde spits out the immortal line “Don’t harass me can’t you tell/I’m going home I’m tired as hell/I’m not the cat I used to be/I got a kid, I’m 33, baby!” Watch them perform it a year later at Live Aid.

Related: Our Album Rewind of Learning to Crawl

“Don’t Get Me Wrong”—1986

Get Close, the Pretenders’ fourth full-length disc, saw another lineup change. Hynde retained McIntosh but got a new rhythm section: bassist T.M. Stevens (a funk musician who also served time with Billy Joel) and former Haircut 100 drummer Blair Cunningham. The bouncy “Don’t Get Me Wrong” provided the band with a moderate hit.

“When Will I See You”—1990

Packed, which arrived in 1990, was the first Pretenders album that didn’t fare very well either commercially or critically. To these ears, while it may be uneven, Packed is underrated and contains a few gems. “When Will I See You,” an evocative ballad cowritten with the Smiths’ Johnny Marr, is one.

“I’ll Stand by You”— 1994

The Pretenders’ sixth studio outing, Last of the Independents, debuted yet another new lineup. Hynde brought back original drummer Martin Chambers for part of the album, hired Adam Seymour as lead guitarist and Andy Hobson as bassist. Last of the Independents produced several hits, but none bigger than the ballad “I’ll Stand By You.”

“Popstar”—1999

The opening track from 1999’s Viva El Amor!, “Popstar” was a raucous rocker with some hilarious lyrics and a cameo vocal by the late David Johansen. It finds Hynde chastising her ex and his new flame and offers the refrain “You should have just stuck with me.” The video is also a hoot.

“You Know Who Your Friends Are “—2002 

Loose Screw, from 2002, saw Hynde and company incorporating a bit more reggae on some tracks. A case in point is the midtempo single “You Know Who Your Friends Are.” A song about urban street life, it contains the great couplet, “You were hoping you could leave here with some teeth still in your head/But your friends on curtain row would rather see you dead.”

“Maybe Love Is in NYC”—2020

Hate for Sale, which arrived in 2020, was the best Pretenders disc in decades, a real band album with some top-notch rockers. In addition to Hynde and Chambers, this lineup included lead guitarist (and cowriter) James Walbourne and bassist Nick Wilkinson. “Maybe Love is in NYC,” which was inspired by a t-shirt that a friend gave Hynde, managed to be haunting and catchy at the same time.

“Hate for Sale”—2020

The title track of Hate for Sale is two-and-a-half minutes of rock and roll that harkens back to the Pretenders’ early days. “We thought it was a good title,” Hynde told me when I asked her about the tune. “It wasn’t about anyone specific; it was just more of, I suppose you could say, a stereotype.”

Pretenders recordings are available in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here.