The Pretenders are an iconic part of rock history. Since their debut album in 1979, they’ve remained relevant, influencing a huge amount of music in various genres, thanks to their crossover appeal and powerful, catchy songs. Even in the face of tragedy, they’ve kept their foot in rock relevancy.
The band has been through many lineups, with one constant: Chrissie Hynde. In a time of male-dominated bands, she was a frontwoman for the ages.
Take a look at these pics and remember the heyday of rock and roll.
1
The Pretenders in front of their tour bus in Nashville, TN. 1980
2
Chrissie Hynde performing with The Pretenders, 1980
3
The Pretenders live in 1981
4
The Pretenders in NYC in 1980
5
Chrissie Hynde at Live Aid 1985
6
Chrissie Hynde and Robbie McIntosh, 1983
7
The Pretenders performing in Birmingham, England. 1978.
8
The Pretenders in Scotland, 1981
9
The Pretenders performing at a Montreux Music Festival in 1984
10
The Pretenders performing at Live Aid, 1985
11
Chrissie Hynde onstage in 1980, touring for The Pretenders’ debut album
12
The Pretenders performing at Dominion Theatre, London, 1981
13
Chrissie Hynde taking a break from the tour bus, 1984
14
The Pretenders publicity photo from 1984. An alternate version of this photo was used for the Learning to Crawl album cover.
15
The Pretenders, London, England, 1980.
16
The Pretenders on set for the Talk of the Town music video, which was released in 1980
17
The Pretenders original lineup, 1979
18
Chrissie Hynde backstage at The Palladium with Pete Farndon, holding a kitten. 1980.
