Pretenders

Känns som om de första par låtarna saknar något men resten går hårt!

Brash, punky and lively. Enjoyable rock with a strident vocal performance

This is why I’m here. Never would have listened to them, thought I knew

Good! Cool 80s punk rock

Yeah ok. I get it. The Pretenders are awesome. They rock, they're funny, they're hard, they get it. Chrissy Hynde is a gem.

This one surprised me, I didn’t know much about the Pretenders and I like what I heard. Hard to go wrong with a rock band that has a great front-woman on vocals

Really enjoyed this. For some reason I'd always assumed Pretenders were "pop" - I hadn't realised how punk they actually were. First album that's come up on this list that I'll listen to again and again I think.

I'm a sucker for vintage punk rock girls and Debbie Harry and Chrissy Hynde are on the top of that list. The Pretenders somehow are able to thread the needle between raw and refined perfectly. Good enough for the airwaves, but grimy enough to want to go see them live. This is a great reminder that 80's radio wasn't all saxophones and blow suck. Really enjoyed listening to this album in its entirety.

Enjoyed the album with the exception of the first track, it didn’t seem to fit in with the rest. As the album progressed I enjoyed it more, almost felt like they were getting better as we journeyed through the tracks.

De band blijft me altijd weer positief verrassen

really good, actually 4/5.

det hät var fan cooolt.

Classic. 4/5

Way better than expected

Great. 4/5

Definitely a grower - think I need to spend some more time with this one

Much better than I thought. More like elastica than expected

This is a pretty fun album. I knew Stop Your Sobbing, but none of the other ones. Chrissie Hynde is amazing. Such a character. She really brings it. The songs are all really fun to listen to. This is one of those bands where they have a sound all their own. It's just so distinct. I enjoyed it!

This was a good one. I definitely heard lots of bands that had been influenced from this...

Fun, spunky album with a lot of energy!

Classic.

Loved the pop hits they produced over the years so an entire album of punk-inspired rock with Hynde's lead vocals hit the spot from start to finish. Only previously knew "Brass in Pocket" so this was a pleasant first listen. Great introduction and interesting production techniques like the sound effects in "The Phone Call" and "Space Invader." The album really picked up in the 4th track "Tattooed Love Boys." The track "Stop Your Crying" is a good cover on its own, but I felt it disrupted the flow and maybe should have been excluded or placed near the end. I bet it only existed to help with their breakthrough. I love the diversity in the tracks; none of them felt weak. My favorite track is "Private Life."

Fun to listen to

Transports me back to my ex wife's kitchen. We'd drink till 5 in the morning and dance to The Pretenders. A ferocious row would often erupt about the size of her tits. In hindsight I probably shouldn't have 'forced' her to have the boob job and it began the miserable descent to divorce, but they were very little tits and I like a nice pair of big bouncy ones. I shouldn't have married her, but she was rich and her mother had huge cannons. I thought she would develop, but sadly not. The boob job has a success and we had two great years together, until one fateful day on a long haul flight from Mexico to Fiji they just popped...I mean, they blew right up in her face. I knew it was over. They'd never be the same again. We separated two weeks later. She still has visible scars, but it's my mental scars that really haunt me at night. What a journey it was, from tiny flatties, to enormous jugs, to a disgusting, mutilated warzone.

Didn't think I knew this band, but I do! Tatooed Love Boys and Brass in Pocket are two of those songs that are always cropping up in movies and stuff. This album was really fun! Definitely categorize is in the "Ahead of its time" column. This sounds PURE 80s, and mid-to-late-80s at that, but this came out in 1979. Really enjoyable.

In eerste instantie niet mijn genre, maar wat klinkt dit album góéd! Erg goede mix, wellicht heeft dat te maken met het feit dat ik via Spotify luister naar de remastered versie uit 2018. Buiten de geweldige kwaliteit van het geluid springt Space Invaders er in de eerste helft van het album er voor mij uit. Invloeden van Alan Parsons Project zijn duidelijk te horen. Private life vind ik ook prachtig. Ik sta ervan te kijken dat dit album al 41 jaar oud is. Het album is een leuke mix van punk, rock, new wave en pop. Bekende track ‘brass in my pocket’ springt er niet uit.

Loved it.

this shit actually slaps top to bottom is2g

very old school rock feel. unorthodox main vocals, but works surprisingly.

3.75

better than expected

Started out pretty punky, but side 2 has some of the best songs from the late 70s

The most famous Pretenders songs are their soft-rock hits, but there’s more of a punky energy going on here. Chrissie Hynde’s vocal performance on ‘Precious’ is just oozing charisma and confident sex-appeal. Good album

Never really paid Pretenders any mind, other than what one would hear on the radio. In all honesty, I put this album on with the expectation of having some decent background music while I worked. But, I was pleasantly surprised. For a record as old as I am, it really holds up well. None of the dated studio tricks of the day, just good ol' rock. Starts off with Precious, which immediately reminded me of the Talking Heads with a post-punk/pop rock vibe and cheeky lyrics. The rest of the album follows suite, with Hynde's vocals up front and rightfully the star of the show. I do really like her vocals. way more than I expected to, to be frank. so, yeah. Pretenders. I kinda like them.

An album that sounds to me to be ahead of it’s time. Defining the meaning of progressive.I had just started listening to music when this album came out and apart from the very obviously commercial single releases on the album, it was probably too progressive for me at the time. Proving at least that youth is indeed wasted on the young.

Great.

We love a woman-fronted rock band! Some bangers here, there’s a song for every mood & felt like I was in a movie while listening to this! Only reason it’s not getting 5 from me is it drags a bit towards the end (saved by Mystery Achievement) and I don’t think it will leave a lasting impression.

Not what I expected at all but I loved it. Can even see influences on bands like No Doubt, Kings of Leon but then they throw a curve ball like Your Sobbing or Brass in Pocket. A strange mix of pop and punk but one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Straight away decent. Old school punk, liking it immediately. Feels familiar, maybe Tony Hawks or Earthed. Classic punk style, in that there are similar sounds to Black Flag, but also feel like bands like this inspired QOTSA. Yeh just realised the track 'The Wait' is off Earthed. 4/5

Love this album - I only recently rediscovered The Pretenders this past year and was surprised at how tight the rhythms and riffs are in this album. Plus what a lead in Chrissie Hynde!

Forgot how much I enjoyed listening to them :)

Okay, I actually like the Pretenders, but the hype around them irritated me at the time. Back in the rock era, any time some back to basics band came around, they were hailed by the rock press as the saviors of rock 'n roll, and the Pretenders were no different. The Pretenders are a rock 'n roll band at heart, at least in their attitude, but there was more to them from the start. On their debut album, the treated guitars of James Honeyman-Scott were swathed in reverb and flange, a nod to new wave. They had songs like "Brass In Pocket" or "Mystery Achievement," which made them chart accessible. But they also had a real edge in songs like "The Phone Call" and "The Wait," which had tricky rhythmic figures unusual in this kind of music. And on top of all that, you had the bad girl swagger of Chrissie Hynde cut with an emotional vulnerability that was probably closer to the truth. I've never listened to this album all the way through, but the sustained invention, energy, and performances are impressive. The Pretenders are actually a much more powerful band than their hits would lead you to believe. Another thing I just noticed is how beautifully produced and sequenced this album is. The album flows like a dream, especially the first side. The second side is much more poppy, not nearly as much my thing.

enjoyed this more or less. ngl brass in pocket is a bop. makes me inappropriately attracted to chrissie hynde. new wave with some teeth.

7. this was fun and i really liked the sound, but the back end got really slow with 3 5+ minute songs.

Bastante entretenido, aunque nada super destacable supongo. La voz de la vocalista es lo que resalta más en el disco y los ocasionales riffs como en Private Life están agradables. Canciones que más disfruté: The Wait y Private Life. Mood: Verano ochentero

Pretty good

I only knew the singles, but this whole record is amazing.

This is a really great rock record. I had no idea they were formed in England since Chrissie Hynde is from Ohio. Brass in Pocket is the hit of this record but not representative of the rest.

Super original album/sound. I'm also a sucker for chicks that wail.

Pop rock.

Like : Up the Neck Tattooed Love - didn’t love - a little too punk? There’s a jam song in the mix here early that was pretty fun - tight drums and bass (Space Invaders) Stop Sobbing : reminds me of like a 50s or 60s song that’s been revamped for the 80s Private Life : baseline vibes - reggae influence of the 80s reminds me of the polices song, walking on the moon - in contention for favorite song - ‘you’ve been lying to someone about me, stop’ back up vocals are cool Brass in Pocket : haha this is probably why my parents had this album - my Mom loved this song - reminds me of her cleaning the house on a Saturday - vacuuming and folding clothes and dancing - this is probably the best song commercially and might end up being my favorite just for posterity sake Lovers of Today - probably my least favorite one so far... Overall I enjoyed it - reminded me of my parents - talked to my dad about it later and he said the lead singer was ahead of her time. 7.8/10

Sounds like it looks. V 80’s. I enjoyed it thoroughly, even before bed. Brass in Pocket and Space Invader were my two favs.

Pretty awesome album. Punk rock done right, and great singer.

A great/classic album

Achei bem divertido, tudo bem sincopado

Absolutely banging

Love, love, love this album! I can’t get enough of Chrissie Hynde’s voice!

It was pretty good, It was not really my cup of tea but it did have some good jams I bopped to.

I liked it, Truman didn't listen.

Such a unique group for the time period. I need to listen to them more.

Solid new wave punk sound of course.. Brass in pocket another one of those tracks that Ive heard many of times during Guitar Hero or Rockband

Good mix of early 80s punk, new wave and pop.

They ain't pretending!

ожидал большего от Space Invader

This. Album. Fucks.

I get the feeling that albums are more important if you have context. Brass in Pocket has been a staple of radio since I was a kid so I never paid attention to it but it was apparently the most popular song on the album. The album was ok but It doesn't really set my soul on fire.

The Pretenders are boldly 80s and it shows!

7/10 FT: Brass in pocket

Pretty damn good

Rien de sensationnel mais loin d'être nul

allez les rockeuses

I liked a lot of this but am confused by some of the long tracks on here. Private life really drags for me. 3/4 of the final songs being >5 minutes doesn't stick the landing for me.

Taustalle jäi tämä, vaikka kuuntelin useampaan kertaan. Muistutti etäisesti jostain, muttei tarpeeksi. Mut ei ollu offensive, ajoittain meneväkin, eli kai se 2,5 tähteä saa ja pyöristyy kolmeen.

Good rythms and lead guitar work on this one. But the voice has an interesting technique. It slaloms around the long notes and I don't know if I like that. I saw them live a couple years ago and I don't remember this bothering me then.

Catchy songs that will keep me coming back.

Kid

If your view of Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders is based on the big ballad hits - Brass in Pocket, Hymn to Her, I go to Sleep, I'll Stand Beside You - then the punk energy of the beginning and the first five songs of this album is going to come as a shock. All snarling vocals and furious guitars with tricky rhythms and time signatures It runs out of steam towards the end, but it's a great first half.

Very good debut album. Strong songs, Sparkling guitars

Late 70s rock. It's got some nice punk vibes, I liked it. I feel like the second half dropped off qualitywise, but I only listend once. Solid.

Not sure why people love this band so much. This album's fine. There's some punk energy to the guitars and some twists and turns rhythmically that make it more interesting than a completely middle of the road rock band, but in the end I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it. Reminds me of a scene from an 80s movie where they have a band playing at a backyard party and everyone's going completely apeshit but there's a disconnect between how excited everyone is and how underwhelming the music is. Essential listen: no Desert island disc: no

I like the pretenders fine enough. This album had some nice parts. But I can't seem to find a version with the original order so I'm not sure if some of the demos should be weighed in my ranking.

Cool album, for some reason didn't stick out to me. I enjoyed it but just okay. 6.3/10

It's ok. Never been a big Pretenders fan. The music is good, but I always found it bland. It always confused my why critic loved this albums so much. "Brass In Pocket" is obviously very catchy. Hard not to like that song.

3.5

I had never heard any of these songs other than brass in pocket. I like some of the music. The band has a decent range and a number of influences, but it’s not really my vibe.

Better than I though it would be.

Fine album, but not one I’ll likely return to. Favourite track: Brass in Pocket

🧥🧥🧥

Leuker dan verwacht, maar qua stem toch bepalend eentonig

Just not my style… never did like Hynde’s voice… bass is cool… guitar decent… but definitely recognizable and distinct

More gritty and punk-esc than I realized they would sound.

5. septembar 2026. likeee it was okej, svidja mi se njen glas best: space invader, mystery achievement i mozda precious

Favorite Song: Tattooed Love Boys Least Favorite: Stop Your Sobbing

okay

Ka-kaah🦅🦅🇺🇸🇺🇸

Oho, luulin, että jonninjoutavaa kasaribrittihuttua taas mutta tämähän oli hyvä albumi. 3/5

Apt Band name

A solid punk/new wave debut album, with some strong tracks (including ‘Brass in Pocket’, the obvious classic standout, and a lovely jangly cover of the Kinks’ ‘Stop Your Sobbing’), but for some reason it didn’t click with me as much as I’d expected. Every song was decent, but I didn’t really love many either. Also, the band sounds great, but I wasn’t totally sold on Chrissie Hynde’s vocals. Perhaps that is why the instrumental ‘Space Invader’ was another favourite, with its punchy bass and hard-edged guitars. Perhaps a bit harsh, but it’s upper end of 3 stars for me.

British rock

Tough one. I’ve heard it before, and I’ve heard Brass in Pocket more times than I can count. Mixed feelings about this album because the high points are very high. I like the post-punk edge. Precious is quite a career opener. Lovers of Today is a terrific song. In fact the latter half of the album is excellent. But the hit is the path in which they went as a band, and that song while being catchy and memorable, doesn’t measure up to the rest imo. 3/5

Some good tunes, relatively standard enough post punk rock though for me, not sure where the rep as an all time classic debut is coming from. It's fine, happy to stick this on again for a listen but it's nothing unbelievable amazing either. Brass In Pocket sticks out a mile although Up the Neck, Kid are other standouts. 6/10

Yeah this is quite nice, though the first half was mucht better than the second one in my opinion. That first half felt much more punk, where the second got mote into that 80's pop you should know by now I really just don't like. But in general, a good record that I may actually find myself returning to every now and then. Or maybe not. I guess we'll see.

I had ups and downs with this one.

It was a good album and I enjoyed listening to it, just not my favorite.

mehh aopuwndpouawndponwad

I’ve gotten 2 British pop punk albums in a row now, but this one was an improvement over yesterday’s! I think if I didn’t have them back to back I’d enjoy it more. 3/5.

has some bangers!

This was a fine album. A breath of fresh air in the punk era and a great debut album.

I was a bit neutral on this, but maybe that's because I was distracted by a heavily panting cat. I did like the fun 70s jangly gothy rock, it was pleasant but not ground breaking to me.

3,5

I have never liked the Pretenders that much, but this is not terrible.

Cant remember a song on it to save my life

Been avoiding this album for awhile honestly. I hear this band on new wave stations all the time (for obvious reasons) but have never been taken by any one of their songs. I realize how important and acclaimed Pretenders were though so I knew I had to commit one day. And yeah, I don’t like this very much. Not as brash or energetic as classic punk, not as delightfully nerdy or as charmingly self-conscious or as angular and sonically interesting as other new wave acts, and I don’t find this thing to be compelling songwriting wise. The vocal melodies are weak and not memorable, no catchy riffs, and these songs all sound so similar to me. Yeah, there’s energy, yeah, there’s attitude. But there certainly aren’t many tunes here either in my unfortunate opinion. There aren’t a lot of overt duds, songs that make one wanna go sit in silence for a bit, although “The Phone Call” is pretty annoying and “Private Life” is twice as long as it should be. I wish I could like this in the way everyone else does.

Some hits buoy an overloaded decent album

Overall Rating: 6.1/10 Favourite Track: Kid Least Favourite: Precious Notes: Some nice songs in here and i can see why this album is so highly regarded, however there are a lot of skips too. The opening track was very corny and I thought the album was not gonna be for me but I’m glad I stayed and listened to the full thing.….. ‘Kid’ was my fav. Probably won’t be returning to this one but it was worth streaming! Natalia: Overall Rating: 6.3/10 Favourite Track: Kid Least Favourite: Stop Your Sobbing Notes: Too busy trying to aura farm and sound cool without having any depth to their lyrics (expected from London creatives) unless I’m missing something. Aiyra Overall Rating: 5.5/10 Favourite Track: up the neck Least Favourite Precious Notes: I really hated the first song. I thought the album was going to be really shit after that but it suprised me because a few songs I did quite like and saved into my library. I loved the lyrics of up the neck. Lust turns to anger, a kiss to a slug Something was sticky on your shag rug, look at the tile I remember the way he groaned and moved with an animal skill I rubbed my face in the sweat that ran down his chest It was all very run of the mill But I noticed his scent started to change somehow His face went berserk and the veins bulged on his brow I said "baby, oh sweetheart" Toheed: Overall Rating: 5/10 Favourite Track: Space Invader Least Favourite: Precious Notes: Nice album. Not my thing entirely, but somewhere in the middle I did begin enjoying it. The lead singer could benefit from being a bit more tuneful, but really I don't want to start dragging. It’s an alternative punk new wave album, and it’s okay. :P I didn’t pick up any detail or throughline while listening, though I presume there is one. Maybe the songs got louder as it went along?? Idk. Not bothered but not mad. One word to describe it all: contrived.

I’m going to start giving these shits twos if I hear another 70-80s rock band or 80-90s art rock I swear down. This one wasnt terrible im just getting sick of the one loop instrumental. Like damn put a bridge in there or something fuck

I could see them being an influence on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I liked the sound. Kid and Brass in Pocket (didn't realize I knew that song) stood out. 3/5

#445 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ Revisit? ❌ I hear the influences, or rather what latter post-punk sounds, in this. It's too pop for my liking, but I don't hate it. Now I also understand why later Pretenders music is talked of like it is, meaning they did have a punkier edge to their music at one point. Quite indifferent towards this album, but don't mind listening to it either 3/5.

It’s ok. Favourite track: brass in pocket

Prototype for almost all female fronted rock bands since.

Majorly overproduced. Don't really like it and never have.

its fine... it's just kind of generic idk there weren't any tracks that stood out to me, they all just blended together into mediocre rock mush

Chrissie Hynde is one of rock's most distinctive voices — cool, tough, romantic, completely her own in a way that neither the punk scene she emerged from nor the new wave she helped define quite accounts for. The reggae-inflected bass lines that surface throughout give the record a warmth and looseness that separates it from the more austere post-punk happening around it. These are real assets, and they deserved more consistent material to work with. "Brass in Pocket" is the record's best argument for itself — a self-assertion song delivered with such complete confidence that disagreement feels beside the point. It earns everything it claims and then some, which is the mark of a song that knows exactly what it is. The problem is that it arrives as a highlight rather than a representative sample, which tells you something about what surrounds it. The honest limitation is that the songs ramble in ways that undermine the strengths. Hynde's voice pulls you in and the reggae DNA keeps things interesting in flashes, but a record that should connect more than it does is delivering an accurate verdict on itself. That gap between what the ingredients promise and what the songs deliver is ultimately what keeps this at three despite the genuine pleasures along the way. A three that feels slightly like an underachievement given the talent on display — which is its own kind of honest assessment.

I didnt know the Pretenders, just Chrissie Hyde's media profile which i wasnt a fan of. This came out of the gate strong with some great punk vibes, the guitars drove it well snd her vocal was great. The second half descended into fairly generic radio rock, but for a while there i thought theybhad something

Pretty good. I like the guitar tone. You can see how bands like this forged the 80's sound, because if you were to ask me, I would've totally thought this album came out in the 80's, even though it (just barely, '79) came out in the 70's.

I liked this alright but it wasn't a standout. Good rock/punk beats on a lot of the songs. Brass In Pocket is a classic. (3)

The album starts promising, with the first half having some nice and energetic punk vibes, with cool riffs and frenetic rhythms. However, as the album progresses, it gets slower and slower. The second half is basically just middle of the road New Wave without interesting elements, melodies or anything worth remember. In two instances, it gets specially slow and dragging, those being "Private Life" and "Lovers of Today", which also happen to be the longest cuts. Despite the negatives, I think the album is fine. Chrissie Hynde's voice has a pleasant tone and a notable attitude, making her an unique singer. I liked the production as well, as I think the sound of the album has a lot of body, feeling satisfying to listen to. And that's all. I don't think there is really much to say about the album. It starts great, but gets forgettable as it goes on.

3,5

Cool sound , forgettable lyrics. Its not bad , but why listen to it just because its "not bad"?

I enjoyed listening to this album, she has a cool voice but nothing really stood out to me, and songs kinda just blended all together for me.

Quite like the Pretenders sound.

never heard this one straight off the bat its very energetic I really enjoyed its a solid album good instrumentation and good vocals and well written songs

corny but fun

Fun, boppy record. It has an entertaining vibe and kept my attention. Good for parties or hanging out with friends. I like this one.

First thing I noticed was the front woman who is in that one episode of Friends HAHA. I like this kind of music for sure, reminds me of my '10 Things I Hate About You' era when I listened to this kind of music. Chrissie Hynde has a really cool vocal sound; I would definitely go back and listen to this album more.

Stark trea! Lite bjäring men ändå bra för det mesta. Brass in pocket är till och med riktigt bra.

I liked this. I probably won’t keep listening to them, but I enjoyed the listen. It wasn’t anything that made me perk up big time, but it’s a good sound, and I did add brass in pocket to my liked songs.

It is fun with some hits but overall pretty average at best in terms of a listening experience. Nostalgic.

Começou com potencial, mas depois não foi bem na direção que estava à espera

Just the kind of middle of the road Brit-pop album I expect from this list

Ok pop album, does what you'd expect

Hey, it even has an instrumental. Pretty ageless sound.

nice beat and everything but the singing is sadly not for me

Mystery achievement is definitely the standout track for me on this, brilliant tune that closes the album nicely. I did also enjoy some of the rest of the album but some of it didn't stick. For female fronted bands in the 70s/80s I definitely prefer Blondie. Favourites: Tattooed Love Boys Lovers Of Today Mystery Achievement

Descent new wave punk album. An enjoyable ride to work on the bus, familiar name. I enjoyed the singers voice very much so, solid 3 stars.

There was nothing on here I would say I loved but it’s a really good, solid album. I can’t bloody stand Brass in Pocket though. In a previous job we had our own in store radio but it only had 20 something songs that played on a loop. Nothing necessarily wrong with BIP but you try hearing it at least 3-4 times a day, 5 days a week for a decade lol. Top Track - Space Invader

Brass in pocket was enough to make this a 3 for me. I forgot about that song.

I hear a lot of what I like in this but it doesn't quite land.

Rippers through and through. Killer female frontwoman. But didn’t do enough to be a super memorable album as an artistic statement.

I enjoyed the rock/punk elements much more than the pop songs.

Ok album. Got tedious

Too slow. Had a couple songs that were decent but overall it was a little boring. Serviceable though. Fav track: Lovers of Today

Not a bad debut album, not as a strong as subsequent albums, still looking for their sound, mix of the Ramones, and almost an early 80s electronic sound.

Precious The Phone Call Tattooed Love Boys The Wait

Precious The Wait

Looks like the blondie album cover or maybe I’m tripping

Pretty rad

It was pretty solid.

Pretty good - I've never heard this album all the way through. I'd be willing to go back to it to see how it holds up a few more time.

Pretty good, but I don’t really remember a lot of it from Friday until Monday….

It's kinda good overall, but for me strangely the vocals and music are so separate it feels like just slapped on each other, and I subjectively don't enjoy it that much.

me gustó. no le presté tanta atención pero me gustó.

Great music. They sound ahead of their time in 1979.

pretty good

Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Brass in Pocket Date listened: 25-29/06/26 (during thesis!!) Listen when: Sunny drive

Good debut album, like the music, like her voice, the whole attitude and come on Brass in Pocket was and always will be an absolute classic. Loved that song when I was 8 and it still is brilliant.

I think this album maybe had the bad luck of coming out 10 years too early. Otherwise it would have fit in great with the 90’s grunge scene.

an 80s tastic time!

The singles are good, and very much sound like the 80's to me - but rest of album is kinda forgettable.

Enjoyed this, but didn't blow my mind.

Not a bad album, enjoyed the listen, but won’t look much further than that.

Is is odd that whenever I listen to the Pretenders that I want to listen to Blondie instead? The more I listen to this the more my brain is telling me to stop and listen to Blondie instead. It's not a bad album, I'm just not a fan of it. I've been told they are amazing and that I should love it. Yet here I am. I'm going to listen to Parallel Lines now.

Pop Punk from 1979! Sorry, I mean Post Punk*! Ope, jk, I mean New Wave**! This album has a little bit of everything, and I get how it could be too much for some and not enough for others. You can kinda pick out the singles compared to the punkier album tracks if you have a moderately seasoned ear. I didn't know specifically which songs were singles except "Brass In Pocket" before listening, but I was able to mark them. "Stop Your Sobbing" has the sound, but I was a little surprised that it was actually a single.

not my fave from this world!

A story of two albums. The first half is legitimately so cool. It’s fast, it’s punky, it sounds like a mid 90’s cult classic. The second half sounds exactly like I expected the album to sound. A bit more of a traditional pop rock thingy. Despite that, the guitar work is consistently great and Chrissie Hynde is a great lead singer. It’s a solid album.

Never really been that bothered by Pretenders, listening to the full album didn't change that. It's good, but not great.

Not too bad! I've heard them before, but never sat through an album. This was a nice surprise.

It's fine.

gillade!

When I think of Pretenders I always think of their big hits like "Brass in Pocket" or "Ill Stand by you". So I completely forget that they have a raw, rock and punky sound. Which was something that the video game series "Guitar Hero" showed when they used "Tattooed Love Boys" as one of their songs. And this became my favorite pretenders song for a while. Obviously without me checking out the rest of their album. Having now made up for that crime, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed this album. (2.750)

🤮

Had potential but was just fine

Brass in Pocket is great. 3.25

Not life changing

Didn't like the pretenders before this album. Still don't. A bit more punk than I was expecting

Enjoyed listened to this album. The upbeat feel with the instruments and her vocals were nice to listen to. I would like to re listen to this album as when you only listen to it once, you sometimes don’t rate it to its full potential. I don’t feel like I could complain about anything so I would probably rate it a 3 or 4 out of 5. It didn’t particularly stand out to me most of the time just because I wasn’t fully listening, which is something I might have to do to fully listen to it. I also think rocks my favourite genre anyway so it automatically gets a high rating

típicas bandas sexistas

Kovaa naisvetosta rokkia. Musiikiltaan aika perus, mutta ei noussu mitään mikä olis työntäny pois, meni oikein hyvin taustalla puuhaillessa. Tuskin menee ihmeellisesti lisäkuunteluun, mutta mielellään kerran rokkas läpi

Ok pop-punk album. Decent vocals and some cool songs.

2,9/5

Nothing to get excited about but nothing terrible either

Few debut albums arrive with as much swagger as Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde and company take the nervous energy of punk, the sharp edges of new wave, and the timeless crunch of rock ’n’ roll, then weld them into something that feels both familiar and fresh. The guitars jangle and slash, the rhythm section drives hard, and Hynde commands every song with a mix of toughness and cool confidence. The album kicks off with “Precious,” a relentless blast of pounding drums, rumbling bass, and razor-sharp guitar work that immediately announces the band’s arrival. Elsewhere, the Kinks cover “Stop Your Sobbing” transforms a British Invasion gem into a radio-ready pop-rock standout, complete with sweet harmonies and double-tracked vocals. “Kid” may be the record’s hidden masterpiece, balancing vulnerability with some of the album’s most irresistible jangling guitars. Then there’s “Brass in Pocket,” the breakthrough hit that helped make Pretenders a household name. It’s smoother and more accessible than much of the record, but it never sacrifices the attitude that defines the band. While the album occasionally feels more like a collection of strong singles than a fully unified statement, the quality of the songwriting and performances rarely dips. As debuts go, Pretenders is a powerful introduction to a band that sounds ready to take on the world.

🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 (though could easily be 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 were I not feeling so magnanimous) Where do I know Pretenders from?? I swear I know at least one of their songs, but their sound is so generically early eighties that I can't place them. This cheesy, clean production on punk is one marked step towards its commercialization, but I'm kind of a sucker for this. The frontwoman is doing a B-52s, dare I say a Frank-n-furter, with her delivery, and even though she's not exactly possessed by the Rocky Horror spirit I can't say it wasn't fun. 1: Bad | 2: Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities) | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing

“Stop Your Sobbing” completely cracked me up, and overall I thought this was fine but not anything super special.

Early pop punk, vocals very punk esk but instrumentals are easily digestible, not the biggest fan of this style of vocals but singer has really good voice, vibe switches up half way through, like how they explored different styles, Private Life sounds like a knock off police song without a pop-esk hook, brass in pocket sounds like stereotypical 80’s pop song - good but very similar to rest of that style music, I’m all for stylistic diversity but feels like it’s just a bunch of of average stuff fitting into genres without doing much else to stand out 3/5 Favorite: Porcelain

Good album but I am tired of hearing Brass in Pocket.

Distinct sound of the band and Chrissy's voice.

Meh

The vocal delivery is a highlight of the album. In other ways, I can't say it's very memorable or original. A bit of pop, a bit of punk, a lot of very alike songs. And the way '80s records manage to sound more dated than '60s ones never fails to amaze me. Best song: "Precious," as I love the way Chrissie Hynde has 20-something ways to sing the word.

"Space Invader" is aight. "Brass in Pocket": a classic. Good album.

Would I listen again: sure Not quite my style but also really not bad. I liked brass in pocket but I suppose that’s because it was a hit lol

Not a lot to say. Good enough Favorite Songs: Kid, The Wait, Mystery Achievement

Pretty good, enjoyed Brass in Pocket

Got some bangers and they're trying some fun ideas

I've been busy the last few days and away from easy computer access. But I've known the albums I was getting and listened to them all. So I'm rating four albums today (Pretenders s/t, Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables by Dead Kennedys, and Bjork's Debut.). I'm giving them all 3s. And that's what pisses me off. There's not enough nuance in this rating system!!! Only five options is stupid. It means a 5 is reserved for albums I consider truly great, and a 1 is for garbage I don't think even belongs on this list. Then I'm left with three options for everything else. 2 seems to be, 'I get why it's here, but I don't like it.' 4 is either 'this is absolutely a classic, monumental album, but it's not really my thing' or 'I liked this a lot, but it's not perfect.' Which leaves the 3. I'm slapping it on four records today and I have wildly different feelings about all of them. Cocteau Twins I'd give maybe a 7.4 out of 10 (note that's not an 8, which translates to a 4-star, right?) while Dead Kennedys and Pretenders would both be somewhere in the 6.5 out of 10 range. Bjork would earn a 5.2 out of 10 (right in the middle, which sure doesn't seem like a 2 star rating, does it?) Frustrating. Wish it was different to allow for more distinction in rating.

Добре, проте це просто типовий панк-рок

All good.

im not turning it off on the radio but i'm not googling the lyrics either

Pretenders - Pretenders Listen on vinyl and glad I did as this really is an album of two halves. Tracks 1 to 6 explode with visceral inventiveness and excitement. The clever syncopations and machine gun guitars make the first 20 minutes of this collection an absolutely delightful and surprising thrill ride. Then there is the 'odd man out' Ray Davies cover of Stop Your Sobbing. They debut single produced by Nick Lowe before he gave up on the band, it sounds like a completely different time and place. Side 2 presents, to me, a completely different direction with Hynde seemingly already wanting to accelerate the 'maturation' of the group. And, to be honest, I don't really enjoy it anywhere near as much. Yes, Brass in Pocket is a great song but it isn't what I want after the moddish thunder of The Wait, or the in your face Precious. Would make a phenomenal mini-album 🤔 Best Track - hard call but gonna go for Tattooed Love Boys (still get giddy at that 'miss a beat' drum line) Worst track - Mystery Achievement. Such an anonymous way to end. 7.5/10 pretty much all for the first half.

Not so bad. Flat 3. Favorite track: Private Life

Un disco regular, solo conocía 1 canción, las demas estaban mas o menos.

It got better later into the listen as there were tracks I've heard a few times before. While this got pretty good reviews and is a strong debut, I wouldn't rate it higher than a 3, lucky to not be a 2.

Imagine hearing the Pretenders for the first time by hearing Chrissy Hines purr “Precious.”

Sounds like a Mixture of Stevie Nicks and Siouxie and the Banshees.

Mag die instrumentals, aber bin leider überhaupt kein fan von diesem vocal style

Pretty solid album, especially for a debut. Some tracks felt a bit long. But still a solid 3 for me. Favorite track(s) Tattooed Love Boys Kid Lovers of Today

this jus a boring version of the blondie album i got yesterday

This album has very strong hints of what was to come. Brass In Pocket is the highlight.

This album starts off pretty high energy then it kind of ebbs and flows. It's decent, and better than many things that are tagged new wave on this list. Not sure I'd come back but I can see a good arguement for this being on the list. 3/5 nearly a 4.

I liked this. I only knew Brass in Pocket. I liked the song Kid though. I like Chrissie Hynde’s voice.

Clearly historically important and a huge inspiration to some notable modern rock sounds. I don't know if I go back to this album though.

prima maar zeker niet geweldig

3.5

um cd que cumpre exatamente o que a capa promete

Pretty solid rock album. Recognized a couple songs and had an enjoyable time with it.

Nothing much to say about this. Just a hair before my time and so I don't really have any attachment to the Pretenders. Rock and roll.

Chrissie Hynde has never done much for me, though I recognize the Pretenders' place in rock history (and Hynde's role in the early punk scene in the UK). That said, I liked this more than I expected, probably because it's much closer to punk and post-punk than her later stuff. While the songs blend together after a while for me, it was nice to be introduced to songs other than "Brass in Pocket" that I may return to in the future. ("Mystery Achievement" is great.)

me ha sorprendido que he escuchado las más populares y las conocía, however......las del álbum? ninguna, ah mentira brass in pocket es de este album me gusta el rollete y tal está bastante bien

Decent

An album of all time. Not bad but not interesting either. 6/10

Kind of meh for me! Some goodies in there.

A solid first album. You can absolutely hear what they're going for, but I think they really nailed it on Learning to Crawl.

Me gusto, pero no se si volveria a escuchar el album

based on what i was expecting, with that cover and the eighties looming over, i was gratefully surprised for it to be a competent, with punk sensibilities rock album. But that doesn't mean it was something remarkable. okay at best

A pleasant punky pop album. Very 70s/80s crossover as you'd expect.

Brit-rock-esque, but american. Some almost Caribbean leanings

Pretenders Self Titled - 3/5 - Great debut album that laid the groundwork for a number of bands to follow - I can see how The Smiths guitarist was inspired, Speaking of which James Honeymoon-Scott’s guitar work is amazing quite often coming off as quite raw and tasteful even going so far as to say the album would not have received the acclaim if it weren’t for his incorporation, Unconventional time signatures definitely make the album stand out in a good way as well Verdict: 71-74/100. Sadly enough sounds like watered down punk and the album does begin to lose steam half way, I do find a number of songs on here interesting but it lacks the consistency to really make it memorable. A great listen if you’re wanting to dive into the history of what would become the run of the new wave but outside of that sadly there isn’t much else going on for it unfortunately. Favourite Songs: Precious The Phone Call Up The Neck Tattooed Love Boys Kid Brass in Pocket Mystery Achievement

Enjoyable enough

I liked most of what I listened to (about half). Three stars

mid 3.5 álbum divertido mas repetitivo. vocal, produção e melodias acabam sendo todos muito parecidos favs: Tattooed Love Boys, Stop Your Sobbing

Big fan of Brass in Pocket. The rest is fine

Nice sound, but the songs are mostly just fine.

Brass in my pocket I've heard Rest is fine

I'm realizing a female voice is a lot more interesting to me than a male voice singing by listening to these albums. So I enjoyed this album slightly more than I would normally expect. That said, I still think it's a 3/5, but an enjoyable listen!

Good album. Chrissie is a great front-woman. At this point, I've heard "Brass In Pocket" too many times, which is sad. I really wish I could have seen them live when this came out. I bet those shows were killer.

I like some Pretenders songs so much, I couldn’t wait to hear this but was a little underwhelmed by the deeper cuts. Could grow on me on additional listens but on first listen it’s just OK.

Good!

is ok. 1. precious: 2 2. the phone call: 2 3. up the neck: 3 4. tattooed love boys: 2 5. space invader: 3 6. the walt: 2 7. stop your sobbing: 3 8. kid: 4 9. private life: 2 10. brass in pocket: 4 11. lovers of today: 4 12. mystery achievement: 3

This made no impact on my life

More agressive cranberries

Started out stong as a first album

Brass in Pocket does a lot of heavy lifting for this album.

Can I please just be Chrissie Hynde for a day? She's so cool. I never realized the similarities between her and Karen O before this. Karen is definitely channeling her inner Chrissie. The album was ok. The only two bangers were the two songs I'd already heard before but my 80s playlist expanded by 30 percent.

The distinctive voice of Chrissie Hynde! I feel like if you listened to the pretenders before the age of 8 (and loved it) it would set you up for a very much cooler life. You can tell she’s got a lot more music and lyrics bottled up inside of her and this is just a commercial segment of that tantalising musical orange. A pleasant album, decent soft rock and not so aggressive that you could get away with playing it to a wide spectrum of people when you’re up next on “pass the aux”.

Well, I know the Pretenders, mostly from their hits. And like their hits, so I thought I would enjoy this album, but I have to say, aside from Brass in Pocket I was disappointed. A harsh 2 or a generous 3? 3.

Helt ok.

Ganske OK, ligg på mellom 2 og 3.

2-3 et sted. Liker det, det er fint, men tror ikke jeg hører på det på nytt så mange ganger.

씐난다

i wanted to like this more than i did... alas, 3 stars.

another 3.5 star album that i think i want to like more than i actually did. there are some solid tracks here but as an album it's just kinda... there. shoutout to the track space invader though, which is what it would sound like if someone chopped and screwed the beatles song day tripper favorites: precious, tattooed love boys, space invader, stop your sobbing, brass in pocket

got some tunes on it, decent album

Decent enough - Brass in Pocket a stand out classic, rest ok - quite liked Lovers of Today as well

A solid punky rock album that I would listen to again. No standout songs, but every track is solid nonetheless.

Started song with the song Precious but the rest of the album didn't resonate with me. Too many references to the cuban slide.

Déjà écouté avant. Un premier album parfois inégal, sauvé par une énergie punk contagieuse et, surtout, par le charisme magnétique de Chrissie Hynde, toujours impressionnante. Top : The Wait Flop : Up the Neck

I can’t pretend I didn’t enjoy this!! Solid music all around.

Кажется это лучше слушать в токийском караоке в исполнении Скарлетт Йоханссон

Brass In Pocket тут единственная хорошая вещь. Видно, что старались сделать что-то необычное, но меня вообще не зацепило

Куда-то исчезла моя доброта. Ничего не почувствовала. Притворились кем угодно на разных альбомах. Коммерческие хиты у них вышли лучше.

Лучшая песня: Mystery achievement Худшая: The Wait Три песни понравились, все остальное порожняк. Главный критерий попадания в этот список - нужно, чтоб альбом был незапоминающимся

очередной день со средненьким, но не плохим альбомом

Less than the sum of its parts and I’m not sure why. Love love Chrissie’s voice, love the bass lines, feel lukewarm about the actual music. I really wanted to like it more if that helps? like I do like it, a two is not a low score for me necessarily. maybe I bump it up to a three. who knows.

One good song…the rest okay.

surprisingly more enjoyable than i expected. i enjoyed the lead singer's voice. Would I listen again: maybe Deserves to be on this list: unsure 3.4

I find the singer's delivery to be the most interesting thing. She plays with speed, pronunciation, etc. to make a lot of variety The band are really tight and some of the rhythmic ideas are clever. I can see how this would have been a nice development in rock and roll. I'm not a fan of the genre though

Need to listen to it all the way through once more. But it’s a great collection of songs and has reminded me how much I like the pretenders

Not bad, not something I would have picked up. Has the typical British punk sound, very nasal guitars up front before the whole band comes in. Sometimes its a bit too much but the way the band sounds chaotic the singer comes through as a steading voice. That part is very neat.

⭐⭐⭐ Trodde på förhand att detta kunde vara något för mig men det är ganska medel. Inget dåligt men inte mycket höjdpunkter heller. Kanske ger det en chans till i framtiden, därför får det en 3a.Bäst är The phone call, Private life, Brass in pocket.

I struggled to enjoy this album. Unlike the album I listened to yesterday from Bob Dylan where I felt that it was easy to engage with and tune in, I kept having to go back and relisten to songs on this album so that I could properly give this album a listed. Once I finished the initial album, I then discovered that there was a deluxe version which contained several more songs, a second disc containing a recordings of demos and live BBC live sessions, and a third disc containing recordings from additional live shows. I really wanted to give this album and this artist a full opportunity to shine. It isn't that I dislike the Pretenders. I ended up closing out the album during disc 2, but I did really enjoy the Cuban Slide and I am hoping in the future I can revisit this album with refreshed ears.

3.5. enjoyable listen.

Guitars and compositions are mostly nice, I doubt I'll ever remember one thing from this album besides the standouts though

One great song, "Brass In My Pocket"

Tuff

Strong start!

It was ok. Not as good as I wanted it to be.

Brass in pocket aside it’s bang average

3.0

What might otherwise be a pedestrian album is made special with Chrissie Hyndes voice and style.

decent post punk med massere attitude. ikke noget specielt.

So I thought this was the "I Would Walk 500 Miles" band at first. Regardless, this is decent. Don't dislike it.

3.25. Solid

I enjoy the production - there's a real dreamy quality to it despite being straight up rock - but I'm kind of whelmed by the tracks overall.

Some great songs but overall pretty middle of the road for me

I had a great time listening to this which was good after a long streak of very very average albums. Quite punky in a way that was still approachable. I liked this on the whole

I much preferred the songs nearer to the end of this album - they felt more tuneful and melodic than the earlier jarring snippets of voice. The whole album just felt marmitey, I either really liked the song or it just didn't land at all which is why I'd say this evens out to a 3 for me.

Funny that this is the first time I’ve listened to a Pretenders album in its entirety! I love Chrissie Hynde’s voice as much as ever, and the music is great, though it does bring home how musically simple pop songs were in this era.

Considering the fact that my dislike of Back on the Chain Gang has been enough to keep me from exploring much more of The Pretenders, this one surpassed my expectations.

3.25 - Pretty good. I was surprised to learn that this was a female-fronted band.

Fun little early punk record with a few dense breakdowns. Great vocal quality, to the point of kinda overshadowing the rest. 3.3/5.0