Hey let's poll the Pretenders' Greatest Hits

tbh i probably don't listen to the right kind of music most of the time to notice her influence. i mentioned karen o already but who would be some other singers that have an obvious chrissie h influence?

as for don't get me wrong, i'm not a big fan of the twinkly keyboard bits, but that guitar riff is maddeningly catchy and her voice just floats over the top of it in such a glorious way. and yes - that bridge again... all sounds so effortless

I find that the singer from the Dum Dum Girls does a great Chrissie.

i'm not sure if it's that karen o has been influenced by chrissie hynde or that their voices just happen to have the exact same timbre. or maybe it's both. either way, "ma

...either way, "maps" would easily fit on this very greatest-hits album that we're discussing.

Karen O. reminds me of the They Might Be Giants lyric "do you sing like Olive Oyl on purpose? you guys must be into the Eurythmics!"

Keep thinking I might should have voted for "Middle of The Road"

She's still sui generis as a vocalist. Forget the women -- more men should try her stylings.

I saw them in 2006, opening for the Who. Her voice hadn't changed at all since 1980. It was eerie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXKXBsZv3r4

This should be on here..

2000 Miles is that song one where I looked at the title and thought um whut? and then i played it and was instantly all OH SHIT IT'S THIS ONE! I LOVE THIS ONE!

I suppose Katrina & the Waves were quite Pretenders-y, and Walking On Sunshine isn't too dissimilar to Don't Get Me Wrong in that insistent nagging guitar thing, but then again it came out the year before it iirc.

It's also a bit shit too of course.

Ken Stringfellow writes in the notes for the Posies box set from 2000 about how much he loves Chrissie Hynde, and how she was supposed to come see the Posies play one time. He says he wanted the Pretenders to cover 'Pay You back In Time', and I reckon it would've sounded awesome.

Too bad none of these songs are called "Mystery Achievement." Then it would be easy. As it is, "Talk of the Town" or "Kid" or "Don't Get Me Wrong."

― Ian from Etobicoke (Phil D.), Thursday, November 14, 2013 9:20 AM (3 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

OTM

2000 Miles is that song one where I looked at the title and thought um whut? and then i played it and was instantly all OH SHIT IT'S THIS ONE! I LOVE THIS ONE!

― but my heart is full of woah (NickB), Sunday, 17 November 2013

was wondering when some love for that would pop up here, was seriously considering voting for it but there are at least half a dozen other ones I must consider as well

Polly Harvey and Shirley Manson are two that come to mind as influenced by her, the latter overtly. I know Elvis Costello is a big fan, as far as dudes go. But she's so iconic it's hard to point out linear influences.

Shirley Manson asked Hynde's permission to borrow a few lines from "Talk of the Town" for "Special" -- certainly it's Garbage's most Pretenders-like tune.

And of course the "special" parts comes from "Brass in Pocket." It's a two-fer.

Ken Stringfellow writes in the notes for the Posies box set from 2000 about how much he loves Chrissie Hynde, and how she was supposed to come see the Posies play one time. He says he wanted the Pretenders to cover 'Pay You back In Time', and I reckon it would've sounded awesome.

― Vic Arpeggio, Private Investigator (stevie), Sunday, November 17, 2013 3:53 PM (59 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

YESSSS i love "Pay You Back In Time" and that it was written for her, you can totally hear it. always seemed a shame that the Pretenders didn't record it, considering how many covers are on their albums. one of the later albums even has a song written for the Divinyls.

I was trying to find it on youtube to post it here, as it's kind of obscure - turns out its too obscure even for youtube!

yeah it bums me out that that box set isn't on itunes/spotify/etc, need to find the actual discs

The Singles is a more consistent collection than this Greatest Hits, though it misses quite a bit by dating back to the 80s, and it still has that goofy UB40 thing.

1. "Stop Your Sobbing" – 2:37
2. "Kid" – 3:05
3. "Brass in Pocket" – 3:04
4. "Talk of the Town" – 3:12
5. "I Go to Sleep" – 2:55
6. "Day After Day" – 4:01
7. "Message of Love" – 3:24
8. "Back on the Chain Gang" – 3:50
9. "Middle of the Road" – 4:12
10. "2000 Miles" – 3:38
11. "Show Me" – 4:07
12. "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" – 3:39
13. "Don't Get Me Wrong" – 3:48
14. "Hymn to Her" – 4:28
15. "My Baby" – 4:07
16. "I Got You Babe" (performed by UB40 with Chrissie Hynde) – 3:11

ok that day after day vid convinced me that it's my vote, how'd i forget that song?

also how do i unremember any ub40 collabs?

Yeah, Singles was the album I grew up with - though my dad also had Get Close (love My Baby and Hymn To Her in partic)

my dad had learning to crawl (almost definitely one of the last albums he ever bought) and the first one, they were one of a handful of new wave acts that crossed over enough that even my dad owned an album or two by them - the cars, the police, blondie, rick springfield.

My god, Hynde's vocal at the beginning of 2000 Miles! She just kills it.

it is so pleasing to see all this love for chrissie hynde! i guess i didn't realize the degree of affection people had for her/her singing. i realized the other day that everything i ever needed to learn about women wearing ruffle-fronted shirts, i learned from her. also, hometown pride! she is a hero (except for that awful UB40 collab but hey she's human)

there are TWO not great UB40 collabs on here folks - I Got U Babe and Breakfast In Bed

regrettable
still, the line "without some little jerk on my back" has been stuck in my head since i was about 7?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDeHAM93fuc

Hand to god, I swear that I read an interview with Slash from 20 years ago where he tells this same story, but about the first Pretenders album.

My big awakening happened when I was 14. I'd been trying to get into this older girl's pants for a while, and she finally let me come over to her house. We hung out, smoked some pot and listened to Aerosmith's Rocks. It hit me like a fucking ton of bricks. I sat there listening to it over and over, and totally blew off this girl. I remember riding my bike back to my grandma's house knowing that my life had changed. Now I identified with something."

Slash on his passion for rock music[24]

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I guess they weren't singles, but how are "Precious" and "The Wait" not on this?

I'm going with "Message of Love."

that's why

How do people rate the second album overall? I've always been under the impression it was seen as a disappointing follow up to a classic debut album but listening to it now I think it's not far off the first album. Along with some of their best singles there are some incredible album tracks too like Birds of Paradise, Jealous Dogs and The English Roses.

I've tried -- oh I've tried -- but it's blurry, opaque, shoddily written. Take "The Adultress" -- it's all texture and attitude but it sounds secondhand? It doesn't cohere.

Most days, I prefer it to the 1st album. The first and last tracks are the only weak ones for me, but it's solid otherwise.

It's the classic "2nd album review" syndrome..

I was A/B'ing "Talk of the Town" and "Don't Get Me Wrong" to see which of the two would get my vote and both of them sound like proto-Smiths songs imo

Oh wow, I'd been wondering why I had This Charming Man stuck in my head!

I seem to recall that Johnny Marr was the Pretenders guitarist for one tour (maybe for Packed?)

"Don't Get Me Wrong" is on constant rotation on a Menorcan radio station we used to have on in the car on every family holiday there, so as well as being a legit 10/10 song on its own it also brings back many of the fondest memories I have.

I think Marr was pre-Packed! - he played with the band for a 1987 tour.

he played on the album and co-wrote "When Will I See You."

He actually only played on one single and co-wrote "When Will I See You," but he was already in The The and Electronic by the time Packed! came out.

James Honeyman Scott was apparently his biggest influence, though, so it's not surprising that there are similarities in early Pretenders and The Smiths.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmZSuiKu-Nk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9L1SYU93d8

^ here are the songs Marr played with the band.

voted chain gang, glad to have this off my mind.

it was the happiest day of your life?

Voted "Kid" while trying not to look "Talk Of The Town" in the eyes.

"Back on the Chain Gang", love that main riff!

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep05/articles/classictracks.htm