Pretenders

Formed in the late 1970s, the Pretenders' original lineup--fronted by voice-for-the-ages Chrissie Hynde--made melodic, intelligent guitar rock that straddled the gap between punk's rawness and the ear candy of new wave pop, with a touch of '60s influence. For their first couple of albums, the band seemed untouchable, but the untimely deaths of guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bassist Pete Farndon was a temporary setback. They rebounded gorgeously, however, with 1984's LEARNING TO CRAWL, and soldiered on from there. Decades later, the Pretenders, and Hynde, remain rock legends.

• rock
• pop
• r&b/soul