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Ignoring the "Precious" side of Chrissie Hynde's rocking and writing, The Singles still captures a good bit of what was special about her in the '80s. Bopping assertions of strength ("Brass in Pocket"), wistful dreaminess ("Talk of the Town"), flat-out weepers ("2000 Miles"), her tough-mom attitude ("Middle of the Road")--the many sides of her seven-inches are generously surveyed herein. --Rickey Wright

Learning to Crawl (Expanded) >>

The Isle of View >>

There are a lot of diehard Pretenders boosters out there who'll warm to this unplugged hits set much faster than Last of the Independents. Hynde's singing has never been finer, and it was a brilliant stroke to incorporate a string quartet into the acoustic soundscape. Everything here is first-rate (notably the little-known "I Hurt You" and "Criminal"), but it's the ultra-fresh versions of "Brass in Pocket," "Private Life," and "2000 Miles" that will bring a lump to the throat of thirtysomething fans. --Jeff Bateman

Viva El Amor >>

Pretenders >>

This nearly perfect debut album showcases both the extraordinary songs of Ohio-born singer Chrissie Hynde and the rhythmically complex performances of her UK- bred band, Pretenders. The band tramples through the sexual aggression of "Precious", "Up the Neck" and "Tattooed Love Boys"; the classic pop of "Kid" and "Brass in Pocket"; and a brilliant cover of the Kinks's "Stop Your Sobbing". Hynde's sneering vocals add resonance to these tales of sexual revenge, abuse, and longing appropriately fleshed out with blood, guts and guitar. --Rob O'Connor

Pretenders (Expanded) >>

Last of the Independents >>

Learning to Crawl >>

The departure of bassist Pete Farndon, and the drug-related death of lead guitarist James Honeyman Scott in 1982, left Chrissie Hynde's Pretenders in disarray, but she and drummer Martin Chambers rallied to produce the stunning 1983 single, "Back on the Chain Gang" (dedicated to Scott), and over the course of the next year, cobbled together enough material for a new album, some of whose tracks included new members: guitarist Robbie McIntosh and bassist Malcolm Foster. Nontheless, the album held together due to Hynde's uniformly strong material, which ranged from the rocking, bluesy "Middle of the Road" to the near-protest tune "My City Was Gone," to the piercing "Time the Avenger." --Billy Altman