Pretenders is the debut studio album by the British-American band The Pretenders, released on 27 December 1979 under Real Records (Sire Records in the United States). A combination of rock, punk, and pop music, this album made the band famous. The album features the singles "Stop Your Sobbing" "Kid" and "Brass in Pocket".

Nick Lowe produced the Pretenders' first single, "Stop Your Sobbing", but decided not to work with them again as he thought the band "wasn't going anywhere".[this quote needs a citation] Chris Thomas took over on the subsequent recording sessions.

Pretenders debuted at number 1 on the UK Albums Chart in the week of its release and stayed there for four consecutive weeks. It also made the top 10 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Platinum during 1982 by the RIAA. Pretenders has been named one of the best albums of all time by VH1 (#52). In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the album number 155 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and, in 1989, ranked it the 20th best album of the 1980s. The track "Private Life" was covered that same year by Grace Jones, on her album Warm Leatherette. In 2012, Slant Magazine listed the album at #64 on its list, "Best Albums of the 1980s".[7]

Pretenders was remastered and re-released in 2006 and included a bonus disc of demos, B-sides and live cuts, many previously unreleased. "Cuban Slide" and "Porcelain" originally appeared as B-sides to "Talk of the Town" and "Message of Love", while "Swinging London" and "Nervous But Shy" both appeared on the flip side of "Brass in Pocket". The Regents Park Demo of "Stop Your Sobbing" was included initially as a flexi-single in the May 1981 edition of Flexipop magazine. The tracks "Message of Love", "Talk of the Town", "Porcelain" and "Cuban Slide" alongside a live version of the album's opening track, "Precious", were released on a follow-up EP entitled Extended Play soon after. "Message of Love" contains the Oscar Wilde line "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars" from the play Lady Windermere's Fan.[1]

Pretenders was also reissued in 2009 by Audio Fidelity as a limited edition, audiophile gold CD using the original master tapes. However, this remaster suffered from limiting supposedly applied after engineer Steve Hoffman's digital master was created and approved. The song "The Phone Call" is missing some of the sound effects on this release because they were flown in after the master was completed for the song and, as a result, weren't on the original master tape.[citation needed] There were no bonus tracks included.

A shortened version of "Tequila" would be performed nearly fifteen years later on the Last of the Independents. "Sabre Dance" features Chrissie Hynde singing portions of "Stop Your Sobbing" over lengthy solos by James Honeyman-Scott and Martin Chambers' insistent drumming, making it a truly unique version.

The song "Tattooed Love Boys" is featured as a playable track in the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 music video game Guitar Hero II. The instrumental "Space Invader" contains sound effects from the video game Space Invaders. "Private Life" is featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories on fictional radio station Emotion 98.3. A cover version of "Brass in Pocket" and the master version of "Precious" are available as downloadable content for Rock Band.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Few rock & roll records rock as hard or with as much originality as the Pretenders' eponymous debut album. A sleek, stylish fusion of Stonesy rock & roll, new wave pop, and pure punk aggression, Pretenders is teeming with sharp hooks and a viciously cool attitude. Although Chrissie Hynde establishes herself as a forceful and distinctively feminine songwriter, the record isn't a singer/songwriter's tour de force -- it's a rock & roll album, powered by a unique and aggressive band. Guitarist James Honeyman-Scott never plays conventional riffs or leads, and his phased, treated guitar gives new dimension to the pounding rhythms of "Precious," "Tattooed Love Boys," "Up the Neck," and "The Wait," as well as the more measured pop of "Kid," "Brass in Pocket," and "Mystery Achievement." He provides the perfect backing for Hynde and her tough, sexy swagger. Hynde doesn't fit into any conventional female rock stereotype, and neither do her songs, alternately displaying a steely exterior or a disarming emotional vulnerability. It's a deep, rewarding record, whose primary virtue is its sheer energy. Pretenders moves faster and harder than most rock records, delivering an endless series of melodies, hooks, and infectious rhythms in its 12 songs. Few albums, let alone debuts, are ever this astonishingly addictive

RECORD COLLECTOR GRADING SYSTEM

In order to assist everyone who buys and sells rare discs, Record Collector magazine has originated a set of standards for the condition

of second-hand records, cassettes and CDs. Anyone buying or selling records through the magazine must use our conditions to state what

amount of wear and tear the disc, its sleeve and/or contents have been subject to. The seven standard condition categories, and a description

of what each one means, are listed below:

MINT: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks

or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such

as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records

advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there

is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging

might have slight wear and/or creasing.

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surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on

the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has

noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild

scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of

edges, spine splits, discoloration, etc.

FAIR: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for

properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump.
The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

POOR: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface

noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly

missing.

BAD: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.