BIOGRAPHY
The Pretenders is a British rock band from London, England. The group was formed in 1978 by singer and guitarist Chrissie Hynde, bassist Pete Farndon, guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, and drummer Martin Chambers. The band achieved immediate success with their first single, "Brass in Pocket," which reached the number one spot on the UK Singles Chart in November 1979. The band's second single, "Precious," was also a commercial success, reaching number five on the UK Singles Chart.
The band's debut album, Pretenders, was released in January 1980 and reached number four on the UK Albums Chart. The band's second album, Pretenders II, was released in October 1981 and reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. The band's third album, Learning to Crawl, was released in January 1984 and reached number five on the UK Albums Chart.
The band faced a difficult period in the mid-1980s due to the deaths of Honeyman-Scott and the departure of Farndon. Hynde and Chambers were the only original members of the band remaining by the end of the decade. The band experienced a new commercial success in the early 1990s with the album Last of the Independents, which reached number two on the UK Albums Chart. The band has continued to tour and record new albums in the 2000s and 2010s, and remains active to this day.