The Chrissie Hynde Albums Ranked
The Pretenders are a great band, and the main reason for that is Chrissie Hynde. The rock act’s singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter is also its only constant member throughout its 40-plus year history. With that in mind, it kind of makes sense why Hynde, for so long, hadn’t branched out into the solo album game; some of the Pretenders records are primarily a Hynde artistic effort. But back in 2014, 34 years after the band’s self-titled debut, the musician put her name and her name alone on an album cover. Hynde had worked on a bunch of songs with various other artists before and since, and had released an album in 2010 as part of JP, Chrissie and the Fairground Boys (FIDELITY!), but in the seven years since STOCKHOLM’s release (Hynde’s debut solo record), she has added two more albums to her solo discography. Chrissie Hynde, besides achieving legendary status in rock music at a time when women in the scene weren’t really celebrated (they often still aren’t), is a great guitarist, singer, and songwriter. The latter, however, may not be fully represented across Hynde’s solo albums, but that’s OK. You’ll see what I mean.
#3 — STOCKHOLM (2014)
Favorite track: “You or No One”
Strangely, Chrissie Hynde’s first solo album is difficult to track down on digital services. In effect, STOCKHOLM has been delisted, although a bunch of the record’s songs can be searched for and found on YouTube. And I’m not quite sure why. Despite STOCKHOLM being, in my eyes, Hynde’s “worst” album, it is not bad. While I know that quality is not necessarily the reason why music disappears officially from the internet, and it’s usually more of a licensing or rights issue, it’s still a strange development. In any event, however, STOCKHOLM is a pleasant listen. The Pretenders, while “rocking” especially in their early years, always had a general sense of and play with pop hooks, marking them as a kind of post- or in-between-new-wave act when they emerged at the beginning of the 1980s. On STOCKHOLM, that sensibility of Hynde’s is turned into true power pop. The album is a bit too light and airy to be a full rock record, and it’s got a drive that makes it a bit harder than a classic pop release. This may be because Hynde co-wrote the songs with Björn Yttling, known for working with Lykke Li, Franz Ferdinand, and others on the pop spectrum. The result is an album that doesn’t offend as a pop rock effort, but STOCKHOLM also doesn’t make a heavy impression.
#2 — VALVE BONE WOE (2019)
Favorite track: “Que reste-t-il de nose amours?”
After the solo experiment that was STOCKHOLM, it looked like Hynde might have simply returned to work under the Pretenders name. But five years later, the rock musician came out with a surprising dive into jazz and the first of two cover albums so far. So hence, my point in the introduction about how Hynde’s solo records might not be the greatest display of her songwriting prowess. But in spite of VALVE BONE WOE and its successor not fully showcasing the musician’s wholly original compositions, they do illustrate Hynde’s ability to powerfully reinterpret others’ great songs. And they do so in a lowkey, almost somber mode that reveals a tired, reflective, or even just relaxed side of the woman who even recently (as on the Pretenders’ HATE FOR SALE [2020]) has rocked hard. But in relation and specific to VALVE BONE WOE: Hynde and her “Valve Bone Woe Ensemble” interpret everyone from the Beach Boys to Frank Sinatra to John Coltrane. But indeed, much of the record is an ode to music and standards from the 1930s and ’40s, and Hynde does so with, as mentioned, a lounge-y jazz sound. “Que reste-t-il de nose amours?,” the final track on VALVE BONE WOE, is a great, soothing example of the richness Hynde brings to already rich songs, and the conclusion to a surprising record from the frontwoman of the Pretenders.
#1 — STANDING IN THE DOORWAY: CHRISSIE HYNDE SINGS BOB DYLAN (2021)
Favorite track: “Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight”
Hynde continued to distinguish her solo career from that of the Pretenders with her third album and the impetus for this piece at the time of writing: an album of Bob Dylan covers. It shouldn’t come as a surprise when musicians who work in one genre display love for, appreciate, or find influence in music of other types. But when that appreciation or whatever is fully rendered in that apparently disparate musician’s own work, it is a bit surprising. What I’m trying to say is that it’s no real shock that Chrissie Hynde is a Bob Dylan fan (she’s also played with the guy at least once or twice) or even that, in the case of VALVE BONE WOE, she really likes old pop and jazz standards. But for her to bring those influences to bear on full records is a welcome change from her typical style with the Pretenders. Like VALVE BONE WOE, STANDING IN THE DOORWAY: CHRISSIE HYNDE SINGS BOB DYLAN carries the lowkey flipside to Hynde’s rock abilities, which as mentioned, are still on display in recent Pretenders’ releases. STANDING IN THE DOORWAY benefits, of course, from a foundation provided by one of the greatest songwriters to ever do it, but Hynde is to be given credit for her song selection (she sure had a lot to pick from) and particular interpretation. At this point, it should also be mentioned that her voice is still quite incredible. From STOCKHOLM on (from when she was 62 to when she was 69), Hynde has still had a powerful, compelling vocal delivery. Her affecting voice and intriguing interpretation of Dylan’s songbook marks STANDING IN THE DOORWAY: CHRISSIE HYNDE SINGS BOB DYLAN as the foremost example of the weighty work Chrissie Hynde has done under her solo banner.
