The Singles (Pretenders album)

The Singles
Compilation album by the Pretenders
Released	26 October 1987 (1987-10-26) [1]
Recorded	1979–1986
Genre	Rock
Length	57:18
Label	WEA Sire
Producer	Bob Clearmountain Ray Falconer Jimmy Iovine Nick Lowe Chris Thomas UB40
The Pretenders chronology
Get Close (1986) The Singles (1987) Packed! (1990)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Chicago Tribune	[3]
Robert Christgau	A [4]
New Musical Express	9/10 [5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[6]

The Singles is the Pretenders' 1987 compilation album and features all the band's UK single hits to that date, as well as including "I Got You Babe", which Chrissie Hynde had performed with UB40 in 1985. The album reached No. 69 in the US album chart and No. 6 in the UK. ^[7]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Chrissie Hynde, except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original album	Length
1.	"Stop Your Sobbing"	Ray Davies	Pretenders (1980)	2:37
2.	"Kid"		Pretenders	3:05
3.	"Brass in Pocket"	Hynde James Honeyman-Scott	Pretenders	3:04
4.	"Talk of the Town" (single version)		Extended Play and Pretenders II (1981)	3:12
5.	"I Go to Sleep"	Davies	Pretenders II	2:55
6.	"Day After Day" (single version)	Hynde Honeyman-Scott	Pretenders II	4:01
7.	"Message of Love"		Extended Play and Pretenders II	3:24
8.	"Back on the Chain Gang"		Learning to Crawl (1984)	3:50
9.	"Middle of the Road"		Learning to Crawl	4:12
10.	"2000 Miles"		Learning to Crawl	3:38
11.	"Show Me"		Learning to Crawl	4:07
12.	"Thin Line Between Love and Hate"	Jackie Members Richard Poindexter Robert Poindexter	Learning to Crawl	3:39
13.	"Don't Get Me Wrong"		Get Close (1986)	3:48
14.	"Hymn to Her" (single edit)	Meg Keene	Get Close	4:28
15.	"My Baby"		Get Close	4:07
16.	"I Got You Babe" (UB40 featuring Chrissie Hynde)	Sonny Bono	Baggariddim (1985)	3:11

Charts

Chart (1987/88)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [8]	19
US Billboard Album Chart	69[ citation needed ]
UK Album Chart	6[ citation needed ]

2025 weekly chart performance for The Singles

Chart (2025)	Peak position
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ) [9]	28

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP) [10]	Gold	100,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ) [11]	Platinum	15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [12]	Platinum	100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [13]	3× Platinum	900,000^
United States (RIAA) [14]	Gold	500,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "BPI".
2. AllMusic review
3. Chicago Tribune review
4. Robert Christgau Consumer Guide
5. Gray, Louise (31 October 1987). "The Pretenders: The Singles". New Musical Express . p. 30.
6. Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide . New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p.  653. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone the pretenders album guide.
7. "BPI Certifications". BPI. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
8. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 238. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
9. "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2025. 34. hét". MAHASZ . Retrieved 26 August 2025.
10. "French album certifications – The Pretenders – The Singles" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
11. "New Zealand album certifications – The Pretenders – The Singles". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 20 November 2024.
12. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. p. 952. ISBN   8480486392.
13. "British album certifications – The Pretenders – The Singles". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 12 December 2018.
14. "American album certifications – The Pretenders – The Singles". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 12 December 2018.