Song · The Pretenders
“Kid” by The Pretenders
From the album Pretenders (1980)
“Kid” by The Pretenders appears on 11 radio countdowns from 6 stations between 1989 and 2026. It was first released in 1980 on the album Pretenders. Its best result is #270 on the WYEP 913 Countdown 2016. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #2,387 alternative song of all time.
Watch
Video from YouTube (Pretenders). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Kid" was the Pretenders' second single, out in 1979 ahead of their self-titled debut album in early 1980, and it showed how much melody the band had up its sleeve. Chrissie Hynde wrote it about a made-up boy who finds out his mother is a prostitute, and she sings it with more tenderness than judgment.
Guitarist James Honeyman-Scott put its sweetness down to Hynde's growing taste for pop, and he spent a couple of days crafting the solo, a chiming little gem that sings almost as much as she does. Chris Thomas produced, Bill Price engineered and mixed, and the single reached number 33 in the UK, the band's second British top-40 hit.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 448 | WOXY 97X | WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) | 500 |
| 1999 | 846 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 2000 |
| 2000 | 897 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) | 2001 |
| 2001 | 902 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) | 2002 |
| 2001 | 790 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2002 | 902 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) | 2003 |
| 2002 | 745 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
| 2003 | 888 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
| 2016 | 270 | WYEP | WYEP 913 Countdown 2016 | 913 |
| 2022 | 294 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s | 908 |
| 2026 | 1099 | WYEP | WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time | 1180 |
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Kid" by The Pretenders.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.