Not every artist falls in love with the song that makes them famous.
When the Pretenders released "Brass in Pocket" in 1979, the infectious blend of new wave, rock and pop quickly became the band's breakthrough hit. Yet frontwoman Chrissie Hynde has spent decades admitting she never liked the song, making its enduring popularity one of rock's most surprising success stories.
The song almost never made it that far.
Written by Hynde and guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, "Brass in Pocket" was originally met with resistance from Hynde herself, who fought against releasing it as a single because she didn't believe it represented the band.
"I did not like it at first," Hynde told American Songwriter. "I said that would go out over my dead body. That was my famous quote." She disliked both the song and the idea of it becoming the Pretenders' calling card.
"I never thought it was that great," Hynde said in an interview with Louder. "Was it pop? Motown? Rock? It didn't seem to know what it was. I used to cringe when I heard my voice on those early Pretenders recordings, and then that f****r went to number one! I remember walking around Oxford Circus hearing it blasting out of people's radios. I was mortified."
Fortunately for the band, others disagreed.
Released as the third single from the Pretenders' self-titled debut album, "Brass in Pocket" climbed to No. 1 in the United Kingdom and became the band's first major international hit. Its instantly recognizable guitar riff, confident lyrics and Hynde's unmistakable vocal delivery helped establish the Pretenders as one of the defining acts of the new wave era.
"The title came because I heard a guy from a band up north who had taken his suit to a dry cleaner and – I can't do the accent – but he said, 'Was there any brass in pocket?' I hadn’t heard that before and I thought it was a good turn of phrase," Hynde said.
The song's success launched an extraordinary career.
Throughout the 1980s and beyond, the Pretenders built a catalog filled with enduring classics, including "Back on the Chain Gang," "Middle of the Road," "Don't Get Me Wrong" and "I'll Stand by You." But despite that impressive body of work, "Brass in Pocket" has remained the song most closely associated with the band, introducing generations of listeners to Hynde's distinctive songwriting and fearless attitude.
Over the years, the song has also taken on a life far beyond the charts. Its laid-back groove, singalong chorus and carefree confidence have made it a favorite on classic rock radio and an enduring companion for long drives, helping it earn a reputation as one of the era's quintessential road trip songs. It has appeared in numerous films, television shows and playlists celebrating the soundtrack of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
And, it's even grown on its singer.
"Now I like that song because it's one of those songs that served me well," Hynde said.
More than 45 years after its release, "Brass in Pocket" continues to thrive, regardless of its creator's opinion. What began as a song Chrissie Hynde never wanted to define the Pretenders ultimately became the band's biggest breakthrough and one of rock’s most beloved classics.
Related: 1982 Rock Song, Lasting Over 17 Minutes, Became an Overshadowed Classic
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