Learning To Crawl (studio album)
by Pretenders

Learning To Crawl by Pretenders
Year: 1984
Overall rank: 1,709th   
Average Rating: 
76/100 (from 227 votes)
     
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1984 (26th)
Award Top albums of the 1980s (264th)
Award Best albums of all time (1,709th)

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THE PRETENDERS Learning to Crawl Vinyl 1984 1st US Press
Condition: Used


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THE PRETENDERS Learning to Crawl Vinyl 1984 1st US Press In Shrink! EX + Sleeve!
Condition: Used


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The Pretenders Learning to Crawl (CD) Album
Condition: Brand New


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Pretenders bestography

Learning To Crawl is ranked 2nd best out of 17 albums by Pretenders on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by Pretenders is Pretenders which is ranked number 577 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 2,942.

Pretenders album bestography « Higher ranked (577th)
Pretenders
This album (1,709th)
Learning To Crawl
Lower ranked (3,274th) »
Pretenders II

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

Upcoming concerts

Jan
09
Fri
17:00
INXS, Pat Benatar, Pretenders, Billy Idol Tributes - 80's Music Bingo Live!
Garden Amphitheatre, Garden Grove, United States. United States
Tickets from Ticketmaster Get tickets
 
Feb
20
Fri
20:00
USED CARS - A Tribute to the CARS, HYNDE SIGHT - Tribute to The Pretenders
The Token Lounge, Westland, United States. United States
Tickets from Ticketmaster Get tickets
 
Discover more upcoming concerts

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Learning To Crawl track list

   The tracks on this album have an average rating of 81 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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Track pick (850 - 69 votes)
Average Rating: 85 (69 votes)Comments: View 0
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Average Rating: 86 (84 votes)Comments: View 2
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Average Rating: 79 (44 votes)Comments: View 0
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Average Rating: 75 (41 votes)Comments: View 0
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Average Rating: 81 (48 votes)Comments: View 0
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Average Rating: 78 (42 votes)Comments: View 0
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Average Rating: 83 (54 votes)Comments: View 0
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Average Rating: 77 (42 votes)Comments: View 2
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Average Rating: 83 (68 votes)Comments: View 1
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Track pick (1000 - 100 votes) Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.

Learning To Crawl rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 1,709th | 1980s rank: 264th | 1984 rank: 26th

Learning To Crawl collection

Learning To Crawl ratings

Average Rating: 
76/100 (from 227 votes)
   Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 227 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
90/100
 !
4 days ago zags7000   20,41064/100
 
5/100
 !
11/22/2025 23:47 Squonk007   72024/100
 
65/100
 !
11/12/2025 23:19 NYAndreas   1,43243/100
 
90/100
 !
07/14/2025 02:49 rfowler   44385/100
 
70/100
 !
07/05/2025 15:03 JamesMowbray   5,26170/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 4% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 76.4/100, a mean average of 76.1/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 76.6/100. The standard deviation for this album is 13.9.

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Learning To Crawl comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 13 comments |
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Rating:  
80/100
From 09/30/2025 12:09 | #311143
I have 4 of their vinyl's and imagine most people would pick their debut album has their best but I like this album better. It shows that with the personal changes in the group had that Chrissie Hynde is the lead in this group. Some great songs on here but my favorite is "Thin Line Between Love And Hate"
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Rating:  
80/100
From 05/17/2024 08:35 | #303572
Great
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 12/07/2023 20:15 | #300347
This is THE Pretenders album. Pretty incredible they were able to regroup after losing half their original lineup to overdoses and put out of the best record of their career. Filled with long-surviving classics (Middle of the Road, Back on the Chain Gang, My City Was Gone, 2000 Miles) and really strong lesser-known gems (Time the Avenger, Show Me, Thin Line Between Love and Hate). Certainly one of the premier new wave/alt-rock albums of the '80s.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 03/09/2021 04:58 | #267114
Back on The Chain Gang is a nearly perfect song. Show Me and 2000 Miles are also standouts. This is less aggressive than their opening album, but the melodies and instrumentation are superior. Great album
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 12/11/2020 16:52 | #262541
Really, not bad.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 04/09/2019 15:19 | #234674
From beginning to end this album has no bad tracks.
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Rating:  
70/100
From 02/17/2018 16:22 | #208574
Contiene una grande hit che è "Middle of the road", stra ballata in gioventù e non solo, ed almeno un altro grande brano qual è la bluesata "My city was gone".
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Rating:  
100/100
From 12/02/2013 00:01 | #95961
My favorite album from one of my favorite bands, supremely confident music which swings between defiance and emotional confession. Though I prefer James Honeyman-Scott as a guitarist, the songwriting here trumps even the classic debut; a perfect comeback from tragedy.
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Rating:  
90/100
From 07/07/2012 19:28 | #46087
Their most consistent, and probably best, record. The one-two punch opening of “Middle of the Road” and “Back on the Chain Gang” is a killer, and it hardly lets up from there. “Thumbelina” also stands out.
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Rating:  
80/100
From 03/28/2012 21:47 | #39099
No fillers and one of the best cover ever: Thin Line Between Love and Hate! CH Rocks!
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Best Albums of 1984
1. Purple Rain by Prince And The Revolution
2. Ride The Lightning by Metallica
3. The Smiths by The Smiths
4. Born In The U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen
5. Let It Be by The Replacements
6. Hatful Of Hollow by The Smiths
7. Double Nickels On The Dime by Minutemen
8. Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads
9. Zen Arcade by Hüsker Dü
10. Treasure by Cocteau Twins
11. Powerslave by Iron Maiden
12. Ocean Rain by Echo & The Bunnymen
13. The Unforgettable Fire by U2
14. Legend: The Best Of Bob Marley And The Wailers by Bob Marley & The Wailers
15. Reckoning by R.E.M.
16. Diamond Life by Sade
17. 1984 by Van Halen
18. Rattlesnakes by Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
19. Meat Puppets II by Meat Puppets
20. E2-E4 by Manuel Göttsching
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