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1983 single by Pretenders
"
2000 Miles
" is a song by British-American
rock
band
Pretenders
. Written by lead vocalist
Chrissie Hynde
and produced by
Chris Thomas
, it was released on 18 November 1983 as the second single from their third studio album,
Learning to Crawl
(1984).
[3]
It was most popular in the UK, where it peaked at No. 15 on the
UK Singles Chart
in December 1983. In the US, it was released as the B-side of both the
7-inch
single and
12-inch
single
remix
of the band's hit "
Middle of the Road
".
Considered a
Christmas song
, it has been released on various Christmas compilation albums.
Background
[
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]
The song is about two long-distance lovers who miss each other at Christmastime.
[4]
"
Robbie McIntosh
plays beautifully on '2000 Miles'," Hynde recalled. "Anything to avoid listening to my voice and my stupid words."
[5]
The song frequently reappears in the UK Charts around Christmas time staying in the charts for a few weeks over the Christmas period.
[6]
Similarly, in Poland the song plays everyday in December as part of the Christmas rotation on
RMF FM
's RMF Classic.
Critical reception
[
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]
Dave Marsh
, in his 1989 book
The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made
, ranked "2000 Miles"' as the 630th best rock or soul single to that date. It is one of four songs by Pretenders listed in the book.
[7]
Ultimate Classic Rock
critic Matt Wardlaw rated it the Pretenders’ 9th greatest song, calling it "one of the season's most beloved Christmas songs."
[8]
Music video
[
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]
The official video features Hynde dressed as a member of
The Salvation Army
in a snowy location.
[9]
Chrissie Hynde also recorded a version of the song in 1995 with violins and other stringed instruments.
Covers
[
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]
British
rock
band
Coldplay
released a piano cover of the song as a charity single.
[10]
The track's digital download was available for £1.50 between 16 December 2003 and 1 January 2004, with all royalties being donated to
Stop Handgun Violence
and Future Forests.
[11]
[
dead link
]
American rock band
Train
covered the song for their Christmas album
Christmas in Tahoe
(2015).
Charts
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]
Certifications
[
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]
References
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]
External links
[
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]
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Studio albums
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Live albums
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Extended plays
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Compilation albums
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Songs
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Chrissie Hynde solo
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Related articles
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