Chrissie Hynde Reveals the Worst Womanizers of the 70s: The Truth Behind the Legends

The 1970s were a time of unbridled rock and roll, where the lines between fame, rebellion, and romance blurred in a haze of drugs, sex, and chaos. For Chrissie Hynde, the fearless frontwoman of The Pretenders, this was the world she navigated. But now, at 74, she’s finally speaking out about the men who defined the decade—those rock stars whose wild lifestyles left a trail of broken hearts and shattered dreams.

Chrissie has never been one to shy away from the raw truths of the music industry, and now she’s ready to expose the seven worst womanizers of the 70s—the men who captivated the world with their charm but left a wake of emotional destruction. The men who, in Chrissie’s words, were “gods” to the public, but mere mortals, consumed by their own vices and egos.

The King of Chaos: Iggy Pop

The first man on Chrissie’s list is none other than the unpredictable and electrifying Iggy Pop. When she met him in the early 70s, Iggy was already a rock god—a force of nature wrapped in leather, bleeding on stage, and exuding a raw energy that made him irresistible. His performances were legendary, but offstage, Iggy’s lifestyle was a whirlwind of excess and chaos. Drugs, women, and self-destruction were constant companions in his life, and Chrissie, though drawn to his energy, could see the damage he was causing. Iggy wasn’t evil, she says, but he was a walking hurricane, leaving nothing but destruction in his wake.

Despite the allure of his untamed energy, Chrissie learned quickly that Iggy was a man consumed by his own demons. His backstage affairs, reckless abandon, and the emotional wreckage he left behind were all too familiar in the world of rock and roll. Though she admired his rawness and artistry, Iggy’s lifestyle ultimately became too much for Chrissie to handle.

The Charmer: Mick Jagger

Mick Jagger, the charismatic frontman of The Rolling Stones, is next in Chrissie’s candid recollections. When they met at Olympic Studios, Chrissie saw Mick not just as a rock legend, but as a man who used his charm like a weapon. His allure was undeniable—women flocked to him like moths to a flame. But Chrissie saw through his carefully constructed facade. Behind the seduction and the rock star swagger was a man lonely, exhausted, and terrified of being forgotten.

Jagger’s emotional distance and need for constant validation became clear to Chrissie. For Mick, seduction was part of the show—nothing more, nothing less. His ego and fear of obsolescence shaped every relationship he had, leaving him hollow even as he basked in the adoration of millions.

The Genius of Chaos: Ray Davies

Ray Davies of The Kinks was a different kind of man—brilliant, intense, and filled with contradictions. Their relationship was explosive and volatile, a perfect storm of passion, creativity, and jealousy. Ray’s genius was undeniable, but his insecurities and need for control led to constant friction. As Chrissie’s success grew, Ray’s jealousy consumed him, and their love story became one of emotional destruction.

Their chemistry was undeniable, but Ray’s infidelity and his need to control Chrissie’s independence left deep scars. Despite the intensity of their bond, Ray’s inability to accept Chrissie’s autonomy eventually led to the end of their tumultuous relationship. For Chrissie, Ray was the man who awakened her heart, only to break it with his unrelenting demands and betrayals.

The Punk Tragedy: Sid Vicious

Sid Vicious, the tragic figure of punk, was both a boy and a monster in Chrissie’s eyes. When she met him, Sid was still the awkward, shy kid trying to make his mark in the chaotic world of punk. But as the Sex Pistols rose to fame, Sid’s life became consumed by drugs, violence, and obsession. His relationship with Nancy Spungen was toxic, a destructive cycle of addiction that ultimately led to both their downfalls.

Chrissie tried to steer Sid towards sanity, but it was already too late. Sid had surrendered to the myth of his own destruction, and Chrissie watched as he spiraled further into self-destruction. His tragic death in 1979 wasn’t surprising to her—it was the inevitable conclusion to a life built on chaos and self-destruction. Sid was a pawn in the punk circus, and Chrissie witnessed the tragic prophecy of punk’s most doomed romantic unfold before her eyes.

The Paradox: Lemmy Kilmister

Lemmy Kilmister, the legendary frontman of Motörhead, was different from the others in Chrissie’s story. He was a paradox—a womanizer, yes, but also a man who treated women with a strange respect. Their relationship was built on friendship, shared drinks, and long conversations in London pubs, but even Lemmy couldn’t escape the destructive power of his own lifestyle.

Lemmy loved women, but he was brutally honest about it. Unlike other rock stars who hid their womanizing ways behind a veneer of charm, Lemmy never pretended. His honesty, though refreshing, was also painful, and Chrissie saw the toll it took on him. Despite his rough exterior, there was a sadness in Lemmy that Chrissie could never ignore—a man who had seen it all, lived through it all, and still couldn’t escape the chaos that ruled his life.

The Tragic Romantic: Johnny Thunders

Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls was the last in Chrissie’s list of the worst womanizers. He was a beautiful, broken romantic, living for chaos and destruction more than any real connection. Chrissie remembers their time together in New York as a series of fleeting moments filled with brief flashes of warmth and long periods of silence. Johnny was the quintessential tragic figure—constantly searching for something he could never find.

Johnny’s self-destructive nature consumed everything around him, including his relationships. Despite his fleeting moments of charm, Johnny’s brokenness ultimately led to his early death in 1991. Chrissie knew he was doomed long before his tragic end, and she saw the emptiness behind his pain. To her, Johnny Thunders was the last true romantic of rock’s dark age—beautiful, brilliant, and completely beyond saving.

Surviving the Chaos

Chrissie Hynde’s story is not just one of surviving the chaos of the 70s rock scene—it’s about outlasting it. While the men she loved or lost to their own self-destructive tendencies are now legends in their own right, Chrissie stands as one of the few who survived, who turned the madness of the era into her music and her armor.

Her voice, still raw and unapologetic, carries the weight of everything she endured and everything she overcame. Chrissie Hynde didn’t just expose the worst womanizers of the 70s—she outlasted them all.