The Great Pretender

For other uses, see The Great Pretender (disambiguation).
"The Great Pretender"
Single by The Platters
from the album Encore of Golden Hits
B-side"I'm Just a Dancing Partner"
ReleasedNovember 3, 1955
Recorded1955
GenreRhythm and blues, doo-wop
Length2:36
LabelMercury
SongwriterBuck Ram
ProducerBuck Ram
The Platters singles chronology
"Only You (And You Alone)"
(1955) 		"The Great Pretender"
(1955) 		"I Need You All the Time"
(1955)

"The Great Pretender" is a doo-wop song recorded by American band The Platters and released in November 1955. It was written and composed by Buck Ram, the group's manager and producer who was earlier a successful songwriter; lead vocals are by Tony Williams. The song reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top 100, and No. 5 on the UK charts.

The song has been covered by a number of singers, most notably by Freddie Mercury, whose version reached No. 4 on the UK charts. Sam Cooke's cover of the song is believed to have inspired Chrissie Hynde to name her band The Pretenders. A parody version was recorded by American radio comedian Stan Freberg in 1956.

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