Is it so wrong to live in the past? Some of our immortalized rock heroes persist, perhaps not as strongly or flamboyantly as in their heydays, but hey these living legends still belong on our ‘acts to see live before they die’ lists and they also manage to keep it real.

Note to Sheryl Crow, Courtney Love, Shirley Manson and, oh, pretty much any female musician who has touched a guitar, performed or written music since The Pretenders released a cover of the Kinks’ ‘Stop Your Sobbing’ in 1979: you owe her, big-time. As Chrissie and Co. continued to dominate the radio for a decade while melding reggae, punk and New Wave elements into pop masterpieces (re: unforgettable tunes like ‘Brass in Pocket’ and ‘Talk of the Town’), this quintessential frontwoman quickly ascended to the status of rock luminary.

And why stop at fashioning yourself into a hard-rocking, ass-kicking, die-cast mold for young-un’s to make use of again and again? Instead of fading into rock ‘ roll obscurity, Hynde has chosen to defy the laws of musicology as she continues to record with The Pretenders and play electric live shows to sold-out audiences. Their latest record, Loose Screw (released earlier this year), featured expansive, socially conscious rock songs with roomy, reggae bottoms and heralded a return to classic form. And, as always, Chrissie’s authoritative, frosty voice continues to shine in the center spotlight.

Concert ticket: $34 – $110 Number of studio albums proper: 12 Professional musician since: 1978. Top ranking album: Pretenders (1981, No. 1) Top ranking single: ‘Brass in Pocket’ (1981, No.1)

Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield once ingeniously described Steven Tyler as ‘the last child, a punk in the streets, the Lord of the Thighs, an androgynous rock changeling whose lips seemed like an overly generous gift from a Greek goddess with a sick sense of humor.’ And how. Though Tyler’s larger-than-life persona surely has something to do with his stardom, it’s really more about the music it always was. Since 1973’s eponymous album, Aerosmith has produced a mangy, raw brand of r-o-c-k with more staying power than Keith Richards and Ringo Starr combined (not saying much, but still). The band has dabbled in virtually every genre and strain of country, punk, soul and even swing the boys have been around the block, snorted the drugs, ravaged the groupies and yet, have lived to see fellow supernovas burn out and fade away.

Though the dear-god-please-make-it-stop single ‘Don’t Want to Miss a Thing’ from 1998’s Armageddon found Tyler awfully close to adult-contemporary land, he managed to emerge, neck scarves flapping, characteristically evading the sell-out stamp a fate wussy Fleetwood Mac can only wish for. No one will ever replace Tyler’s screaming-sexy voice and he still looks good in tight leather pants. Beat that.

Concert ticket: $42 – $132 Number of studio albums proper: 16 Professional musician since: 1970 Top ranking album: Get a Grip (1993, No. 1); Nine Lives (1997, No. 1) Top ranking single:’Cryin” (1993, No. 1); and nine more!