"Time to Pretend" is a song by the American indie band MGMT, released as the lead single from their debut studio album Oracular Spectacular (2007) on March 3, 2008. An earlier version had been released on their Time to Pretend EP. The single was released as a 7" and CD single featuring the B-sides "Weekend Wars" (BBC Radio 1 Session)^[3] and "Metanoia", respectively.^[4] In early 2009, the song was re-released in the UK. The song was ranked at number 493 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time",^[5] and its parent album, Oracular Spectacular, was ranked at number 494 on the publication's additional list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".^[6] The song was also ranked at number 90 on NME's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The track was originally recorded for the Time to Pretend EP (2005). It was re-recorded for the Oracular Spectacular album.

From a quote from live at Abbey Road:

We wrote "Time to Pretend" our senior year of college, and the music was inspired by a praying mantis we had in our house. She laid eggs and it died, and we laid the egg case on this kinda model pirate ship on the mantle piece, and the eggs hatched and all these baby praying mantises were climbing up the rigging of the ship, and it was pretty crazy...uhm so the music was inspired by our praying mantis that liked to dance to The Clash {laugh} and the lyrics are just about us imagining being rock stars ... and yeah, fantasy rock star life.

The music video for the song contains references to Alejandro Jodorowsky's 1973 film The Holy Mountain^[7] and the 1954 novel Lord of the Flies. The video was directed by Ray Tintori. Tiscali Music gave the video a rating of 10 out of 10.^[8][9] A 3D version of the video with minor changes to the original was also produced.

Kevin O'Donnell wrote in Rolling Stone that "Time to Pretend is a space-rock gem that mocks the clichéd coke-and-hookers rock-star lifestyle, over big synth whooshes."^[10]

The song hit #38 on the Mediabase Alternative chart.^[11] Time critic Josh Tyrangiel named Time to Pretend the #8 song of 2008.^[12] The song was #3 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008,^[13] #4 on NME's Best Singles of 2008,^[14] The song was ranked at number 493 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".^[5] NME ranked "Time to Pretend" as the 2nd best song of the 2000s. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 12 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".^[15]

MGMT performed the song "Time to Pretend" in a 3.5 minute slot on Late Show with David Letterman on January 8, 2008, ending the performance with a nod to The Doors' "Light My Fire". The song subsequently hit #19 on the Mediabase U.S. Alternative chart.^[31] They later performed the song on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on May 15, 2008. The band returned to Letterman for a 4-minute slot on May 11, 2010.

• BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge sessions:
  • Kaiser Chiefs, September 2008
  • Paolo Nutini, November 2009
  • Leddra Chapman - BBC Radio 2 Janice Long live session, January 2010 ^[34]
  • Jón Þór Birgisson from Sigur Rós, March 2010
• Broderick Smith and Patience Hodgson (of The Grates) performed a duet of the song live on the RocKwiz Episode 74 in January 2009.^[35]
• Covered by Sunday Girl, premiering on her YouTube channel in August 2010.
• Covered by Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy for Dermot O'Leary's BBC Radio 2 Saturday Sessions 2010.
• Covered by Anthony Jasmin during the final of the seventh season of the Danish version of X Factor.
• Covered by The Reach, single released October 2015
• Cover by Kiki and Herb as the opening song of their 2016 cabaret show Kiki & Herb: Seeking Asylum! at Joe's Pub.^[36]
• Sampled by Sigala and James Arthur in their 2020 single Lasting Lover
• Covered by Black Country, New Road in 2021.^[37] It was later included in the band's Never Again EP.^[38]
• Covered by Charlie Hickey in 2023.^[39][40]

• The Welsh drum and bass artist High Contrast produced a drum and bass remix of "Time to Pretend".^[41][42] This remix was featured on Radio 1 during the Sub Focus Essential Mix of 25 April 2009.^{[citation needed]}