Kim Wilde

The ’80s ushered in a golden era of female pop stars. Among them was Kim Wilde, who reached No. 2 with the 1981 synth-pop classic “Kids In America” and topped the U.S. charts in 1987 with an electro-dance cover of The Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hangin On”. Born in the London suburb of Chiswick in 1960, Wilde came from a musical family. Her dad, Marty Wilde, had been a ’50s rock ’n’ roll star; her brother Ricky flirted with teen idol-dom in the ’70s. The father-son duo penned most of Kim’s 1981 self-titled debut album and the following year’s Select, although she started to take on part of the songwriting and production starting with 1984’s Teases & Dares. Wilde continued to experience success in the ’80s, highlighted by the 1988 European smash Close, and has maintained a busy touring and recording schedule throughout the 21st century. In 2021, she teamed up with fellow ’80s pop star Boy George for a sweeping ballad, “Shine On”.