Mel & Kim

The dance-pop duo Mel and Kim released multiple hits during the late 1980s, with their signature song "Respectable" reaching Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart as well as the US Dance Club Songs chart. Sisters Melanie Appleby and Kim Appleby formed the group in 1986 in London, England. Still teenagers at the time, they were paired with Stock Aitken Waterman, the songwriting and production team behind Number 1 hits like Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)," Banarama's "Venus," and Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up." This partnership resulted in a very successful debut single, "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)," which was released in September 1986 and reached number 3 in the duo's native UK. The song was an international hit, too, peaking at Number 1 in Belgium, West Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in America. It was followed in February 1987 by another global chart-topper, "Respectable," which gave Mel and Kim their first Number 1 in UK. A Number 1 hit in eight additional countries, "Respectable" was followed by another Top 10 UK single, "F.L.M.," which doubled as the title track from Mel and Kim's platinum-certified debut album. One year later, the group contributed "That's the Way It Is" to the Coming to America soundtrack. The song became Mel and Kim's final hit, peaking at number 10 in the UK and number 9 on the American dance charts. A remix album from 1989, Something Special, failed to continue the sisters' hit streak, and Melanie's ongoing battle with cancer made it difficult for the group to move forward. Melanie passed away on January 18, 1990, at 23 years old. Kim Appleby launched a solo career later that year, reaching number 2 in the UK with her debut single "Don't Worry."

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