Chequered Love

{{short description|1981 single by Kim Wilde}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Chequered Love

| cover = Chequered_Love.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Kim Wilde

| album = Kim Wilde|

| B-side =

• "Shane” (UK)
• "Everything We Know (North America)

| released = 27 April 1981

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop{{AllMusic |class=album|id=mw0000105257|title= Kim Wilde - The Singles Collection 1981-1993 (1993) Review|last= DeGange|first= Mike|access-date= January 10, 2025}}

| length = 3:20

| label =RAK (UK)

EMI (US)

| writer = Ricky Wilde, Marty Wilde

| producer = Ricky Wilde

| prev_title = Kids in America

| prev_year = 1981

| next_title = Water on Glass

| next_year = 1981

}}

"Chequered Love" is the second single by British singer Kim Wilde. The song was released in the spring of 1981 to follow Wilde's successful debut "Kids in America". As with that single, writing credits were given to Wilde's father and brother Marty and Ricky Wilde, with the latter also being given production credits. The 12" version is no longer in length than the 7"; however, better sound quality is achieved by the grooves not being as compressed, a common practice for "marketing" during the 1980s. The song later appeared on Wilde's self-titled debut album.

Lyrically, the song describes how opposites attract, and was inspired by Wilde's parents, who are very dissimilar people.{{Cite web |last=Nobes |first=Mark |date=January 18, 2023 |title=Kim Wilde "Chequered Love" (1981) |url=https://www.simplyeighties.com/kim-wilde---chequered-love.php |access-date=January 18, 2023 |website=Simply Eighties}} "Chequered Love" became another hit for Wilde, reaching the number four on the UK Singles Chart, number one in South Africa (succeeding "Kids in America"),{{cite web |url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/sa_number_1s_69_89.html |title=SA Number 1s 1965 - 1989|accessdate=28 March 2018}} and peaking inside the top 10 all around the world except North America. It was certified gold in the UK and France, for Sales 250.000 copies{{Cite web |url=https://www.bpi.co.uk/bpi-awards/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=2018-01-23 |archive-date=2009-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924015932/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/Search.aspx |url-status=dead }} and has sold over a million copies worldwide.{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AiUEAAAAMBAJ&q=album+sales+kim+wilde&pg=PT40 | title=Billboard| date=1981-09-19}} The song was also followed by a music video directed by Brian Grant, which was set in a steamy, black-tiled bathroom.