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MUSIC
Matt Fishel: Radio Friendly Pop Song
Billboard: Top 50 Gay Anthems
Time Out: 50 Best Songs to Celebrate Gay Pride
Pride: 20 Gay Pride
Anthems
Huff Post: 27 Important LGBTQ Songs
Buzz Feed: 36 Gay Love Songs
Watch Mojo: Top Ten LGBTQ Anthems
Pride: 10 Best LGBTQ Music Videos
LGBTQ Music and Musicians
LGBTQ
music is more than just disco dance music for shirtless
men and brooding folk music for feminist women. Gay
rappers, gay rockers, gay country singers, and gay hip hop
stars are on the rise. Previous decades of music that
included groundbreaking pioneers like David Bowie, the
Village People, George Michael, Joan Jett, Elton John,
and Freddie Mercury have given way to today's young,
openly gay musicians like Le1f, Troye Sivan, Adam
Lambert, Sam Smith, and Olly
Alexander (Years and Years).
LGBTQ
(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) music
is music focusing on LGBTQ issues performed by LGBTQ
artists and performers. The lyrics are largely about
empowerment, same-sex relationships, love, acceptance,
freedom, gay pride and the courage to come out to the
general public. Starting in the 2010s, it became more
popular among Americans, as when openly-gay artist Adam
Lambert topped the 2012 Billboard 200 chart.

Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae
YMCA by Boy George
These Are the Days of Our Lives by Freddie Mercury
People Like Us by Kelly Clarkson
Official Coming Out Song by Ally Hills
It Gets Better by Broadway Stars
Modern Love by Matt Nathanson
True Colors by Cyndi Lauper
I
Was Born to Love You by Freddie Mercury
Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko
Same Love by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Burning by Sam Smith
Stranger in This World by Boy George
Make You Happy by Mika
Neverland by Korean Pop Star Holland

While popular music has always included LGBTQ artists,
the increasing social tolerance of the late 20th and
early 21st century allowed such artists to come out
publicly. Early examples of this arose with the sexual
liberation movement, with artists such as Elton John,
Village People, Sylvester, Tom Robinson, Indigo Girls,
KD Lang, Melissa Etheridge, Queen, David Bowie, Little Richard, and Marc
Almond (Soft Cell), among others.
In the 1980's, the exposure of
openly LGBTQ artists became richer, with artists such as
Boy George (Culture Club), George Michael (Wham), Frankie Goes to Hollywood,
Michael Stipe (REM), Sylvester, Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys), Dead or Alive,
Adam Bell (Erasure), and the B52s as well as
artists who are openly LGBTQ allies, such as Cher, Cyndi
Lauper, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Donna Summer, Jessica
Lowndes and Gloria Gaynor, among many others.

The 1990s
saw a start of a fair introduction to pro-LGBTQ laws,
and artists condemning homophobia in their music. Groups
such as Placebo, Alcazar, Right Said Fred, and more
joined the ranks of allies and LGBTQ musicians.
The 1990s alsdo introduced Ani DeFranco, Sia, Rufus Wainwright,
Ray Boltz, Two Nice Girls (Gretchen Phillips), Skin
(Skunk Anansie), Sophie B. Hawkins,
Stephin
Merritt (The Magnetic Fields), Kaia Wilson, Carrie
Brownstein, and
Rostam
Batmanglij (Vampire Weekend).
The 2000s saw LGBTQ music branch off into its own genre
in some cases, and new artists like Katy Perry,
Christina Aguilera, Will Young, The Scissor Sisters, The
Gossip, Jay Brennan, RuPaul, Jeffree Star, Blood on the Dance Floor
(duo), Lady Gaga, Patrick Wolf, Mika, Dario, Brandi Csarlile, Adam Lambert,
Sam Sparro, Billy Gilman, tATu,
Kent James, Dawnstar, and Troye Sivan.
Born This Way by Lady Gaga
Girl in the Kinks Shirt by Matt Nathanson
Stay With Me by Sam Smith
Make Me Feel by Janelle Monae
Like Me by Chely Wright
Aftermath by Adam Lambert
True Colors by LA Gay Men's Chorus
Blame It On the Girls by Mika
Sleepover by Hayley Kiyoko
Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift
When She Loved Me by Sarah McLachlan
I'm Coming Out by Diana Ross
In the 2010s, openly-gay artists such as
Sam Smith, Azealia Banks, Mary Lambert, Matt Morris,
Frank Ocean, Tegan & Sara, Troye Sivan, and rapper Le1f
(Khalif
Diouf) gained popularity.
Well-established country music singer Chely Wright came
out as gay in 2010. Another country singer, Ty Herndon, came out
as gay in 2014, after three number one hits on Billboard
Hot Country Songs.
Current
popular LGBTQ musicians include Angel Haze, Shamir, Who
is Fancy, Perfume Genius, Double Duchess, Lowell,
Against Me, Kindness, Joshua Thomas, Years & Years,
Hurray for Riff Raff, Hayley Kiyoko, Boytoy, Kehlani, Sizzy Rocket,
and Janelle Monare.

LGBTQ Topic Songs
Imagine by Lady Gaga at HRC National Dinner
Different Kind of Love Song
It's a Beautiful Day by Freddie Mercury & Queen
Born This Way by Lady Gaga
on SNL
Celebrate by Mika
What Doesn’t Kill You
Makes You Stronger by Kelly Clarkson
You Belong With Me by
Taylor Swift
Lollipop by Mika
I
Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor
Single White Female by
Chely Wright
Who Wants to Live Forever by Freddie Mercury & Queen

Some Other Summer by Roxette
Love of My Life by Freddie Mercury & Queen
Secrets by Mary Lambert
Don't Wait by Joey Graceffo
She Keeps Me Warm by Mary Lambert
Pynk by Janelle Monae
The Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga
Like Me by
Chely Wright
YMCA by Village People
Goodbye England's Rose (Tribute to Princess Diana) by
Elton John
Love Today by Mika
Philadelphia by Tori Amos

We
Are Golden by Mika
I
Just Want to Be OK by Ingrid Michaelson
Him (Lyrics) by Sam Smith
I Like That by Janelle Monae
You're a Firework by Katy Perry
Dare to Love by Sean Chapin
The Great Pretender by Freddie Mercury
Have You Ever by Brandi Caslile
I Am What I Am by Karen Mulder
Never Love You Enough by Chely Wright
Your Song by Elton John
I'm Coming Out by Diana Ross

Popular
LGBTQ Musicians
Melissa
Etheridge
Amy Ray, Emily
Saliers (Indigo Girls)
KD Lang
Sam Smith
Janelle
Monae
Elton John
Michael
Stipe (REM)
Brandie
Carlile
Jake
Shears (Scissors Sisters)
Billy
Gilman
Sylvester
Ray Boltz
Mary
Lambert
Rugus
Wainwright
Holly
Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood)
Le1f
Azealia
Banks
Mika
Chely
Wright (Country Music Star)
Kate
Pierson, Cindy Wilson (B52s)
Ricky
Wilson, Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland (B52s)

Troye
Sivan
Jennifer
Knapp
Freddie
Mercury (Queen)
Sia
Olly
Alexander (Years & Years)
Adam
Lambert
Hayley
Kiyoko
Kehlani
Brandon
Stansell (Country Music Star)
Lady Gaga
Frank
Ocean
Boy George
(Culture Club)
Lance Bass
(N Sync)
Chris
Willis
Billie Joe
Armstrong (Green Day)
Ani
DeFranco
George
Michael (Wham)
Janis Ian
Ricky
Martin
Barry
Manilow
Liberace
Wikipedia: LGBTQ Singers
Mic: 16 Big Time LGBTQ
Musicians
Queer Music History 101
Top Gay Male Musicians
Most Important Queer Women in Music
Out: Gay Music
Hayley Kiyoko: Queer Pop Star We've Been Waiting For
Pride: Gay
Music
B52s Update: 30 Years After Love Shack
Queerness: 20 Queer Songs You Should Know

Musicians Who Are LGBTQ Allies
Madonna
Sarah
McLaughlin
Cyndi
Lauper
Carrie
Underwood
Macklemore
Taylor
Swift
Katy Perry
Dan
Reynolds (Imagine Dragons)
Dar
Williams
Matt
Nathanson
Cher
Kylie
Minogue
Donna
Summer
Diana Ross
Jessica
Lowndes
Gloria
Gaynor
Other
Media
Books/Publications
Magazines/Periodicals
Movies/Film
Television/Media
Arts/Entertainment
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