Gay-pop
The 100 Greatest LGBTQ+ Anthems of All Time
How does a song become a gay anthem? Like the LGBTQ+ community itself, our soundtrack is vast and diverse. We have recorded our history and contribution to the culture through music, and with this list we acknowledge and remember the forerunners that have made possible the positive changes we’ve seen over the decades. These songs are a testimony to our resilience and excellence.
While it’s unfeasible to define exactly what makes a song “gay,” this list definitely isn’t straight. You will spot many overlaps between this list and some of the best house and disco tracks that were blasted in the ballrooms, as well as transformative hits by our beloved big-voiced divas. There are introspective slow jams by queer artists and allies that mirror our struggles with self-acceptance and social rejection. There are Billboard Hot 100-topping sensations and hidden gems that are forgotten or yet to be discovered; instant classics and songs that grew to be our community’s favorites. Besides the best-known songs that are vital to a list appreciate this, we want to highlight the queer musicians who deserve a spotlight, too.
No, JoJo Siwa Did Not Invent Gay Pop
Jojo Siwa, the former Nickelodeon luminary and honorary fifth member of the band Brush , landed herself in warm water in April after saying she “wanted to start a new genre … called ‘gay pop’ ” during promotions for her modern single, “Karma.”
Many people online subsequently pointed out that the 21-year-old Siwa in no way, shape or form created gay pop, as it’s existed for a long time. Siwa later walked back her remark, but the initial statement marked an attempt from a shining new mainstream creator, who has been a brand for much of her young life, to shove a new brand idea to stakeholders. This one butted up against the truths that the genre is actually well-trodden and storied, complete with an ancestrally rich community. Gay pop — and gay dance and club culture overall — arguably traces itself back to the illustrious drag balls of the Harlem Renaissance, flits through the postwar era to the Cold War and Lavender Scare, stemming from Ma Rainey, Little Richard, Sylvester, Erasure, the Pet Shop Boys and so many more. In the underground scenes I frequent, our queercore ancestors include Large Boys, Pansy Division,
Lady Gaga
It’d be impossible to understate out bisexual artist and actor Lady Gaga‘s impact on culture and pop music, or the impact she’s made as an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Every Gaga performance and high-camp costume was iconic. Her male alter-ego Jo Calederone was absurdly hot. Her harmony video for “Telephone” opened with Gaga making out with butch Canadian act artist Heather Cassils and ended with her holding hands with Beyonce and driving into the sunset. “Born This Way” doesn’t even matter —it’s “Bad Romance” and “Poker Face” and “Alejandro” and “Bad Romance” and “You and I” and “Paparazzi.” Lady Gaga is a queen of gay pop.
Hayley Kiyoko
On the cover of Nylon Magazine’s first-ever Pride Issue, Hayley Kiyoko was described as an unprecedented drive in the gay pop scene, a lesbian teen heartthrob unafraid to court a passionate, starving lgbtq+ fan base who crowned her Lesbian Jesus. She was the first womxn loving womxn pop star signed to a major label to make multiple music videos in which she kisses girls. It’s incr
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