Ke$ha. Pet Shop Boys. The Village People. ABBA.
Perhaps Billboard editors didn’t go reaching too deep into the music vaults and milk crates to scrounge up the choices for their list “50 Top Gay Anthems To Celebrate LGBT Pride Month,” compiled just in time for Pride. We get Bronski Beat (“Smalltown Boy”); Cheryl Lynn (“Got To Be Real”); Erasure (“A Little Respect”); George Michael (“Freedom! ’90”); and Gloria Gaynor (“I Will Survive”.) There’s even some Madonna song called “Vogue.”
Related: Ten Great Gay Love Songs To Crack The Toughest Cynic
Unfortunately, the list only scratches the surface and doesn’t reveal too many songs you wouldn’t already hear picking up witch hazel at CVS. One glaring omission: Rod Stewart’s “The Killing of George (Part I and II)”, a surprise hit (now rather forgotten) that tells the story of a gay man who moves to New York, becomes “the toast of The Great White Way,” and then is murdered one night on 5th Avenue by Jersey street thugs. Discussing the song with Mojo in 1995, Stewart says, “That was a true story about a gay friend of the Faces. He was especially close to me and Mac.”
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Listening to the lyrics, it’s hard to believe this was ever played on mainstream radio, let alone in 1976:
Are there any anthemic songs you think should have been included on the list? Leave your suggestions in the comments below.
Brian
Billboard doesn’t know much about gay anthems.
canadalaw
Im just glad it doesnt include some of the more recent shlock that some people want to claim as gay anthems.
Dave Downunder
Here’s a couple of flash backs that shouldn’t be forgotten.
Lou Reed – Walk on The Wild Side 1972
Joe Jackson – Real Men 1982
onthemark
The Rod Stewart song scared me as a teenager in ’76. Yeah it WAS played a lot on mainstream radio. I ended up moving to NYC anyway for awhile & mostly enjoyed the whole coming-out process.
Of course, a certain troll here on Queerty comments always tells us there’s no such thing as “Jersey street thugs” and he says all anti-gay crime is committed by… well, you know what he says!
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Me’Shell NdegéOcello – Leviticus: Faggot
radio edit video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0N83NvSfk4
Full album version (masterpiece IMO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05XsgO3t3zQ
—
The Communards: For a Friend
(Couldn’t bear the group but this is heartbreakingly beautiful )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOArNfHCKqU
jkthsnk
@PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID: God, thank you for that Comminards song. I’d forgotten…
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Yeah @jkthsnik (sorry linking not working for me) ifirst song that went through my head after the Orlando thing
crowebobby
“Strangers in the Night”
Vortece
@PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID: Levitcut:Faggot – Haven’t heard that song in years! Loved Me’Shell in the 90’s.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
^ unfortunately the tone-deaf SJW language police would be all over that tittle now.. actually on second thoughts that kind of controversy might’ve made it the hit it so rightly deserved to be …but instead it languishes forgotten 🙁
…Oh well we have Kesha!
He BGB
There was a boxed set that was released in the 90s called Verboten that has 4 discs of gay anthems going back to the 1920s through the 70s or 80s, with songs from Bessie Smith to Peter Allen (I’m not the boy next door I don’t belong like I did before). A wonderful song by Joan Boaz is included The Altar Boy and the Thief. How about This is my Life by Shirley Bassey? I Am What I Am from LA Cage? Amy song by Sylvester? At Seventeen Janis Ian
tricky ricky
the list needs Disenchanted by the Communards and Madonna’s most popular song which she is required to sing every show, Get Into The Groove
BigJohnSF
“Born This Way” – Carl Bean, 1977. “I’m happy, carefree, and I’m gay – I was born this way.”
“Coming Out of Hiding” – Pamela Stanley
“Living My Own Life” – Earlene Bentley
ChillyMak
Any “gay anthem” list without Carl Bean is total BS.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDiRSv2wFi4&w=420&h=315%5D
scotshot
Most of the songs listed by respondents are songs about being gay. That said, just because they say gay. it definitely does not make the song an anthem, look up the definition of anthem.
cabe
“I am what I am” by Gloria Gaynor. That has been played at gay pride parades since the 1980’s
ScottOnEarth
IMO, “Vogue” and “Born This Way” are timeless…..
lykeitiz
“A Man I’ll Never Be” by the rock band Boston
Although the debate rages on about the real meaning of the lyrics, & the singer committed suicide, so we may never know, still, if you’re gay …… you know.
argleflarglebargle
“You Think You’re A Man (But you’re only a boy)” By Divine. Seriously, how the heck did they leave the original disco drag diva off this list? How!?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiIJOB0GLW4
tricky ricky
@lykeitiz: I had to look that song up as I’ve never heard it before. You’re barking up the wrong tree on that one.
XDRc
Great picks! I love “I don’t see em” by SR ! Pride Anthem this year! https://youtu.be/xJe4SrxxKJk