Lest there be any doubt about it, Lady Gaga wants us to know that her song "Poker Face" is about fantasizing about women when she's hooking up with men. (It's a double entendre, capiche?) Sure, you could write that off as merely an attempt to stir up a little controversy -- although, if it's a ploy, it pales in comparison with her teasing suggestion that she may or may not have hermaphroditic features. But Gaga has backed up her sexuality in interviews, insisting that "people are born the way they are," and she's vocal in her support for gay and lesbian communities. Whatever you may think of her music, it's a refreshingly different approach from Katy Perry, who flirts with Sapphos on "I Kissed a Girl" -- mostly for the benefit of her ego and her boyfriend -- and then gets regressive on "Ur So Gay," her ode to an insufficiently butch boyfriend. ("I hope you hang yourself with your H&M scarf" -- classy!)
But pop music has always been a proving ground for the public's evolving attitudes toward sexuality, from Little Richard to Liberace, Prince to Peaches, out-and-proud disco to rap's confused "No homo." Check these key moments in gay-themed pop from the past few decades, and add your own favorite picks in the comments below.
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Lou Reed, "Take a Walk on the Wild Side"
Whatever you make of the phrase "colored girls," Lou Reed's 1972 portrait of transvestites, hustlers and sundry other back-alley survivors is as tender as it gets, the rhythm-and-blues equivalent of Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho.
David Bowie, "Lady Stardust"
Makeup and animal grace: artifice and essence come together in Bowie's glam-rock torch song about double identity and a love he "could not obey." One of pop's earliest openly bisexual artists, Bowie later vacillated about his true inclinations, though in a 2002 interview with Blender he blamed America's "puritanical" instincts for his mixed messages over the years.
Grace Jones, "Pull Up To the Bumper"
Despite the automotive imagery, Grace Jones' 1981 disco hit "Pull Up to the Bumper" wasn't really about traffic safety -- something that needed no further explanation in the underground clubs and Fire Island parties where the fans of this androgynous Amazon thronged.
Bronski Beat, "Smalltown Boy"
Bronski Beat's 1984 album The Age of Consent was a defiant cry for gay rights, with an inner sleeve showing the hypocrisy of more restrictive "age of consent" laws gays; its standout track, "Smalltown Boy," is a heartbreaking tale of a boy banished for his sexuality. The video drove the point home with a stark portrayal of homophobic violence.
The Smiths, "This Charming Man"
A punctured bicycle tire, a desolate hillside and the smooth leather seats of a stranger's car set the scene for this concise yet cryptic tale of a teenage awakening. Whoever the narrator is supposed to be, the song offers an intriguing chapter in the life of the band's famously celibate singer, Morrisey.
Blur, "Girls and Boys"
With a hint of post-punk sneer and a jubilant disco bounce, Blur neatly summed up the '90s' queer-friendly ethos with a simple equation: "Girls who are boys/ Who like boys to be girls/ Who do boys like they're girls/ Who do girls like they're boys/ Always should be someone you really love."
Pansy Division, "Anthem"
Punk rock has been little more hospitable to gays than mainstream society; leave it to queercore pioneers Pansy Division to raise their freak flag high with pride (and the requisite sneer).
t.A.T.u., "Malchik Gay"
Take a Russian Svengali, Eurovision, two underage girls in skimpy outfits, screen kisses and Sapphic lyrics, and you've got t.A.T.u., one of the more cynical exercises in gaysploitation in recent memory. (Subtract one demerit for their recent condemnation of gay-bashing Moscow cops and skinheads.)
Franz Ferdinand, "Michael"
In which the Scottish dandies get all hot and bothered by a sticky, stubbly, "dance whore" on a silver platter named Michael. Who cares if the band members all profess to be straight; the song's not about identity, but the pure, unpredictable rush of desire. What could be more rock 'n' roll than that?
Willie Nelson, "Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other"
Long before Brokeback Mountain, Willie Nelson recorded Ned Sublette's gay cowboy anthem "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other," whose title speaks for itself. Recorded in the '80s, Nelson let it out of the closet in the wake of Ang Lee's film -- and in solidarity with the coming-out of Nelson's longtime tour manager.
Lou Reed, "Take a Walk on the Wild Side"
Whatever you make of the phrase "colored girls," Lou Reed's 1972 portrait of transvestites, hustlers and sundry other back-alley survivors is as tender as it gets, the rhythm-and-blues equivalent of Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho.
David Bowie, "Lady Stardust"
Makeup and animal grace: artifice and essence come together in Bowie's glam-rock torch song about double identity and a love he "could not obey." One of pop's earliest openly bisexual artists, Bowie later vacillated about his true inclinations, though in a 2002 interview with Blender he blamed America's "puritanical" instincts for his mixed messages over the years.
Grace Jones, "Pull Up To the Bumper"
Despite the automotive imagery, Grace Jones' 1981 disco hit "Pull Up to the Bumper" wasn't really about traffic safety -- something that needed no further explanation in the underground clubs and Fire Island parties where the fans of this androgynous Amazon thronged.
Bronski Beat, "Smalltown Boy"
Bronski Beat's 1984 album The Age of Consent was a defiant cry for gay rights, with an inner sleeve showing the hypocrisy of more restrictive "age of consent" laws gays; its standout track, "Smalltown Boy," is a heartbreaking tale of a boy banished for his sexuality. The video drove the point home with a stark portrayal of homophobic violence.
The Smiths, "This Charming Man"
A punctured bicycle tire, a desolate hillside and the smooth leather seats of a stranger's car set the scene for this concise yet cryptic tale of a teenage awakening. Whoever the narrator is supposed to be, the song offers an intriguing chapter in the life of the band's famously celibate singer, Morrisey.
Blur, "Girls and Boys"
With a hint of post-punk sneer and a jubilant disco bounce, Blur neatly summed up the '90s' queer-friendly ethos with a simple equation: "Girls who are boys/ Who like boys to be girls/ Who do boys like they're girls/ Who do girls like they're boys/ Always should be someone you really love."
Pansy Division, "Anthem"
Punk rock has been little more hospitable to gays than mainstream society; leave it to queercore pioneers Pansy Division to raise their freak flag high with pride (and the requisite sneer).
t.A.T.u., "Malchik Gay"
Take a Russian Svengali, Eurovision, two underage girls in skimpy outfits, screen kisses and Sapphic lyrics, and you've got t.A.T.u., one of the more cynical exercises in gaysploitation in recent memory. (Subtract one demerit for their recent condemnation of gay-bashing Moscow cops and skinheads.)
Franz Ferdinand, "Michael"
In which the Scottish dandies get all hot and bothered by a sticky, stubbly, "dance whore" on a silver platter named Michael. Who cares if the band members all profess to be straight; the song's not about identity, but the pure, unpredictable rush of desire. What could be more rock 'n' roll than that?
Willie Nelson, "Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other"
Long before Brokeback Mountain, Willie Nelson recorded Ned Sublette's gay cowboy anthem "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other," whose title speaks for itself. Recorded in the '80s, Nelson let it out of the closet in the wake of Ang Lee's film -- and in solidarity with the coming-out of Nelson's longtime tour manager.
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC.
Um, hello? There was a little guy named Adam Lambert who busted down the closet door this year, turned American Idol on its ear, released a smashing glam-pop album, and stirred up 90's-Madonna-like controversy with a brash, strutting, boy-kissing performance on the American Music Awards. Shouldn't he be on your list?
lady gaga is just one of many great artists that sing here in america.we are truly fortunate to be able to listen to artists who can express themselves and we who can listen to them.so sit back,get yourself a drink and enjoy,or get up and dance and enjoy life with all the music we have to choose from.
I have often wondered about Elton John's "Philidelphia Freedom" since the name of the city means brotherly love. I began to distance myself from his work when the rumor that he was 'bisexual' circulated. I stopped buying his records when he came out. I am also told that 'Rocket Man' is another posibility.
I think elton john is gay. regaurless, I love this playlist for some reason. I'm a Pride Supporter all the way. Maybe we should have more people in the entertainment industry out and proud. like every minority, we need someone out there that will suport and stand up for us. we also need them to do it right, sorry adam but your AMA preformance did not make us look good.
Wow dude you won't become gay listening to his very good music :( Evolve My Brother