From YMCA to Bloom: chartg the evolutn of the gay anthem | Mic | The Guardian

Contents:

• THE TOP 75 MOST INIC GAY ANTHEMS DERVG OF THE TLE OF BEG CALLED THE "GAY NATNAL ANTHEM"
• FROM YMCA TO BLOOM: CHARTG THE EVOLUTN OF THE GAY ANTHEM
• THE ARE THE 20 MOST IMPORTANT GAY ANTHEMS OF ALL TIME
• THE REAL STORY OF THE YMCA THAT INSPIRED THE VILLAGE PEOPLE'S GAY ANTHEM
• GAY ANTHEM  
• TMP EXPLAS HIS LOVE OF ‘Y.M.C.A.,’ WHICH HE CLAIMS IS THE ‘GAY NATNAL ANTHEM’

THE TOP 75 MOST INIC GAY ANTHEMS DERVG OF THE TLE OF BEG CALLED THE "GAY NATNAL ANTHEM"

Among her imprsive talogue of dance-pop gems, “All The Lovers” marked the first time the sger seemed to directly addrs her gay fanbase, along wh the acpanyg vio that featur a mass of upl of all strip makg out around her.

From the song’s openg synths and Jimmy Somerville’s unmistakable falsetto, “Smalltown Boy” marked a historic moment pop mic, pecially g om an openly gay group durg the peak of the AIDS crisis. Co-wrten by Tom Robson (who gave “Glad To Be Gay”), ’s one of the rare LGBTQ songs that chews the dancefloor for a more tenr moment.

Emergg om London’s gay-bar circu, Culture Club and their ontman, Boy Gee, brought both genre and genr fluidy to the MTV generatn. While many pot to the ballroom culture-spired “Vogue” as her pivotal LGBTQ anthem, “Exprs Yourself” and s homoerotic visual was a siren ll to fans, enuragg them to have tonomy over their needs and sir. Inspired by “sad, gay dis anthems by Sylvter and Donna Summer, ” Swedish pop in Robyn turned an observatn on club culture to somethg much larger.

FROM YMCA TO BLOOM: CHARTG THE EVOLUTN OF THE GAY ANTHEM

Before was blasted at every bat mzvah, this 70s h, wh s fect chos and simple choreography, was a fixture at New York Cy’s gay clubs. Des before Gaga’s gay anthem and pre-datg The Village People, Carl Bean brought gay pri to the clubs (and charts) on the 1977 Motown smash “I Was Born This Way.

” Origally released as a dis sgle by Valento, Bean brought his gospel-powered vols to the track, as he proclaims, “I’m happy, I’m reee and I’m gay/I was born this way. “I’m Comg Out” didn’t jt allu to the former Supreme’s dis makeover, was a sign of support to her gay fanbase (whether Diana Ross was overtly aware of or not) crafted by funk archects Nile Rodgers and Chic -founr Bernard Edwards.

Outlastg the fallout of the famo Dis Demoln Night, Gaynor’s song evolved to a rallyg cry of a muny that was beg cimated by disease. Wh his airy falsetto and dyname stage prence, the openly gay artist always kept real, and that boldns n be heard his mic. The inic ‘70s rock band led by gay superstar Freddie Mercury may be forever remembered for Bohemian Rhapsody, but this sexy, propulsive tune — that gleefully swaps male and female pronouns — perfectly ptur the spir of Pri.

THE ARE THE 20 MOST IMPORTANT GAY ANTHEMS OF ALL TIME

Forty-four years ago, Reed had a mastream h wh this hypnotic tale of gay and transgenr streetwalkers, spired by Andy Warhol’s darlgs of the unrground.

After transng om Disney kid to pop prcs, Aguilera got ser and spiratnal wh this anthem (and explicly gay-iendly vio) support of everyone who’s ever felt different.

Before officially g out as gay a 1998 Advote terview, the ternatnal pop star rerd this song, which telegraphed his stggl wh his artistic and personal inty. Out and proud before was remotely fashnable, the androgyno Sylvter created this dis anthem — which beme synonymo wh gay liberatn.

THE REAL STORY OF THE YMCA THAT INSPIRED THE VILLAGE PEOPLE'S GAY ANTHEM

But the vio of this song, that’s been played for s at bar mzvahs, was filmed at New York’s most notor cisg grounds — makg s gay subtext perfectly clear. From s irristible tro to s lir vols, this dis h om Swen’s greatt import has spired generatns of gay fans to cut loose on the dance floor.

The gay in took the vogue-g tradn out of New York’s unrground gay and drag clubs and thst to the pop mastream — wng extra pots for sly shout-outs to glam ins of the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s. Never one to simply put out a tune, Mother Monster giv an epic sci-fi tro to this electric anthem of lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, and ethnic self-assertn and pri. The ultimate gay anthem to burst out of the dis ‘70s is a song of fiance, pennce, and survival that speaks to anyone who ref to be held down.

GAY ANTHEM  

Wh two gay ins on one song, “No More Tears” opens wh Streisand croong “It’s rag, ’s pourg/ My love life is borg me to tears. This song, wh lyrics like “this is the life that we choose” and “e out, e out if you dare, ” add sparks to mors that Clarkson uld be gay.

Bh, the song took on a bigger meang after Prop 8 — an anti-gay marriage state nstutnal amendment — was passed California. For her sophomore album, Mariah Carey enlisted the help of Robert Clivill and David Cole (the lears of C+C Mic Factory) who -wrote and -produced the gospel fluenced dance track “Make It Happen. While the four members of Sister Sledge are actual sisters, the song took on a eper meang wh the gay muny beg one big fay.

TMP EXPLAS HIS LOVE OF ‘Y.M.C.A.,’ WHICH HE CLAIMS IS THE ‘GAY NATNAL ANTHEM’

While her one-two punch of her femme-bashg “Ur So Gay” and her exhibnist fx-lbian “I Kissed A Girl” haven’t aged well, Perry has bee more progrsive and would be hard to fd a Pri para not playg this boomg (pun tend) anthem. The drag-centric mil took home six Tonys, cludg bt mil; bt sre (wh mic and lyrics by gay in Cyndi Lper); and outstandg actor a mil, for out-and-proud Billy Porter’s eback performance as Lola, a drag queen. Aguilera was given a GLAAD Media Award for the song’s acpanyg mic vio, which featured movg portrayals of a gay uple and a transgenr person.

Will (Eric McCormack) is sgg the song the mirror while shavg, to which Grace (Debra Msg) quips, “We’re jt like 50 men and a mirrored ball away om beg a gay dis. In what appeared to be a rponse to the Brish ernment’s damng Sectn 28 act (which crimalized the promotn of homosexualy, rultg the closg of lbian, gay and bisexual support groups across Brish schools and lleg), the song qutns “What relign or reason uld drive a man to forsake his lover?