Celebrated writer Andrew Holleran once said, “If you love music, you may find yourself in the curious position of following a young man not because he is sexually interesting (or even sexually possible) but because the radio he carries is playing ‘Do or Die.’ ”
An astute remark from a gay man who understands the stimulating, unifying effects great music can have on its listeners. But what makes an album great? And perhaps even more critical for this list, what makes a great album gay?
To create our list of the 100 Greatest, Gayest Albums of All Time, we polled more than 100 actors, comedians, musicians, writers, critics, performance artists, label reps, and DJs, asking each to list the 10 albums that left the most indelible impressions on their lives. After receiving responses from Boy George, Rufus Wainwright, Cyndi Lauper, the Indigo Girls’ Amy Ray, Candis Cayne, Perez Hilton, Nate Berkus, Jake Shears, John Cameron Mitchell, Wilson Cruz, Justin Bond, Darren Hayes, Junior Vasquez, Bruce Vilanch, Janis Ian, the Cliks, Ari Gold, Holly Johnson, and a slew of others, we tallied the results to determine our top-100 list.
You’ll notice we expanded the catalog to include not only records by queer musicians but also any records that have had relevance to those voting. While albums by Elton John, k.d. lang, George Michael, Pet Shop Boys, and Ani DiFranco appeared time and again on the lists, many celebrities included what they consider gay masterpieces by mostly straight acts like ABBA, Donna Summer, and, of course, Madonna.
So here they are: the seminal, flamboyant, trailblazing, gender-bending, campy, theatrical, audacious, unforgettable albums that changed our lives.
100 The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
99 Joni Mitchell - For The Roses
98 Ferron - Testimony
97 Janis Ian - Between The Lines
96 Nick Drake - Bryter Layter
95 Culture Club - Kissing To Be Clever
94 Hair Original Broadway Cast - Hair
93 Sade - Lovers Rock
92 Morrissey - Viva Hate
91 Grace Jones - Nightclubbing
90 Kate Bush - The Kick Inside
89 Fifth Column - To Sir With Hate
88 Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade
87 Madonna - Confessions On A Dance Floor
86 Madonna - Madonna
85 Nina Simone - Anthology
84 Cyndi Lauper - True Colors
83 Bette Midler - The Divine Miss M
82 Cher - Believe
81 Scissor Sisters - Ta-Dah
80 Rufus Wainwright - Want One
79 T. Rex - Electric Warrior
78 Various - The Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack
77 New Order - Substance
76 Ani DiFranco - Imperfectly
75 Carole King - Tapestry
74 Michael Jackson - Off the Wall
73 Various - Fame Soundtrack
72 Donna Summer - Once Upon a Time
71 Elton John - Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
70 Rent Original Broadway Cast - Rent
69 Frances Faye - Caught In The Act
68 Nirvana - Nevermind
67 Hüsker Dü - Candy Apple Grey
66 Soft Cell - Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
65 Le Tigre - Le Tigre
64 Patti Smith - Easter
63 Björk - Debut
62 Jeff Buckley - Grace
61 Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out
60 R.E.M. - Automatic For The People
59 Bronski Beat - The Age of Consent
58 Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
57 Prince - Dirty Mind
56 Team Dresch - Personal Best
55 David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
54 Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
53 Culture Club - Colour By Numbers
52 Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
51 Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasuredome
50 Rufus Wainwright - Poses
49 Patti Smith - Horses
48 Cris Williamson - The Changer and the Changed
47 The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs
46 Madonna - Ray of Light
45 Bikini Kill - Pussy Whipped
44 Pet Shop Boys - Very
43 Prince - Purple Rain
42 ABBA - Gold
41 Melissa Etheridge - Yes I Am
40 Pet Shop Boys - Behavior
39 Laura Nyro And Labelle - Gonna Take A Miracle
38 Dusty Springfield - Dusty In Memphis
37 Blondie - Parallel Lines
36 Madonna - Erotica
35 Yaz - Upstairs At Eric's
34 Donna Summer - Bad Girls
33 The Smiths - Hatful Of Hollow
32 The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
31 Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling Towards Ecstacy
30 Diana Ross - Diana
29 Pet Shop Boys - Actually
28 Queen - The Game
27 Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
26 Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters
25 k.d. lang - Ingénue
24 Sylvester - Living Proof
23 Deee-Lite - World Clique
22 The Gossip - Standing In The Way Of Control
21 David Bowie - Hunky Dory
20 Queen - A Day at the Races
19 The B-52s - The B-52's
18 George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. I
17 Lou Reed - Transformer
16 Queen - A Night at the Opera
15 George Michael - Faith
14 Erasure - The Innocents
13 Ani DiFranco - Dilate
12 The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico
11 Various - Hedwig And The Angry Inch Soundtrack
10 Antony And The Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now
09 Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual
08 Madonna - The Immaculate Collection
07 Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
06 The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
05 Judy Garland - Judy at Carnegie Hall
04 Indigo Girls - Indigo Girls
03 Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman
02 The Smiths - The Smiths
01 David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Interesting list. Don't quite get why Exile In Guyville (or for that matter Tapestry and Sgt. Pepper) is on there. Just because she sings about cunnilingus? Because she's angry? Seems to me it's a very straight album. But I'm not gay, so maybe someone out there who is can explain how it speaks to gay (and I suspect they were thinking specifically lesbian) sensibilities.
BTW, my favorite "gay" album, if there is such a thing, remains Imperial Teen's "Seasick." Also I think of Junior Senior. And no Dolly Parton on this list?
they also forgot Sigur Ros, Green Day, Judas Priest, Suede (both London and lounge), Patrick Wolf, Grizzly Bear, Manic Street Preachers, Placebo, Of Montreal, Heart and Lily Allen
The lead singer is gay and one of their videos portrays a young soccer player being gay bashed for kissing his boyfriend after scoring the winning goal.
Technically, it's not "hopelandic" either, since the band doesn't even acknowledge that fan-created word. To Jonsi (the singer), it's just plain ol' gibberish.
they got the whole making up your own words concept from the bands off the 4ad record label like Dead Can Dance and the Cocteaus who being on the goth side (in their early days) would also be a big attraction amongst gays. I'd also say Sufjan Stevens would draw a big gay fanbase because of his flamboyance. Same goes for the Polyphonic Spree.
100 The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
97 Janis Ian - Between The Lines
84 Cyndi Lauper - True Colors
78 Various - The Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack
71 Elton John - Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
68 Nirvana - Nevermind
66 Soft Cell - Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
60 R.E.M. - Automatic For The People
54 Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
50 Rufus Wainwright - Poses
46 Madonna - Ray of Light
43 Prince - Purple Rain
42 ABBA - Gold
41 Melissa Etheridge - Yes I Am
37 Blondie - Parallel Lines
36 Madonna - Erotica
31 Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling Towards Ecstacy
25 k.d. lang - Ingénue
23 Deee-Lite - World Clique
18 George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. I
16 Queen - A Night at the Opera
15 George Michael - Faith
09 Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual
08 Madonna - The Immaculate Collection
07 Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
04 Indigo Girls - Indigo Girls
Have heard 54 of them and actually own 26 of them (with several others on my "to buy" list). My ears must be "gay" too.
It just means you like music that artists that happen to be gay like. It is interesting that it's pretty predictable other than the albums that everybody likes.
You’ll notice we expanded the catalog to include not only records by queer musicians but also any records that have had relevance to those voting. Reno Pro Mobile Mechanic
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