50 Gayest Songs of All Time

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This entry was published at least two years ago (originally posted on March 7, 2008). Since that time the information may have become outdated or my beliefs may have changed (in general, assume a more open and liberal current viewpoint). A fuller disclaimer is available.

Stupid humor time, folks. Australian website Same Same, preparing for Sydney’s 30th Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, just ran a reader poll to determine the ‘50 Gayest Songs of All Time‘.

…last month we asked you to vote for what songs out of the vast catalogue of musical history you think deserve to be called camp classics. We received thousands of votes, and now that they have all been counted and triple-checked, we’re proud to finally reveal exactly what songs have made it into the final list of the Gayest Songs of All Time.

I figured I’d run down the list and figure out just how many of these camp classics have made it into my music collection over the years. So, under the cut — does my music collection make the grade? How’s my collection of gay anthems?

Though the list is numbered from 1 to 50, it’s actually in reverse order, so the 50th gayest song is at the top, working down to the gayest song of all time at the bottom. Items in bold and italics are in my collection…

  1. Elton John and George Michael “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”
  2. Dead or Alive “You Spin Me (Like A Record)”
  3. Pet Shop Boys “New York City Boy”
  4. Diana Ross “Chain Reaction”
  5. Deborah Harry “I Want That Man”
  6. Cher “Strong Enough”
  7. RuPaul “Supermodel (You Better Work)”
  8. KD Lang “Constant Craving”
  9. Culture Club “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me”
  10. Chaka Khan “I’m Every Woman”
  11. Wham “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”
  12. Paul Lekakis “Boom Boom (Let’s Go Back To My Room)
  13. Kym Mazelle “Young Hearts Run Free”
  14. George Michael “Outside”
  15. Donna Summer “I Feel Love” (I have it by Girl Brothers, Messiah, and Jimmy Sommerville, but not Donna Summer.)
  16. Dannii Minogue “This Is It”
  17. Belinda Carlisle “Summer Rain”
  18. Peter Allen “I Go To Rio”
  19. Sylvester “You Make Me Feel Mighty Real” (Jimmy Sommerville’s version.)
  20. Heather Small “Proud”
  21. CeCe Peniston “Finally”
  22. Madonna “Express Yourself”
  23. Cyndi Lauper “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”
  24. Charlene “I’ve Never Been To Me”
  25. Tim Curry “Sweet Transvestite”
  26. Barry Manilow “Copacabana”
  27. Barbara Streisand and Donna Summer “No More Tears” (I don’t think Ozzy’s song by the same name counts….)
  28. Whitney Houston “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)”
  29. Sister Sledge “We Are Family”
  30. Queen “I Want To Break Free”
  31. Dolly Parton “9 to 5”
  32. Coming Out Crew “Free, Gay and Happy”
  33. Village People “In the Navy”
  34. Frankie Goes To Hollywood “Relax”
  35. Village People “Macho Man”
  36. Judy Garland “Over The Rainbow” (Versions by The Blanks, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Marusha, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, and Paradise.)
  37. Bronski Beat “Smalltown Boy”
  38. Diana Ross “I’m Coming Out”
  39. Cher “Believe”
  40. Gloria Gaynor “I Am What I Am”
  41. Alicia Bridges “I Love The Nightlife”
  42. Madonna “Vogue”
  43. Olivia Netwon-John “Xanadu”
  44. Kylie Minogue “Better The Devil You Know”
  45. Pet Shop Boys “Go West”
  46. Kylie Minogue “Your Disco Needs You”
  47. The Weathergirls “It’s Raining Men”
  48. Gloria Gaynor “I Will Survive” (Versions by Bonehead and Diana Ross.)
  49. Village People “YMCA”
  50. ABBA “Dancing Queen”

Hmmm…only 16 out of the 50…32%. I obviously won’t be picking up any hours guest DJ’ing for the Seattle club scene anytime soon! ;)