{"id":49,"date":"2026-01-23T08:47:51","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T08:47:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/lgbtqplus-inclusion\/?p=49"},"modified":"2026-01-28T10:14:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T10:14:36","slug":"lgbt-history-month-soundtrack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/lgbtqplus-inclusion\/2026\/01\/23\/lgbt-history-month-soundtrack\/","title":{"rendered":"LGBT+ History Month soundtrack!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our very own Dr Catherine Butler (LGBTQ+ inclusion lead) has put together a hit filled playlist for LGBT+ History Month 2026!<\/p>\n

Covering the last 100 years, Catherine has curated a queer playlist for the ages. Read the full list below with her notes on each song and why it was included.<\/p>\n

Access the Spotify playlist here, and add to your rotation now!<\/a><\/p>\n

2020s<\/b><\/h1>\n
Chappell Roan \u2014\u00a0Good Luck, Babe!<\/i>\u00a0(2024)<\/b>
\nA modern lesbian pop anthem that flips heartbreak into self-realization, emblematic of Gen Z\u2019s unapologetic queerness.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Troye Sivan \u2014\u00a0Rush<\/i>\u00a0(2023)<\/b>
\nA sweaty, ecstatic celebration of queer nightlife and desire, marking a new era of openly gay male pop stardom.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
boygenius \u2014\u00a0Not Strong Enough<\/i>\u00a0(2023)<\/b>
\nAn indie rock supergroup of openly queer women confronting vulnerability and identity without metaphor.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Victoria Mon\u00e9t \u2014\u00a0On My Mama<\/i>\u00a0(2023)<\/b>
\nA confident R&B hit from a bisexual artist celebrating self-worth and bodily autonomy.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Janelle Mon\u00e1e \u2014\u00a0Float<\/i>\u00a0(2022)<\/b>
\nA genre-fluid declaration of freedom from a pansexual, nonbinary icon of Afrofuturism.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
MUNA \u2014\u00a0Silk Chiffon<\/i>\u00a0(2021)<\/b>
\nJoyful, explicitly lesbian pop that reclaims softness and happiness as radical acts.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Lil Nas X \u2014\u00a0MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)<\/i>\u00a0(2021)<\/b>
\nA watershed moment for queer Black masculinity in mainstream hip-hop.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

2010s<\/b><\/h1>\n
Sam Smith \u2014\u00a0Diamonds<\/i>\u00a0(2020)<\/b>
\nA sleek pop reset following Smith\u2019s public coming-out as nonbinary.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Halsey \u2014\u00a0You Should Be Sad<\/i>\u00a0(2020)<\/b>
\nA bisexual artist blending country-pop aesthetics with queer emotional honesty.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Christine and the Queens \u2014\u00a0Girlfriend<\/i>\u00a0(2018)<\/b>
\nA study in gender, desire, and power from a nonbinary French pop auteur.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Kim Petras \u2014\u00a0Heart to Break<\/i>\u00a0(2018)<\/b>
\nOne of the first trans women to top global pop charts with unapologetic dance-pop.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
SOPHIE \u2014\u00a0Ponyboy<\/i>\u00a0(2017)<\/b>
\nA revolutionary trans electronic track that permanently reshaped pop and club music.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Frank Ocean \u2014\u00a0Nikes<\/i>\u00a0(2016)<\/b>
\nA subtle, poetic meditation on queer love and fame from one of the most influential artists of his generation.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
St. Vincent \u2014\u00a0Digital Witness<\/i>\u00a0(2014)<\/b>
\nA sharp art-rock critique of media and identity from an openly queer innovator.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Tegan and Sara \u2014\u00a0Closer<\/i>\u00a0(2012)<\/b>
\nA breakthrough moment for openly lesbian artists in mainstream synth-pop.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Robyn \u2014\u00a0Dancing On My Own<\/i>\u00a0(2010)<\/b>
\nA queer club classic that transformed loneliness into communal catharsis.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

2000s\u20131990s<\/b><\/h1>\n
Scissor Sisters \u2014\u00a0I Don\u2019t Feel Like Dancin\u2019<\/i>\u00a0(2006)<\/b>
\nCamp disco revival led by an openly gay frontman, reclaiming queer joy in pop.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
George Michael \u2014\u00a0Outside<\/i>\u00a0(1998)<\/b>
\nA defiant, humorous response to being forcibly outed \u2014 and a landmark gay pop moment.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Rufus Wainwright \u2014\u00a0April Fools<\/i>\u00a0(1998)<\/b>
\nA lush, literate introduction to one of the first openly gay singer-songwriters embraced by classical and pop audiences.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Melissa Etheridge \u2014\u00a0Come to My Window<\/i>\u00a0(1993)<\/b><\/div>\n
A quiet but powerful anthem that accompanied one of the most important coming-outs of the 1990s.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
k.d. lang \u2014\u00a0Constant Craving<\/i>\u00a0(1992)<\/b>
\nA restrained, aching ballad that redefined lesbian visibility in adult contemporary music.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Indigo Girls \u2014\u00a0Closer to Fine<\/i>\u00a0(1989)<\/b>
\nA folk-rock classic rooted in lesbian partnership, spirituality, and self-acceptance.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

1980s<\/b><\/h1>\n
Erasure \u2014\u00a0A Little Respect<\/i>\u00a0(1988)<\/b>
\nSynth-pop romance sung unapologetically by an openly gay frontman.<\/div>\n
Pet Shop Boys \u2014\u00a0Always on My Mind<\/i>\u00a0(1987)<\/b>
\nQueer emotional restraint meets high-concept pop from one of Britain\u2019s most influential duos.<\/div>\n
Bronski Beat \u2014\u00a0Smalltown Boy<\/i>\u00a0(1984)<\/b>
\nOne of the first pop songs to directly address homophobia and gay exile.<\/div>\n
Dead or Alive \u2014\u00a0You Spin Me Round<\/i>\u00a0(1984)<\/b>
\nGender-bending pop excess fronted by the defiantly queer Pete Burns.<\/div>\n
Culture Club \u2014\u00a0Do You Really Want to Hurt Me<\/i>\u00a0(1982)<\/b>
\nMainstream success built on androgyny and queer ambiguity during a conservative era.<\/div>\n
Soft Cell \u2014\u00a0Tainted Love<\/i>\u00a0(1981)<\/b>
\nA cold, synthetic reinvention of love and alienation by an openly gay vocalist.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

1970s<\/b><\/h1>\n
Sylvester \u2014\u00a0You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)<\/i>\u00a0(1978)<\/b>
\nA disco gospel of queer liberation from a gender-nonconforming icon.<\/div>\n
Village People \u2014\u00a0Y.M.C.A.<\/i>\u00a0(1978)<\/b>
\nA coded gay anthem that crossed fully into global pop culture.<\/div>\n
Tom Robinson Band \u2014\u00a0Glad to Be Gay<\/i>\u00a0(1978)<\/b>
\nThe first openly gay protest song to enter the UK charts.<\/div>\n
Queen \u2014\u00a0Killer Queen<\/i>\u00a0(1974)<\/b>
\nFreddie Mercury\u2019s camp elegance and sexual ambiguity go mainstream.<\/div>\n
David Bowie \u2014\u00a0John, I\u2019m Only Dancing<\/i>\u00a0(1972)<\/b>
\nAn openly queer moment from Bowie\u2019s Ziggy Stardust era.<\/div>\n
Lou Reed \u2014\u00a0Walk on the Wild Side<\/i>\u00a0(1972)<\/b>
\nA rare early pop narrative centered on trans women and queer nightlife.<\/div>\n
Elton John \u2014\u00a0Someone Saved My Life Tonight<\/i>\u00a0(1975)<\/b>
\nA deeply personal song written before his public coming-out, later reclaimed in queer history.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

1960s\u20131920s<\/b><\/h1>\n
Dusty Springfield \u2014\u00a0Son of a Preacher Man<\/i>\u00a0(1968)<\/b>
\nA closeted lesbian icon whose emotional delivery reshaped pop soul.<\/div>\n
Lesley Gore \u2014\u00a0You Don\u2019t Own Me<\/i>\u00a0(1963)<\/b>
\nLater reclaimed as a feminist and lesbian anthem.<\/div>\n
Little Richard \u2014\u00a0Tutti Frutti<\/i>\u00a0(1955)<\/b>
\nRock \u2019n\u2019 roll\u2019s queer origin point \u2014 originally filled with explicit gay slang.<\/div>\n
Billy Strayhorn \u2014\u00a0Take the \u201cA\u201d Train<\/i>\u00a0(1941)<\/b>
\nWritten by an openly gay Black composer at the heart of jazz modernism.<\/div>\n
No\u00ebl Coward \u2014\u00a0Mad Dogs and Englishmen<\/i>\u00a0(1941)<\/b>
\nA master of coded wit whose queerness was widely known but rarely spoken.<\/div>\n
Ma Rainey \u2014\u00a0Prove It On Me Blues<\/i>\u00a0(1928)<\/b>
\nOne of the earliest recorded queer songs, explicitly referencing same-sex desire.<\/div>\n

Bonus tracks!<\/h1>\n
Frankie Goes to Hollywood \u2013 \u201cRelax\u201d (1983): <\/b>With its overtly queer lyrics, imagery, and unapologetic embrace of gay sexuality during the AIDS-era backlash, \u201cRelax\u201d became a bold act of visibility and defiance for the LGBTQ+ community.<\/div>\n
\n
Ani DiFranco \u2013 \u201cSuperhero\u201d (1999):<\/b>\u00a0As an openly bisexual, fiercely independent artist, Ani DiFranco used \u201cSuperhero\u201d to celebrate self-definition and resistance to norms, resonating deeply with queer listeners navigating identity and autonomy.<\/div>\n
Lady Gaga \u2013 \u201cBorn This Way\u201d (2011):<\/b>\u00a0Explicitly affirming queer identities by name and message, \u201cBorn This Way\u201d became a global LGBTQ+ anthem that framed queerness as something innate, worthy, and joyful.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our very own Dr Catherine Butler (LGBTQ+ inclusion lead) has put together a hit filled playlist for LGBT+ History Month 2026! Covering the last 100 years, Catherine has curated a queer playlist for the ages. Read the full list below...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":620,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commemorative-days"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/lgbtqplus-inclusion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/lgbtqplus-inclusion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/lgbtqplus-inclusion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/lgbtqplus-inclusion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/620"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/lgbtqplus-inclusion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/lgbtqplus-inclusion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/lgbtqplus-inclusion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/lgbtqplus-inclusion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/lgbtqplus-inclusion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}