Something was recently brought to my attention regarding 80's music and homosexuality.
The question was posed: how many gay North American 80's chart-toppers can you name? That is, how many musicians are there from the United States or Canada who had a top-10 North American hit in the 1980's and who were also openly gay.
The first names that come to mind -- Elton John, Boy George, George Michael -- are all British (or is "English" the proper nomenclature?). We'll even open up the doors to switch-hitters. David Bowie, Freddy Mercury... British, British.
The most obvious flamboyant American contender, Prince, is straight as an arrow.
Supposedly Luther Vandross was gay. If he was he kept it in his closet.
The only one that comes to mind is Michael Stipe of R.E.M., but even he won't outright say that he is, by his own definition, gay (although he will freely admit past relationships with men which makes him, by everybody else's definition, gay).
Maybe we can include Bob Mould from Husker Du as everybody knew he was sort of gay in the 80's (he finally came out for real in the 90's). But as far as charts were concerned the band never held much mainstream success. In the States, Warehouse: Songs and Stories made it to 117 on the Billboard 200. Candy Apple Grey went to 140.
And that's pretty much it.
Strike that. I just discovered (or kind of already figured, but never really confirmed) that the founding male members of The B-52s, Fred Schneider included, were gay. I don't think the American mainstream ever really accepted the B-52, but "Love Shack" was too irresistible. Tin roof, rusted.
North America's reluctance to embrace gay culture is not shocking, but it is curious that gay acts from England were welcomed with open arms. I have no explanation for this, only speculation.
Theory 1: With all of the resistance against homosexual lifestyles in America, it would be difficult for any openly gay musician to develop a successful career. They may thrive within small scenes, but a wider listening audience was reluctant to accept them. On the other hand, gay musicians across the pond were allowed to develop and flourish.
Theory 2: Gay Brits made better music than Gay Americans. I don't personally believe this is true, but someone once said the simplest explanation is often the one that's correct.
Theory 3: Americans couldn't tell the difference between English gays and English straights. It's difficult to be prejudice against one group when they're not so obviously different from the other group.
In the decades since the 1980's North America has become a little bit more open to gay musicians. It's mostly the men we have problems with. Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang, Joan Osbourne, most of the Lilith Fair... all have done well. Shoot, when Madonna smooches Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears the video gets played over and over. But when Adam Lambert smooches a dude on stage, America cringes. That's not to say the men haven't done well. Lance Bass, Clay Aiken, Lambert, even Billie Joe Armstrong have all admitted their gay-ity, although they all waited until they were famous before making it official.
Rufus Wainwright seems to be the unquestionable quintessential popular North American gay poster boy. He was born in New York, spent most of his youth in Montreal, let everybody know he was gay before he was famous, and despite this he still makes an occasional appearance on the Billboard charts (his latest album reached number 4 on the Top Canadian Albums chart).
I suspect this is the stuff theses are made of. Or books. Or cultural movements. Maybe someday, when I've got large quantities of free time instead of minimal amounts, I'll do the research and flesh these things out.
The question was posed: how many gay North American 80's chart-toppers can you name? That is, how many musicians are there from the United States or Canada who had a top-10 North American hit in the 1980's and who were also openly gay.
The first names that come to mind -- Elton John, Boy George, George Michael -- are all British (or is "English" the proper nomenclature?). We'll even open up the doors to switch-hitters. David Bowie, Freddy Mercury... British, British.
The most obvious flamboyant American contender, Prince, is straight as an arrow.
Supposedly Luther Vandross was gay. If he was he kept it in his closet.
The only one that comes to mind is Michael Stipe of R.E.M., but even he won't outright say that he is, by his own definition, gay (although he will freely admit past relationships with men which makes him, by everybody else's definition, gay).
Maybe we can include Bob Mould from Husker Du as everybody knew he was sort of gay in the 80's (he finally came out for real in the 90's). But as far as charts were concerned the band never held much mainstream success. In the States, Warehouse: Songs and Stories made it to 117 on the Billboard 200. Candy Apple Grey went to 140.
And that's pretty much it.
Strike that. I just discovered (or kind of already figured, but never really confirmed) that the founding male members of The B-52s, Fred Schneider included, were gay. I don't think the American mainstream ever really accepted the B-52, but "Love Shack" was too irresistible. Tin roof, rusted.
North America's reluctance to embrace gay culture is not shocking, but it is curious that gay acts from England were welcomed with open arms. I have no explanation for this, only speculation.
Theory 1: With all of the resistance against homosexual lifestyles in America, it would be difficult for any openly gay musician to develop a successful career. They may thrive within small scenes, but a wider listening audience was reluctant to accept them. On the other hand, gay musicians across the pond were allowed to develop and flourish.
Theory 2: Gay Brits made better music than Gay Americans. I don't personally believe this is true, but someone once said the simplest explanation is often the one that's correct.
Theory 3: Americans couldn't tell the difference between English gays and English straights. It's difficult to be prejudice against one group when they're not so obviously different from the other group.
In the decades since the 1980's North America has become a little bit more open to gay musicians. It's mostly the men we have problems with. Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang, Joan Osbourne, most of the Lilith Fair... all have done well. Shoot, when Madonna smooches Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears the video gets played over and over. But when Adam Lambert smooches a dude on stage, America cringes. That's not to say the men haven't done well. Lance Bass, Clay Aiken, Lambert, even Billie Joe Armstrong have all admitted their gay-ity, although they all waited until they were famous before making it official.
Rufus Wainwright seems to be the unquestionable quintessential popular North American gay poster boy. He was born in New York, spent most of his youth in Montreal, let everybody know he was gay before he was famous, and despite this he still makes an occasional appearance on the Billboard charts (his latest album reached number 4 on the Top Canadian Albums chart).
I suspect this is the stuff theses are made of. Or books. Or cultural movements. Maybe someday, when I've got large quantities of free time instead of minimal amounts, I'll do the research and flesh these things out.
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