What makes a gay anthem?
EPISODE 321
Vulture might have killed the song of the summer back in 2016, but if you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s hard to argue against “Padam Padam” by Kylie Minogue. The track, released this May, has taken the queer community by storm, quickly becoming ubiquitous and inescapable – it's hard to even scroll on Twitter without a well-timed meme about the "padam-ic" popping up on the timeline. However, Minogue's song hasn't even cracked the Billboard Hot 100; instead, its status has morphed into that of a "gay anthem," a song widely celebrated inside the community but unable to garner longstanding success outside of it.
This episode of Switched on Pop, producer Reanna Cruz tackles a question that the LGBTQ+ community has debated over for decades: what makes a gay anthem? Through talking with everyone from academics to their close friends, the answer takes us from Judy Garland to 1920s cabaret to, of course, "Padam Padam."
Songs Discussed
Kylie Minogue – Padam Padam
Édith Piaf – Padam padam
Kylie Minogue – Supernova
Mischa Spoliansky – Das lila Lied (The Lavender Song)
Queen – I Want To Break Free
Lady Gaga – Born This Way
London Philharmonic Choir – Amazing Grace
Traditional – God Save The King
Queen – We Are The Champions
Tom Robinson Band – Glad to be Gay
Diana Ross – I'm Coming Out
Judy Garland – Alone Together (Live At Carnegie Hall/1961)
Countess Luann – Chic C'est La Vie
Judy Garland – The Trolley Song
Lady Gaga – La Vie En Rose
Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy
Village People – Y.M.C.A.
Sylvester – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)
Miquel Brown – So Many Men, So Little Time
Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again
The Weather Girls – It's Raining Men
Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive
