LGBTQ Music 1969-2000 with Barry Walters
Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot talk with music journalist and author Barry Walters about his new book Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music 1969-2000. They discuss how gay artists, industry execs and audiences changed mainstream music. They also chat about artists like R.E.M., Pet Shop Boys, Donna Summer and more.
LGBTQ Music 1969-2000
To celebrate Pride Month, Sound Opinions is dedicating the whole episode this week to an interview with Barry Walters, a gay music journalist who just published his history of LGBTQ music. Jim, Greg and Barry discuss R.E.M., Pet Shop Boys, Donna Summer and more.
Featured Songs:
- David Bowie, "Rebel Rebel," Diamond Dogs, RCA, 1974
- The Beatles, "With A Little Help From My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967
- Sylvester, "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," Step II, Fantasy, 1978
- Pet Shop Boys, "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)," Please, Parlophone, 1986
- R.E.M., "Pretty Persuasion," Reckoning, I.R.S., 1984
- Gang of Four, "Call Me Up," Songs of the Free, EMI, 1982
- Prince, "Controversy," Controversy, Warner Bros., 1981
- Grace Jones, "Warm Leatherette," Warm Leatherette, Island, 1980
- Laura Nyro, "Stoned Soul Picnic," Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, Columbia, 1968
- Donna Summer, "Queen For a Day," Once Upon a Time, Casablanca, 1977
- Indigo Girls, "Closer to Fine," Indigo Girls, Epic, 1989
- Michael Jackson, "Childhood," HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, Epic, 1995
- The Smiths, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out," The Queen Is Dead, Rough Trade, 1986
- David Bowie, "Space Oddity," David Bowie, Philips, 1969
- Frankie Goes to Hollywood, "Relax," Welcome to the Pleasuredome, ZTT, 1984
- Robyn, "Blow My Mind," Sexistential, Konichiwa and Young, 2026
Dear Listeners,
For more than 15 years, Sound Opinions was a production of WBEZ, Chicago's public radio station. Now that the show is independent, we're inviting you to join the band and lend a hand! We need your support more than ever because now we have to do all the behind-the-scenes work that WBEZ handled before (like buying insurance and paying for podcast hosting, ugh). Plus, we have some exciting ideas we'd like to try now that there's no one to tell us no!