Since the dawning of the millennium, waves of change have washed over the globe. And it’s getting more intense with each passing decade. Our habits, opinions, and ideas are getting turned on their head at an astonishing pace.
Gender identity and sexuality have become much more of a part of the mainstream consciousness. LGBT is here to stay, and that’s that.
In the world of music…
There have been fearless gay women expressing themselves without shame for years. Some of them were ahead of their time and foresaw the changes we now all accept. In recent years, more artists have emerged as part of the LGBTQ community and are not afraid to admit it.
So, I’ve decided to take a look at some of the most famous lesbian singers of all time.
10 Most Famous Lesbian Singers Of All Time
Hayley Kiyoko
Hayley Kiyoko Alcroft is the daughter of a figure skater and an actor. She was born in April of 1991 in Los Angeles, California.
Haley started her artistic career as an actress in commercials. She then started taking drum lessons, and by the age of eleven, she was selling her beats in her local music store. She was elected the “Commissioner of Pep Rallies and Entertainment” at her high school.
Hayley is known for her independence and resourcefulness…
Interestingly, she often directs and writes all or part of her music videos. She’s sold comic books based on her songs and even done some choreographing.
Most notably, she is known as an actress. She has appeared in hit shows, and movies, such as Scooby-Doo The Mystery Begins, Lemonade Mouth, So Random, Blue Lagoon Awakening, and CSI: Cyber.
As a singer, she has released a string of EPs and two studio albums. She was also part of the teen group, The Stunners, who toured in support of Justin Bieber. Her album PANORAMA made it to the Top 20 in Australia, Canada, and the US.
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge was born in May of 1961 in Leavenworth, Kansas. She began taking guitar lessons at age eight and playing in local country bands over the weekends during high school.
After graduating…
Melissa attended Berklee College of Music for three semesters. But, she dropped out to pursue a career in music.
She moved to Los Angeles, where she began doing gigs in any place she could. Lesbian bars became some of her regular haunts. In part, it was what led to her getting discovered not only once but twice.
She was first discovered by Island Records boss Chris Blackwell and signed a deal to start writing songs for movies. Then, she got discovered by the husband of a friend she had made on a women’s soccer team.
And the rest is history…
Her debut self-titled album was released in 1988. The single “Bring Me Some Water” earned her some radio play as well as a Grammy nomination.
Her second album, Never Enough, would perform moderately well and also get nominated for a Grammy. Melissa’s third album was not as popular. But it led to a Grammy award for Best Rock Female Vocal Performance.
After coming out publicly as a lesbian in 1993…
Etheridge dropped her seminal album, Yes I Am. The album produced two massive hits, “Come to My Window” and “I’m the Only One.” And the album went on to be certified six times platinum.
She has released sixteen studio albums, received an Honorary Doctorate in music from Berklee, and survived breast cancer. Today she is widely recognized as one of the most famous lesbian singers of all time.
LP
Laura Pergolizzi was born to Italian parents in Long Island in 1981. She moved to New York to pursue a music career and adopted the stage-name LP. David Lowery of the bands Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven saw her performing and ended up producing her first album, Heart-Shaped Scar.
In 2006, she appeared at the South By Southwest Festival. This sparked a bidding war amongst labels to sign her. She signed with Island Defjam Music Group but left due to artistic differences. Shortly thereafter, she signed with the independent label SoBe in 2007.
Two years later…
She started writing songs for other artists. This led to her first breakthrough in 2010 when she co-wrote and performed on Rihana’s massive hit “Cheers (Drink To That).”
She also co-wrote “The Beautiful People,” which was performed by Christina Aguilera for the soundtrack of the 2010 film Burlesque.
LP has released six studio albums and worked with the likes of Steve Morrissey. If you watched the Netflix series “Orange Is The New Black,” then you’ve heard her fantastic track “Muddy Waters.” Thanks to that exposure, she is a popular lesbian singer who has only just begun.
Young M.A.
Katorah Kasanova Marrero was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1991. She grew up with her mother and sister because her father was incarcerated when she was one year old.
At age seven, the family relocated to Virginia, where she started playing sports and writing rhymes. She then graduated to a karaoke machine and turned her closet into a recording booth.
After school…
Young M.A. wanted to get into music more than anything. She managed to fund a small recording studio while she was working at TJ Maxx and Shake Shack.
Her first taste of notoriety came in 2014 when she posted a video of herself freestyling to a Nicki Minaj track on Facebook. The song was criticized for its controversial lyrics, but that ended up helping the track to go viral.
On the back of this hype, she dropped her first YouTube hit, “BodyBag.” And soon after that, she dropped her first mixtape.
In 2016…
She broke through with her first massive single, “Ooouuu.” The track jumped onto the Billboard Hot 100 and climbed to #19. In less than a year, the track had gained seven million views on YouTube.
“Ooouuu” was then remixed by a bunch of other artists who released their own versions. Among these were Nicki Minaj, Jadakiss, Uncle Murda, and ASAP Ferg.
She has since dropped a bunch of million-view singles and two studio albums, Herstory and Off The Yak. Although she is a younger musician, she is already a widely recognized lesbian singer.
Zolita
Zoë Montanna Hoetzel was born in New York in 1994. From a young age, her father encouraged her to make music. As a youngster, she played flat-pick guitar and Bluegrass. Later, she would evolve into a very multifaceted artist, drawing influence from a wide variety of styles.
She started by releasing “Explosion.” It became a viral success after the accompanying music video was released. As of 2020, the track has sixteen million views on YouTube.
Zolita’s music often explores spirituality, sexuality, and feminism…
Her song “Holy” is a fantastic example of this. She also likes to deliver social commentary. In 2017, she did just that by releasing “Fight Like A Girl,” a track inspired by the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump.
Zolita’s notoriety is based not only on her music but her artistry outside of music. She directs all of her music videos. Those are praised for their beauty and conceptual genius just as much as the music.
Zolita’s particular flavor of “Dark R&B” suits her subject matter perfectly. And her future releases are sure to be just as great.
Lesley Gore
Lesley Sue Goldstein was born into an average Jewish home in Brooklyn, New York, in 1942. She was still a junior in high school when she recorded her cover of “It’s My Party” with legendary producer and musician Quincy Jones.
The track instantly became a hit across the US, and eventually got a gold certification. As a teenager, she was used to fans because folks would show up on the lawn of her house.
Gore followed up “It’s My Party” with a string of Top 10 hits that stole the hearts of American listeners. Most notably, “Judy’s Turn To Cry” and the now legendary feminist anthem “You Don’t Own Me.”
After high school…
She continued releasing music and singing. In 1980, she debuted as a composer when she contributed several songs to the soundtrack of the teen musical drama “Fame.” These songs earned her an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Gore remains one of the most inspiring lesbian singers for the entire LGBT community.
VincentAnne Erin Clark was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1982, but she moved to Texas when she was seven. She started playing the guitar at age 12. At school, she played in the Jazz band and did theatre. She also worked for her aunt and uncle as a roadie. They were the Jazz duo, Tuck & Patti.
She attended Berklee College of Music. But she left after three years to start making her own music. In 2003, she started releasing EPs and participating in a bunch of music projects. In 2004, she was part of the 100 Guitar Orchestra formed by Glenn Branca.
She started using the moniker St. Vincent in 2004…
She said that the inspiration came from a Nick Cave song and the fact that her grandmother’s middle name was St. Vincent. Her debut album, Marry Me, was released in 2007. She contributed songs to the soundtrack of the Twilight saga, New Moon in 2009, and Breaking Dawn Part 2 in 2012.
She has released six successful studio albums, won three Grammys, and even played with the surviving members of Nirvana in 2014. Today, she is one of the most successful lesbian singers in the business.
Janelle Monáe
“I began to dream about a world where every day was like anime and Broadway, where music fell from the sky, and anything could happen.”
Janelle Monáe Robinson was born in Kansas and raised in Quandiro, an ex-ghost town turned archaeological district. She began singing in the church choir at a very young age and was also surrounded by family members who sang and played music for various churches.
Her first big inspirations weren’t just from music…
But also from fictional characters and stories. She noted that Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz and The Miseducation of Lauren Hill were her first major creative influences.
Janelle performed various songs from Lauren Hill’s debut album at talent shows during Juneteenth and won three years in a row. As a teenager, she wrote an entire play inspired by Stevie Wonder’s 1972 album Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants.
She went to New York to study music and theatre…
But, she left after a while to enroll at Perimeter College at Georgia State. She began writing songs and performing at various places around the campus.
Janelle released a demo called “The Audition,” which she sold out of her car. Later, she wrote a song called “Lettin Go,” which got heard by rapper and producer Big Boi.
Janelle has released three successful studio albums. Her music has earned her six Grammy nominations, an MTV Music Video Award, and a Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award. October 16, 2013, was named “Janelle Monáe Day” in the city of Boston.
King Princess
Mikaela Mullaney Straus was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Her father was a recording engineer at Mission Studios. So, she spent much of her childhood going to work with him and learning various instruments, production techniques, and insight into the industry.
She made a CD of songs and submitted them to Avenues: The World School in New York and got a scholarship. After school, she studied music for a year and then dropped out to pursue a career in music.
Even as a fledgling artist…
She showed a strong desire to be independent and in control of her musical image. She was offered a record deal at age 11 but declined due to fears of being controlled by the label. Her breakout single, “1950”, was released in 2018. It is a tribute to the 1952 novel, The Price of Salt.
The song was about queer love and the LGBT community in general. It managed to get some attention and then exploded. And even more so when British Popstar Harry Styles tweeted a lyric from the song.
She went on to tour with Styles and performed at venues like Lollapalooza and Saturday Night Live. She has released two studio albums, Hold On Baby and Cheap Queen, the last of which dropped in July of this year.
The XX
The XX was formed around 2005 by Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass guitar, vocals), and Jamie Smith while they were all attending Elliot School in London.
The group’s first full-length album, XX, was released through an independent label in 2009. The album was a huge success. It was received with not only commercial sales, but also critical acclaim. The album was self-produced and recorded in a small garage.
In the following years…
The XX’s mix of different styles of music with new Indie-Rock aspects and a melancholic delivery became a staple for the genre. It is still one of the most important records to come from this time.
The group has since followed up with two more albums. Both of these have been very well received by fans and critics alike. Their biggest single is “Shelter,” which has been covered very successfully by Birdy.
Tracy Chapman
Last but not least of the most famous lesbian singers of all time. Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1964. Her mother bought her a ukulele when she was 5, and by age 8, she was already playing guitar and writing songs.
While attending Tufts University…
She would busk at local spots playing music. After she graduated with a degree in Anthropology and African Studies, Chapman was signed to Elecktra records in 1987. She released her self-titled studio album in 1988.
The album became a huge success built largely on the performance of the single “Fast Car.” Tracy’s debut album garnered two more hit singles, including “Talkin’ Bout A Revolution.” The album ended up becoming multi-platinum and also won her three Grammy Awards.
In total, she has released eight studio albums, many of which have gone platinum, and she has won four Grammys. While she hasn’t released anything since 2008, her legacy lives on in the millions of people she’s inspired not only as an artist but a person.
Want to Discover More Fantastic Singers?
Well, have a look at our detailed articles on the Most Famous Female Singers Of The 1980s, the Most Famous Black Country Singers, the Most Famous Mexican Female Singers, the Best Female Singers, and the Most Famous Female Singers Of The 1970s for more wonderful song selections.
Most Famous Lesbian Singers Of All Time – Final Thoughts
The LGBT community has been around for a long time now in one form or another. With so many new artists being open about their sexuality, the world truly is undergoing social change.
These famous lesbian singers have contributed to the story of music. But they also helped make history through their groundbreaking art and self-expression. Thanks to these artists and many more like them, the rainbow flag has been firmly planted in the pages of history.
Until next time, happy listening.
