Fifty-seven years after Stonewall, and here we are: LGBTQ musicians still face scrutiny for their sexuality, because, says author and music writer Barry Walters, music isn’t created for Gay listeners. No problem: Queer artists and writers have often penned lyrics carefully in order to say what can’t be said, “coding” songs for Gay audiences that straight (and ignorant) listeners can dance to and enjoy with apparent obliviousness. 

Walters offers “just a few” examples:

Lou Reed sang about Trans people in the late ‘60s and offered a rallying song for the Gay Liberation Front in 1972, the latter of which felt like a message to a then 11-year-old Walters. 

Janis Joplin claimed she was straight, but she had several girlfriends. 

Motown singers often offered sometimes ambiguous lyrics. 

John Lennon’s hand placement on the back cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band made Walters begin to understand that he was different from other boys.

David Bowie is on his list, of course, as is Bette Midler, Elton John, Donna Summer, and Queen. You’ll find Judas Priest (!), Green Day, and punk music. The Village People are included in this book, as are Grace Jones, Duran Duran, Cher, Whitney, Melissa, Latifah, Olivia Newton-John and the B52s, as well as the lyrics from several blockbuster movies.

Two of Prince’s band members were Lesbian, and they heavily influenced his albums. Diana Ross’s I’m Coming Out cemented her position in LGBTQ culture, and Michael Jackson’s inclusion takes much careful consideration. 
And then there’s Sylvester, for whom Walters has a soft spot in his heart. Sylvester’s death still makes Walters cry.

In his preface, Walters points out that music is what you make it and that it’s interpreted differently by each person. To that end, this book naturally consists of preferential history and personal opinions about singers, bands, albums, and songs. 

Agree or disagree — that’s where much of the appeal lies in Mighty Real.

Here, Walters wraps his memories around his choices, giving readers room for their own views, memories, and list-making. Music-loving readers might also be surprised to note who’s not on Walters’ list — there aren’t many country performers, for example, and the overall list focuses entirely from around Stonewall to the year 2000, mostly on the kinds of songs you’ll want at the club or a party. Again, discuss, and curate your own playlist.

This is a hefty book, but the chapters are browsable and generally short enough to read in under five minutes. It’s nostalgic, yet also serious in the history it presents. This is the kind of book you want to leave near your album collection, or wherever you get your tunes. But finding Mighty Real is your first step.