15 lesbian singers who paved the way for Chappell Roan

Chappell Roan is one of the country’s most up-and-coming artists, and she’s putting lesbian music front and center, but (whatever some trolls on X think) she’s far from the first openly lesbian singer with a ton of great songs.

Roan stands on the shoulders of many queer and especially lesbian singers who came before her, and we should give these trailblazers the recognition they deserve!

Lesbians have been making great music since the beginning of the music industry. Many lesbians have written and recorded some of the most famous songs of the last 125 years. Here’s a look back in history at a small selection of the great lesbian artists who have come before.

1.Gladys Bentley

Active from the 1920s-1950s, Bentley was one of the first lesbian icons in music. As part of the Harlem Renaissance, she wore men’s clothing and openly dated women while being known as one of the country’s greatest entertainers. Unfortunately, later in her life, she married a man and said she was “cured” of her homosexuality.

2. Lesley Gore

At just 16 years old, Gore became a major star with her songs “It’s My Party,” “Judy’s Turn to Cry,” and her feminist anthem “You Don’t Own Me.” She was a lesbian and said that early in her career she was forced to hide her sexuality due to the music industry’s homophobia.

3. kd long

Canadian singer KD Lang came out as a lesbian in The lawyer In 1992, after several years as a successful country singer and winning several Grammys and Canadian Country Music Association Awards. In 1992, she also released her album Innocent, It included the song “Constant Craving,” which won a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

4. Tracy Chapman

In 1988, Tracy Chapman burst onto the music scene with her debut album, which included the classic “Fast Car” and received six Grammy nominations. She won awards for Best New Artist, Best Contemporary Folk Album, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The singer’s other hits include “Baby Can I Hold You,” “Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution,” and “Give Me One Reason,” which won the 1997 Grammy for Best Rock Song.

5. Melissa Etheridge

Melissa Etheridge was one of the biggest female rock stars of the 1990s and early 2000s. She received 15 Grammy nominations between 1989 and 2007, winning two of them, and had 9 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including the top ten hit “I’m The Only One.” In 2007, she won an Oscar for Best Original Song for “I Need to Wake Up” by An uncomfortable truth.

6. Indigo Girl

Legendary folk duo Indigo Girls consists of lesbian singers Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. Together they have seven Grammy nominations, including a win for Best Contemporary Folk Recording in 1990. In 2022, they were inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame.

7. Brandi Carlile

Brandi Carlile is undeniably one of the biggest artists of the 21st century. She burst onto the music scene with her breakthrough hit “The Story” in 2007 and hasn’t left for nearly two decades. She currently has 10 Grammy wins from a total of 27 nominations. She has been nominated twice for Album of the Year, three times for Record of the Year, and four times for Song of the Year.

8. Tegan and Sara

This Canadian sister duo started out as a folk and acoustic band and released several successful albums in the 2000s. They switched to a more pop sound in the 2010s and have had several hits since then. They remain a successful and influential band to this day.

9. Brittany Howard

Howard rose to fame as the lead singer and guitarist of the rock band Alabama Shakes, which earned her four Grammys from nine nominations. In 2018, she went solo and received five more Grammy nominations and another award for her solo debut album Jamie.

10. Hayley Kiyoko

Hayley Kiyoko started out as a child actress and released her breakthrough single “Girls Like Girls” in 2015, when songs about lesbianism were still rare in pop. The video and song earned her the nickname “Lesbian Jesus” and she has since released two amazing albums with great singles like “What I Need,” “Curious,” “For the Girls,” and “Hungry Heart.”

11. Kehlani

Kehlani is a pop and R&B singer who came out as a lesbian in 2021, years after beginning her musical career, but she has been open about her queerness for years. She has released four albums and has iconic lesbian anthems like “Honey,” “What I Need,” and “After Hours.”

12. Sydney

Syd is a singer and rapper, a member of Odd Future and co-founder of the band The Internet. She has released two solo albums and has a super smooth voice and a masterful producer’s mind. She was even one of the songwriters on Beyoncé’s Renaissance Album.

13. Marissa Paternoster

Paternoster was the frontwoman of the acclaimed rock band Screaming Females before going solo with her own project Noun. She has one of the best voices in contemporary rock and is considered one of the best guitarists of all time.

14. Zolita

Pop singer Zolita has been releasing music for nearly a decade and likes to focus on lesbian love stories and themes in her songs. She also regularly releases music videos that tell lesbian stories alongside her songs, often using multiple videos to tell a single story. She brings the lesbian to lesbian pop with songs like “I Fucking Love You,” “Ashley,” “Single in September,” “All Girls Go to Heaven,” and “Small Town Scandal.”

15. Renee Rapp

Rapp is another up-and-coming lesbian pop star. She released her debut EP Everything for everyone in 2022 and their debut album Snow angel the following year. When the album came out, she identified as bisexual, but in 2024 she came out as a lesbian.