The top LGBTQ+ singers of all time include Elton John, Freddie Mercury, George Michael, Dusty Springfield, Ricky Martin, Barry Manilow, Michael Stipe, k.d. lang, Neil Tennant and Morrissey. Each built a huge career in music, and several spoke openly about their identity at a time when doing so could cost them fans.
We first published this list in 2021. For this 2026 update, we have rechecked the key facts and corrected one error: George Michael came out publicly in 1998, not 2007 as our earlier version said. We have also added the most recent milestones for the artists who are still performing.
Top LGBTQ+ singers of all time: quick facts
| Singer | Known for | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| Elton John | Solo star, songwriter | Founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992 |
| Freddie Mercury | Queen | Born Farrokh Bulsara to a Parsi family |
| George Michael | Wham!, Faith | Came out publicly in 1998 |
| Dusty Springfield | The Springfields, solo career | Went solo in 1963 |
| Ricky Martin | Menudo, Latin pop | Came out in 2010 |
| Barry Manilow | Mandy | Came out publicly in 2017 |
| Michael Stipe | R.E.M. | Prefers the word queer |
| k.d. lang | Country and pop | Came out as lesbian in 1992 |
| Neil Tennant | Pet Shop Boys | Came out in a 1994 interview |
| Morrissey | The Smiths | Has given mixed statements on his sexuality |
1. Elton John
Elton John has recorded with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967, one of the longest songwriting partnerships in pop. He spoke about being bisexual in a 1976 interview and later came out as gay. He entered a civil partnership with David Furnish in 2005, and the two married in 2014, the year same-sex marriage became legal in England and Wales.
He has supported AIDS causes since the mid-1980s and founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992. He is also one of the few artists to have won an EGOT: an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. His Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour ended in Stockholm on 8 July 2023, and in 2024 the documentary Elton John: Never Too Late looked back on his life.
2. Freddie Mercury
Queen’s lead singer has a strong Indian link. He was born Farrokh Bulsara on 5 September 1946 in Stone Town, Zanzibar, to Gujarati Parsi parents, and was sent to St Peter’s School in Panchgani, near Bombay, at the age of eight.
His voice and stage presence made him one of the greatest frontmen in rock. On 23 November 1991 he publicly confirmed that he had AIDS. He died the next day, 24 November 1991, aged 45. The 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody introduced his story to a new generation.
3. George Michael
George Michael first found fame with Andrew Ridgeley in Wham! (1981 to 1986), then went solo. His 1987 album Faith won the Grammy for Album of the Year and has sold over 25 million copies.
His sexuality became public in 1998, after his arrest in Beverly Hills that April, and he spoke openly about it from then on. He died at home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, on 25 December 2016, aged 53. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
4. Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield began her career with the folk group the Springfields before going solo in 1963. Her soulful voice made her one of the biggest British singers of the 1960s.
Rumours about her sexuality followed her through that decade, at a time when the press was far less kind. She died of breast cancer in 1999.
5. Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin started out as a member of the boy band Menudo, then became one of the biggest Latin pop stars in the world. He came out as gay in 2010, which made him one of the most visible LGBTQ+ stars in Latin music.
6. Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is best known for ballads like Mandy. For decades he kept his private life out of the public eye. In 2017 he publicly came out and said he had married his longtime partner in 2014.
7. Michael Stipe
As the frontman of R.E.M., Michael Stipe was one of the defining voices of alternative rock. In 1994 he said he was attracted to both men and women, and he has since said he prefers the term queer.
8. k.d. lang
k.d. lang started in country music before moving into pop, and her voice is often called one of the purest in modern music. She came out as a lesbian in 1992 and has long campaigned for LGBT rights and animal rights.
9. Neil Tennant
Neil Tennant is one half of Pet Shop Boys, the British synth-pop duo behind a long run of hits from the 1980s onwards. He confirmed he was gay in a 1994 interview.
10. Morrissey
Morrissey co-founded The Smiths with guitarist Johnny Marr and later had a long solo career. His sexuality has been debated for decades, and he has given contradictory statements about it over the years. He is on this list because of how much his lyrics have meant to queer fans, not because of any label he has claimed.
Why these LGBTQ+ singers matter
Most of these artists came up in an era when coming out could end a career. Their openness, in some cases forced on them by the tabloids, made it easier for the generations that followed. Elton John’s charity work and Freddie Mercury’s AIDS statement also changed how the world talked about HIV.
For more music and celebrity stories, see our celebs section or browse our listicles. Fans of Queen can also find film coverage in our Hollywood section.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the most famous LGBTQ+ singer of all time?
Elton John and Freddie Mercury are the most widely named. Elton John has had a career of nearly six decades, and Mercury is regarded as one of rock’s greatest frontmen.
Was Freddie Mercury Indian?
He was born in Zanzibar to Gujarati Parsi parents from western India and went to school in Panchgani, near Mumbai.
When did George Michael come out?
His sexuality became public in 1998, after his arrest in Beverly Hills that April.
Is Elton John married?
Yes. He married David Furnish in 2014, after a civil partnership in 2005.
Sources: Wikipedia: Elton John, Wikipedia: Freddie Mercury, Wikipedia: George Michael.
