Top 5 Gay Music Icons

5. The Village People: Even after 30 years of hitting the music scene, their so-called "gay songs" have taken on a life of their own. Their biggest hit, "YMCA," is still being played and danced to at baseball stadiums, school halls, and weddings. Even with suggestive lyrics in songs like "Macho Man" and "In the Navy," their songs are still universal crowd pleasers.

4. David Bowie: He may not be publically touting himself as gay today, but back in 1972 he declared himself bisexual in numerous publications, only adding to the mystique of Bowie's persona. He had the moniker of Ziggy Stardust and was backed by his rock group, the Spiders from Mars. His fashion style of wearing glitter eye makeup and looking feminine gave boys who were in the closet a reason to show their feminine side and come out. His oddity at the time was not a gimmick; he actually rocked with great songs like "Space Oddity," "Queen Bitch," and "Suffragette City." His glitter has worn off now, but at the time David Bowie was the icon for future icons to look up to.

3. Boy George: Influenced by David Bowie and Iggy Pop, Boy George came onto the music scene with his band the Culture Club in the early ‘80s. His androgynous look and style made many speculate whether he was gay or not. George never confirmed or denied it during his popularity, but his blue-eyed soul hits were what mattered to the fans with tracks like "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" and "I'll Tumble 4 Ya." His style of dreadlocks and fashion became all the rage and his influence is still being felt with modern gay artists like Adam Lambert.

2. Freddie Mercury: Queen is one of those iconic rock bands, and Freddie Mercury was one of those iconic rock singers with a great voice that can never be emulated. With great arena tunes like "We Will Rock You," "Bohemian Rhapsody," and "We are the Champions" among many of their hits, Mercury made them extra special with his voice. Mercury died of AIDS in 1991 but his music still lives on. Gay and straight fans alike come together when singing such staples as "Somebody to Love" or "We Will Rock You" because Mecury's music touches everyone. Mercury's voice and Queen will always be considered one of the greatest rock bands of our time.

1. Sir Elton John: This pianist, who began his career with the beautiful tune, "Your Song," was a rock genius churning out hits throughout the 1970s and beyond. In a 1976 interview with Rolling Stone, he declared himself bisexual and, four years later, declared that he was gay. Amidst his confession, audiences still continued to attend his shows and buy his albums. Songs like "Rocket Man" and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" are among his more than 50 classic songs. He is also known for his song "Candle in the Wind," written about Marilyn Monroe but later dedicated to his friend, Princess Diana of Whales, when he performed it as a tribute to her at her highly publicized funeral.

Besides writing music, John has been associated and awarded for his charity work with AIDS foundations, has been knighted by the Queen of England, and been a vocal supporter of same-sex marriages.