Pride 2021

To celebrate this year, we’ve put together a list of some of the biggest Pride anthems. 

1. Years & Years + Elton John – It’s A Sin
2. Diana Ross – I’m Coming Out
3. Lady Gaga – Born This Way 
4. ABBA – Dancing Queen
5. The Communards – Don’t Leave Me This Way
6. Scissor Sisters – Let’s Have A Kiki
7. Ariana Grande – Break Free
8. Queen – I Want To Break Free
9. Kacey Musgraves – Rainbow
10. Robyn – Dancing On My Own
11. Sister Sledge – We Are Family
12. Village People – YMCA

Years & Years + Elton John – It’s A Sin

The freshest entry for this year’s Pride anthem list is this mesmerizing performance from Years & Years’ Olly Alexander and Elton John. The collaboration between the two performers took place at this year’s Brit Awards, resulting in a powerful rendition of the classic 1987 Pet Shop Boys anthem ‘It’s A Sin’. 

After the performance, an official recorded version of the track was released and all proceeds are going towards the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Diana Ross – I’m Coming Out

We’re going back to 1980 for undoubtedly one of the biggest Pride anthems. The disco drenched ‘I’m Coming Out’ was performed by Dianna Ross and written by Chic’s Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards.

Rodgers has since described how the song came to be. He states that after visiting the Gilded Grape in NYC, a super cool underground club which was at the centre of transexual night light, he noticed just how much Dianna Ross was revered by the LGBTQ+ community.

Rodgers noticed just how many Diana Ross impersonators were present at the club and it was at that point that he realised that if Dianna Ross had a song titled ‘I’m Coming Out’, it could potentially have the same power as James Browns ‘Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud’.

And sure enough, ‘I’m Coming Out’ went on to become a huge anthem for the LGBTQ+ community!

Lady Gaga – Born This Way

Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ has been embraced as a Pride anthem by the LGBTQ+ community and the track promotes love and equality. ‘Born This Way’ has just hit its 10 year anniversary and it remains a record which provides solidarity for anybody who feels outside of the mainstream.

ABBA – Dancing Queen

Not only one of the all-time greatest pop songs but also a song celebrated and held close by the LGBTQ+ community as they were at the forefront of the modern ABBA resurgence. The 1975 hit is an infectious Europop classic and has been bringing people together on dancefloors ever since its release.

The LGBTQ+ community was at the forefront of the modern ABBA lovefest/resurgence. The inclusion of many ABBA tracks in the drag masterpiece ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ helped make ABBA a favorite of the gay community, with ‘Dancing Queen’ being the obvious choice for inclusion on this list because many a dancing queen have twirled the night away to this song and will continue for generations to come.

The Communards – Don’t Leave Me This Way

The Communards were made up of Bronski Beats’ Jimmy Sommerville and Richard Coles and their high energy cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes’ ‘Don’t Leave My This Way’ provides pure euphoria for the Pride celebrations

Scissor Sisters – Let’s Have a Kiki

New York pop giants Scissor Sisters rose to fame after the global success of their self-titled debut, released in 2004. Their feel-good glam rock compositions have been a proud selection amongst the LGBTQ+ community and their 2012 single ‘Let’s Have a Kiki’ dove into a more electronic direction. And what is Kiki? Kiki is a drag queen term and used amongst the drag community in America to describe a good time. And a good time it is indeed!

Ariana Grande – Break Free

The pop icon has been a huge support of LGBTQ-rights initiatives and cherishes the relationships with her LGBTQ+ fans. Grande has stated that she wishes to “create anthems for you that wrap you up with comfort and make you get your best life for as long as I live”. 

The pop-trance fuelled club anthem describes Grande breaking free and feeling stronger than she’s been before and this has resonated with the LGBTQ+ community.

Queen – I Want To Break Free

Released on the 1984 album ‘The Works’, ‘I Want To Break Free’ has become a Pride anthem about breaking free of oppression. In what remains one of Queen’s most memorable music videos, the group appear in a suburban house dressed as women who want to “break free” of their lives.

Kacey Musgraves – Rainbow 

Country star Kacey Musgraves released ‘Rainbow’ as a part of her 2018 album Golden Hour. She has described the song as ‘a message of hope for anyone in the midst of dark times.’ Musgraves sings “there has always been a rainbow over your head” and with this, the message of hope and togetherness is firmly established.

Robyn – Dancing On My Own

Robyn has reflected on the fact that ‘Dancing On My Own’ stands strong as a Pride anthem, stating that she takes it as a “super compliment”. For Robyn, the track is about being on the outside and wanting to be seen and heard. ‘Dancing On My Own’ is an electro banger which is wonderful to get lost in.

Sister Sledge – We Are Family

‘We Are Family’ is a perfect disco classic performed by Sister Sledge. Written by Chic’s Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers after the duo had met the four sisters from Philadelphia, the song has become an anthem for women’s groups and the LGBTQ+ community which is a message of unity and love. 

Village People – YMCA

Village People’s ‘YMCA’ is the ultimate Pride anthem for this year as it promotes a warm and welcoming message all about the importance of community. With one of the most instantly recognizable introductions to a disco track, ‘YMCA’ remains one of the genre’s most powerful and joyous anthems.