Mighty Real Edition Part 2

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia

Slate Podcasts

Music, Music History, Music Commentary

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 27 June 2025

⏱️ 64 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Little Richard was rock ‘n’ roll’s flamboyant architect. Lesley Gore sang that no one owned her. Sylvester was a gender-fluid icon who helped define disco. Freddie Mercury made rock operatic, and George Michael demanded freedom. What all of these LGBTQ artists had in common was bold hitmaking—and fear of being fully out of the closet. For decades, queer acts topped the charts while cloaking their true identities and paving the way for today’s more openly queer stars. For Pride Month, join Chris Molanphy as he traces the hidden history of queer hitmakers on the charts—including those that managed to be both out and No. 1, right up through our modern age of Lil Nas X and Chappell Roan. It’s a celebration of these artists’ quest to feel… mighty real. Get more Hit Parade with Slate Plus! Join for monthly early-access episodes, bonus episodes of "The Bridge," and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Hit Parade show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/hitparadeplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Iron Hard has arrived on Disney Plus.
0:02.9	Yuri, what is going all with you?
0:04.8	From Marvel Television, an executive producer, Ryan Coogler.
0:07.8	I wanted to build something undeniable, but now I'm in trouble.
0:10.7	Don't miss the sixth episode of Vand.
0:12.7	I joined a crew of criminals, and now I'm about to get killed by a Drenched Man in a Cake.
0:17.8	Be the first to experience the all-new series.
0:20.5	You've bitten off a hell of a lot more than you can chew.
0:22.7	Don't cook a lot.
0:23.5	Marvel Television's Iron Hard.
0:25.4	Now streaming.
0:26.3	Only on Disney Plus.
0:27.7	18 plus subscription required.
0:29.1	Deseancy's apply.
0:32.0	Adobe Express is a quick and easy,
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0:35.8	It's a game changer for my business, my go-to for creating content.
0:39.3	From social posts to images, videos, flyers, whatever I need to stand out.
0:45.3	With customizable templates and smart features, it saved me endless hours.
0:50.3	And the best bit, it's free.
0:53.3	Search for Adobe Express to find out more and get started today. And the best bit, it's free.
1:24.2	Search for Adobe Express to find out more and get started today. Welcome back to Hit Parade, a podcast of Pop Chart History from Slate magazine about the hits from coast to coast.
	...

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