In a year that felt at times completely chaotic and at others eerily familiar, one thing is for certain: 2022 never allowed you to let your guard down. Around the world, people struggled to cope as they watched the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the stripping of abortion rights in the U.S., inflation rising across the globe and more. They also celebrated as new breakthroughs in energy and medicine provided potential answers to long-looming problems.
Similarly, the music industry experienced plenty of highs and lows throughout 2022. Artists like Taylor Swift, Drake, Glass Animals and Bad Bunny had record-breaking years on the charts, while stars like Kanye West saw their careers practically go up in smoke around them. Music synchs on television shows like Stranger Things and Euphoria saw record gains, Ticketmaster got placed under the microscope for a massive public meltdown, and TikTok extended its reign over the trends dominating the industry.
When it came to living as an LGBTQ person, 2022 was less than stellar — the continued rollback of LGBTQ protections and rights in the U.S. and elsewhere was a major story throughout the year. Whether it was anti-trans initiatives being promoted by government officials, the loss of LGBTQ life at the hands of another homophobic hate crime, or even the World Cup being hosted by a country that has criminalized sexuality, this year was marked by pain for queer and trans people everywhere.
So, what stories in the music industry offered some respite for the LGBTQ people in need of an escape in 2022? Billboard took a look back at the 10 biggest LGBTQ music stories of 2022 to round out the year:
