Sexual identity is like putty in the hands of a skilled songwriter, whether they're exploring gender roles, toying with androgyny or challenging taboos...

Beyoncé and Prince have both memorably vaulted the gender gap to get into the mind of the opposite sex, His Purpleness even going so far as to regularly adopt a female alter-ego through which to channel his lyrics. The Kinks and Lou Reed, meanwhile, scored massive hits singing about transvestites with songs so catchy that many listeners never even cottoned on to the lyrical content.

Using linguistic acrobatics to make sexuality a slippery customer has served Blur and The Killers rather well too; both found themselves on pub jukeboxes across the country with these playful indie singalongs.

1. Blur: Girls & Boys
2. The Kinks: Lola
3. Prince: If I Was Your Girlfriend
4. Aerosmith: Dude (Looks Like A Lady)
5. Lou Reed: Walk On The Wild Side
6. Beyoncé: If I Were A Boy
7. Antony & The Johnsons: For Today I Am A Boy
8. Tim Curry: Sweet Transvestite
9. Garbage: Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)
10. The Killers: Somebody Told Me

Listen to this playlist on Spotify >>

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