5 Rare Drag Queen Records
While most drag performers have gone the digital-first route, these five rare drag vinyl releases demonstrate the demand that limited edition releases create.
The mainstream success of the TV series ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ which started in 2009 and still runs currently, created a legion of drag performers searching for their next big break. A good portion of those performers featured on the show went on to have successful music careers but took a digital-first approach to their releases, meaning that vinyl releases from popular drag performers aren’t too common on Discogs. Fortunately, some ‘Drag Race’ performers decided to go the vinyl route, creating limited edition vinyl runs that sold out quickly.
What follows is a rundown of five rare vinyl releases from drag performers, but it’s not all about ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ contestants. Before reality television, Pabllo Vittar has created a demand that sellers can’t keep up with.
Divine
Maid In England (1988)
Most famous for roles in Hi-NRG singles, including “Native Love (Step By Step),” “Shoot Your Shot,” and “Love Reaction.”
In 1988, Divine released Jungle Jezebel.
Alaska Thunderfuck
Poundcake (2016)
A veteran of the ‘RuPaul Drag Race’ show, second season of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ and has had a successful recording career since 2015. Since that time, Alaska has released four studio albums, two collaborative albums, and several singles.
Following over 5 million streams after the release of Alaska’s second album Jackie Beat. Because of the limited pressing, this release is fairly rare in the Discogs Marketplace.
Shea Couleé
Collide EP (2021)
A fixture of the Chicago nightclub scene, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ in 2020. Outside of ‘Drag Race,’ Couleé is the first drag queen to appear in the Marvel Universe (appearing in the ‘Ironheart’ on Disney Plus) and an accomplished recording artist, with nine singles cataloged on Discogs.
In 2021, Couleé released their first physical music release featuring producer-songwriter GESS. The Collide EP is hand-numbered to 250 copies, featuring never-before-seen art, and pressed on a black and red egg drop color variant. Only several copies exist in the Discogs Marketplace.
Sharon Needles
Absolute Zero (2022)
In March of 2020, following a break from entertainment, American drag performer and recording artist Blue Oyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.”
According to Needles, “I wanted to take a white rock band sound and turn it into disco. Even though I love ’70s rock, there’s a history of producers and radio stations creating a propaganda machine of saying disco is dead and disco sucks and burning your disco records.” So Needles took the song and reinvented a danceable version of it.
Released in 2022, copies of Absolute Zero in the Discogs Marketplace are hard to come by.
Pabllo Vittar
Noitada (2024)
Brazilian singer, songwriter, and drag queen Major Lazer‘s song “Lean On,” produced by Bonde do Rolê and Omulu. In less than four months, the video reached one million views on YouTube. (It’s now at 77 million views.)
In 2017, Vittar focused on a pop career, incorporating elements of electronic, tecno brega, arrocha, favela funk, and forró. Vittar’s debut album, with production help from Gloria Groove. The 180g smoked gray translucent version, featuring a gatefold cover and poster, isn’t too common in the Discogs Marketplace.
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