Sylvester - Step II 1978

 Step II is the fourth studio album by American singer Sylvester, released in 1978 on the Fantasy label.

 The album peaked at No. 7 on the R&B albums chart. It also reached No. 28 on the Billboard 200. The album features the singles "Dance (Disco Heat)", which peaked at No. 4 on the Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)", which charted at No. 20 on the Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. Both songs reached No. 1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on February 13, 1979. 

 This is an absolutely seminal queer album, a snapshot of a world most people at the time had never seen. You can instantly hear the influence Sylvester had on not only queer acts like Erasure and Pet Shop Boys, but also R&B like Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. Of course, "Mighty Real" gets all the love (as it should) but the whole album is solid front-to-back. You don't have to be gay to feel the power.