By Jennifer Morton, Managing Editor
The April/May 2025 of POZ marks Oriol Gutierrez’s 100th issue as editor-in-chief, a remarkable milestone in his journey leading the magazine. For more than a decade, Oriol has overseen POZ’s coverage of the HIV epidemic, highlighting the stories of those affected by the virus and the ongoing fight against it. It’s been an incredible honor to work alongside him in this endeavor over the years.
I’m not exactly sure when I noticed that Oriol consistently chose song titles for the headlines of his editor’s letters, but it became something I looked forward to with every issue. As a fellow Gen Xer, I found that most of Oriol’s song choices resonated with me. And more than once, a tune has gotten stuck in my head (or in the heads of our coworkers) as we circulated editorial pages during the production of the magazine.
Oriol took on the role of editor-in-chief starting with the December 2012, which featured the POZ 100, a list of individuals who made a significant contribution to ending AIDS. Although Sir Elton John made the 100 list and was chosen as the cover subject of that issue, Oriol selected “More Than a Feeling” by Boston as the headline for his first editor’s letter.
In 2012, the International AIDS Conference returned to the United States for the first time thanks to the Obama administration’s lifting of a decades-long travel ban preventing travelers living with HIV from entering the country. Additionally in 2012, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Truvada for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), an important advancement in HIV prevention. The song title “More Than a Feeling” perfectly encapsulated the sense of optimism and hope that filled the air, signaling a turning point in the battle against HIV.
While Elton John might not have had a song featured in Oriol’s first issue, he does hold the record for most songs by a male artist on the list: four. One of those was “The Last Song,” which was used in the September 2020 issue as a tribute to the late Larry Kramer.
Madonna takes the crown for most appearances: Seven of her songs have been cited in Oriol’s editor’s headlines. The longtime advocate for the HIV community also graced the cover of March 2024 POZ, for which Oriol chose her song “Take a Bow,” as his letter’s headline.
“Touch of Grey” by The Grateful Dead is one of two songs that appear on the list twice (September 2013 and December 2018); “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross is the other (June 2015 and January/February 2020). Two versions of “Strong Enough” are on the list: One is by Cher (July/August 2014); the other is by Sheryl Crow (June 2018).
Throughout the years, Oriol’s headlines have reflected the changing times of the epidemic ( “Get Up, Stand Up, July/August 2017) as well as the unwavering spirit of the HIV community (“Alive and Kicking,” June 2014). The songs he has selected tell the story of the progress, hope and resilience that define the fight against HIV.
In honor of Oriol’s 100th issue, we’ve compiled playlists of these “songs from the editor” on Apple Music and Spotify. See the full list below.
We hope you enjoy listening to the songs that make up this extraordinary playlist. And please join me in celebrating Oriol’s incredible achievements and thanking him for his extraordinary efforts. His dedication and advocacy for the HIV community are music to our ears.
Listen to the playlist on Apple Music.
Listen to the playlist on Spotify.
Visit the POZ Archive to view past issues of the magazine.
| ISSUE | SONG TITLE/HEADLINE | ARTIST |
| December 2012 | “More Than a Feeling” | Boston |
| Jan/Feb 2013 | “Sowing the Seeds of Love” | Tears for Fears |
| March 2013 | “Let’s Stay Together” | Al Green |
| April/May 2013 | “High Hopes” | Frank Sinatra |
| June 2013 | “We Are Family” | Sister Sledge |
| July/Aug 2013 | “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” | Johnny Mercer |
| September 2013 | “Touch of Grey” | Grateful Dead |
| Oct/Nov 2013 | “Rie y Llora” | Celia Cruz |
| December 2013 | “Your Song” | Elton John |
| Jan/Feb 2014 | “Houses of the Holy” | Led Zepplin |
| March 2014 | “Justify My Love” | Madonna |
| Apr/May 2014 | “Sexual Healing” | Marvin Gaye |
| June 2014 | “Alive and Kicking” | Simple Minds |
| July/Aug 2014 | “Strong Enough” | Cher |
| September 2014 | “Time After Time” | Cyndi Lauper |
| Oct/Nov 2014 | “Die Another Day” | Madonna |
| December 2014 | “We Are Young” | Fun. (featuring Janelle Monáe) |
| Jan/Feb 2015 | “Philadelphia Freedom” | Elton John |
| March 2015 | “More Than a Woman” | Bee Gees |
| April/May 2015 | “In Your Eyes” | Peter Gabriel |
| June 2015 | “I’m Coming Out” | Diana Ross |
| July/August 2015 | “Too Hot” | Kool & The Gang |
| September 2015 | “Holding Out for a Hero” | Bonnie Tyler |
| Oct/Nov 2015 | “Danger Zone” | Kenny Loggins |
| December 2015 | “I Will Survive” | Gloria Gaynor |
| Jan/Feb 2016 | “Don’t Get Me Wrong” | The Pretenders |
| March 2016 | “You Don’t Own Me” | Lesley Gore |
| April/May 2016 | “Higher Love” | Steve Winwood |
| June 2016 | “Takin’ It to the Streets” | The Doobie Brothers |
| July/August 2016 | “Rescue Me” | Fontella Bass |
| September 2016 | “As Time Goes By” | Dooley Wilson |
| Oct/Nov 2016 | “This Land Is Your Land” | Woody Guthrie |
| December 2016 | “Coat of Many Colors” | Dolly Parton |
| Jan/Feb 2017 | “We Shall Overcome” | Mahalia Jackson |
| March 2017 | “Free at Last” | Al Green |
| April/May 2017 | “Young Folks” | Peter Bjorn and John |
| June 2017 | “Like a Prayer” | Madonna |
| July/August 2017 | “Get Up, Stand Up” | Bob Marley and the Wailers |
| September 2017 | “Open Your Heart” | Madonna |
| Oct/Nov 2017 | “Mi Gente” | J Balvin & Willy William |
| December 2017 | “I Am Woman” | Helen Reddy |
| Jan/Feb 2018 | “The Power of Equality” | Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| March 2018 | “Ray of Light” | Madonna |
| April/May 2018 | “Learning to Fly” | Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers |
| June 2018 | “Strong Enough” | Sheryl Crow |
| July/August 2018 | “I Want a New Drug” | Huey Lewis and the News |
| September 2018 | “I’m Still Standing” | Elton John |
| Oct/Nov 2018 | “Ten Years Gone” | Led Zeppelin |
| December 2018 | “Touch of Grey”* | Grateful Dead |
| Jan/Feb 2019 | “Message of Love” | The Pretenders |
| March 2019 | “Somebody to Love” | Queen |
| April/May 2019 | “We Are the Champions” | Queen |
| June 2019 | “True Colors” | Cyndi Lauper |
| July/August 2019 | “I Won’t Back Down” | Tom Petty |
| September 2019 | “Better Together” | Jack Johnson |
| Oct/Nov 2019 | “What’s Going On” | Marvin Gaye |
| December 2019 | “People Have the Power” | Patti Smith |
| Jan/Feb 2020 | “I’m Coming Out” | Diana Ross |
| March 2020 | “Wind Beneath My Wings” | Bette Midler |
| April/May 2020 | “When We Were Young” | Adele |
| June 2020 | “I’ll Stand by You” | The Pretenders |
| July/August 2020 | “From a Distance” | Bette Midler |
| September 2020 | “The Last Song” | Elton John |
| Oct/Nov 2020 | “Fight the Power” | Public Enemy |
| December 2020 | “Don’t Stop Me Now” | Queen |
| Jan/Feb 2021 | “I’m Still Here” | Elaine Stritch |
| March 2021 | “Higher Ground” | Stevie Wonder |
| Apr/May 2021 | “When I Was Young” | The Animals |
| June 2021 | “A Little Respect” | Erasure |
| July/August 2021 | “Brand New Day” | Sting |
| September 2021 | “Everybody Hurts” | R.E.M. |
| Oct/Nov 2021 | “Maybe This Time” | Liza Minnelli, Cabaret |
| December 2021 | “Lift Every Voice and Sing” | Ray Charles |
| Jan/Feb 2022 | “The Impossible Dream” | Richard Kiley, Man of La Mancha |
| March 2022 | “Carry On” | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young |
| Apr/May 2022 | “Happy Together” | The Turtles |
| June 2022 | “London Calling” | The Clash |
| July/August 2022 | “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” | U2 |
| September 2022 | “Move On Up” | Curtis Mayfield |
| Oct/Nov 2022 | “Down South” | Tom Petty |
| December 2022 | “Family Affair” | Mary J. Blige |
| Jan/Feb 2023 | “Day By Day” | Original Broadway Cast, Godspell |
| March 2023 | “Is It a Crime” | Sade |
| Apr/May 2023 | “Only the Young” | Journey |
| June 2022 | “Rainbowland” | Miley Cyrus (featuring Dolly Parton) |
| July/August 2022 | “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” | Pat Benatar |
| September 2022 | “Young at Heart” | Frank Sinatra |
| Oct/Nov 2022 | “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” | Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine |
| December 2022 | “Together Again” | Janet Jackson |
| Jan/Feb 2024 | “Once in a Lifetime” | Talking Heads |
| March 2024 | “Take a Bow” | Madonna |
| Apr/May 2024 | “The Best Is Yet to Come” | Frank Sinatra |
| June 2024 | “Defying Gravity” | Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, Wicked |
| July/August 2024 | “Heart of Gold” | Neil Young |
| September 2024 | “One Moment in Time” | Whitney Houston |
| Oct/Nov 2024 | “Yo Soy La Voz” | Celia Cruz and Tito Puente |
| December 2024 | “Keep It Together” | Madonna |
| Jan/Feb 2025 | “Whenever I Call You Friend” | Kenny Loggins featuring Stevie Nicks |
| March 2025 | “With a Little Help From My Friends” | The Beatles |
| Apr/May 2025 | “A Moment Like This” | Kelly Clarkson |
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