"I Could Have Been You" by Melissa Etheridge

Melissa Etheridge had her time in the spotlight in the early 90s with her breakout hit, "Come To My Window", which reached #25 in 1994 and earned her a much-deserved Grammy for best female rock vocal. She followed it up with "I'm The Only One", which would prove to be her best charting performance coming in at #8. A third single from the smash album "Yes I Am" was "If I Wanted To", which peaked at #16.

All eyes were on her follow-up record, "Your Little Secret". It arrived in 1995 but the sizzling title track stalled at #47. The next single did a little better - "I Want To Come Over" reached #22. Etheridge deserved more than this 15 minutes of fame, but her follow up work has not received the same level of attention as her 90s records. It did help raise awareness of her outstanding earlier work from the 80s.

"I Could Have Been You" is a smoldering anthem tucked away in the mix on the "Your Little Secret" album. Passionately executed, this powerful song is a scorching reminder that nature makes us the way we and no one has a right to persecute those they perceive as different.