Lady Gaga. The name itself sends off about a dozen signifiers. The fashion, the hits, the meat dress; the time she belched out the national anthem at the Super Bowl, and the time Billboard named her woman of the year in 2016. She has done a lot of things, and whether you like her or not, one cannot deny her talent. Through the mere seven years since she released her iconic disco album The Fame, Gaga has had twenty of her songs played on the radio, fifteen of them being number-one hits.
With the release of her new album Joanne, an album currently being praised by critics, I found it fitting to give a list of my personal top ten Lady Gaga songs. The list will include some songs from the new album as well.
10. Dance in the Dark. From her second album The Fame Monster Gaga had no intention of making this song a single. However, the little monsters in 2010 couldn't get enough of this track. The song made a lovely appearance on Billboard's Top 40, one of the very few non-singles in music history to be on the list. The song discusses a woman dancing in the dark, because her boyfriend scrutinizes her un-ideal dancing, believing women should not dance sexually. Gaga reveals that there is freedom to dancing, and we all can embrace it regardless of who judges us.
9. Starstruck ft. Flo Rida. The Fame. Back in 2009 not many heard of Flo Rida, until he was featured in Gaga's song Starstruck. Soon after, he went mainstream himself. The song is a heavy bass disco-themed song that takes listeners back to Gaga's good old days, where she could spit fast lyrics and catchy beats effortlessly.
8. Poker Face, The Fame. The Grammy-award winning song. The iconic song everyone thought was catchy. One would poke another persons face while singing it. During the time where The Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce' and Christina Aguleria were releasing power-house albums, Gaga held the floor with this iconic track.
7. Gypsy, Artpop. Perhaps one of the most unfamiliar songs on the list, Gaga had this hidden gem in her most mixed-reviewed album, Artpop, in 2013. The song is a piano and pop-inspired ballad, the song telling the story of a gypsy princess packing her bags with her true love, realizing that she doesn't want to be alone (or a gypsy) forever. The song also belches out countless countries, some saying Gaga gave a shout-out to them. In 2011 Gaga's Born this Way Ball was on it's way to being the largest budgeted and most successful concert of the decade, that is, until she damaged her hip and had to cancel the tour just halfway through. Many believe the countries named in Gypsy were the countries she wasn't able to perform in, and had to cancel the show.
6. Diamond Heart, Joanne. The first track from her 2016 album is everything listeners were hearing about the album. The song delivered powerful sounds from Gaga's voice, telling audiences that "I might not be flawless but at least I've got a diamond heart." No doubt the song will be played on the radio soon, perhaps following her other single A Yo.
5. Marry the Night, Born this Way. The music video is well over ten minutes long, but the song serves its purpose. Marry the Night was one of Gaga's successful songs, receiving nominations in many music categories, including the VMA's. The song tells about her embracing the dark side; accepting her flaws and realizing that she is a strong woman, one who will absolutely dominate the music industry, becoming the center of everything. And she did exactly just that. The lyrics read "I'm gonna marry the night; I'm not gonna cry anymore. I'm gonna marry the night; leave nothing on these streets to explore." The music video tells her story of being dropped from her first music company, being sexually assaulted and ending up in a mental hospital due to the physical and mental trauma. Viewers eventually see a new Gaga emerge, the end of the video she flashes her hand to reveal the address to Interscope Records, the company who gave her the record deal of a lifetime.
4. Million Reasons, Joanne. One of her sad songs, this new track is strictly piano and soft country. Her voice strains with passion and pain as she sings about leaving the music industry, and how easy it would be for her to actually call it quits. She says in the lyrics "I bow down to pray, I try to make the worst seem better. Lord, show me the way, to cut through out this worn-out leather. I've got a hundred-million reasons to walk away. But, baby, I just need one good one to stay."
3. Edge of Glory, Born this Way. Written for her family member who received open-heart surgery, Gaga learned the value of life: we should live on the edge, because we can have it all taken away the very next day. Gaga envisions that people should live life to the fullest, right to the edge of heaven and hell, dancing in purgatory. The song was praised by many critics for it's strong lyrics, powerful jazz-effused sound, and Howard Stern claimed her acoustic performance was the best live-performance he's ever had on his radio show.
2. Applause, Artpop. After Born this Way there was silence. Then, out of the blue, in 2013 Gaga released Applause, a song recognizing her fans, paying homage to their loyalty, saying she lives for her fans, she performs for her fans. The song scored huge on the charts, competing strongly with Katy Perry's Roar and Dark Horse. The song had everything the fans wanted: epic vocals, electronic infused beats, and a music video highlighting and portraying several famous modern art pieces through the years.
1. Born this Way. This song runs deep with listeners. A song that embraces ones differences, a song anyone can appeal to. Gaga also introduced the world to Zedd, who moved on to producing some great radio hits on his own. This powerhouse song inspired millions to be themselves; it is the official theme song for the LGBTQ+ community, and has won many awards along the way. The song doesn't appeal just to minorities, but those who have been bullied. The lyrics say "Whether life's disabilities left you outcast, bullied, or teased, rejoice and love yourself today, cause, baby, you were born this way."
