Top 10 Lady Gaga Songs

Lady Gaga 'Joanne' World Tour - New York - Night 1
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01
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"Bad Romance" (2009)

Lady Gaga Bad Romance
Courtesy Interscope

"Bad Romance" is truly epic in sound and structure. It appeared as the lead single for Lady Gaga's second collection of songs The Fame Monster. It cemented her status as a durable pop star who could grow the artistic quality of her music. The song was debuted at Paris Fashion Week in October 2009 at an Alexander McQueen runway show. Lady Gaga stated that it was an experimental pop record. "Bad Romance" peaked at #2 on the pop singles chart in the US and went to the top of the dance chart.

The celebrated accompanying music video was directed by Francis Lawrence, best known for directing the Hunger Games series of films. The concept behind the clip was developed by both Francis Lawrence and Lady Gaga herself. "Bad Romance" won two Grammy Awards including Best Female Pop Vocal and Best Short Form Music Video. The song has sold more than five million digital copies in the US alone.

02
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"Born This Way" (2011)

Lady Gaga Born This Way
Courtesy Interscope

Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" hit the radio airwaves in full glitter ball disco mode. It is an anthem about self-worth and was quickly adopted by a wide range of communities as a defiantly positive statement. Lady Gaga calls it her "freedom song." Some critics complained of similarities to Madonna's hit "Express Yourself." "Born This Way" became the 1,000th song to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was a #1 pop smash in many countries around the world and paved the way for the #1 charting Born This Way album.

The music video for "Born This Way" was directed by British fashion photographer Nick Knight. Lady Gaga has stated it is inspired by the surrealist work of painters like Salvador Dali and Francis Bacon. It was also seen as influenced by the work of Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bjork and fashion designer Alexander McQueen. The clip won two MTV Video Music Awards.

03
of 10

"Poker Face" (2008)

Lady Gaga Poker Face
Courtesy Interscope

Lady Gaga landed her second consecutive #1 pop hit with "Poker Face." There is a slightly dark feel to the song, but it has a hook that just won't let go. With a second #1 pop hit in less than six months, Lady Gaga proved that she was not a one-hit wonder. Lady Gaga explained that the song is a tribute to her past boyfriends that were into booze and gambling.

The striking music video was directed by Norwegian Ray Kay. It's a sequence of Lady Gaga rising out of the pool quickly became iconic for the artist. The clip earned four MTV Video Music Award nominations including for Video of the Year. "Poker Face" earned Grammy Award nominations for Song of the Year and Record of the Year while winning Best Dance Recording.

04
of 10

"The Edge of Glory" (2011)

Lady Gaga The Edge of Glory
Courtesy Interscope

"The Edge Of Glory" was released as the third official single from the Born This Way album. Lady Gaga was inspired by the experience of her grandfather's death to create this song about the last moments of life. She was inspired by Sylvester Stallone's film Rocky, one of her personal favorite movies. The recording of "The Edge of Glory" features saxophone player Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band in one of his last recorded performances. "The Edge Of Glory" was Lady Gaga's 10th consecutive top 10 hit single peaking at #3 on the US pop chart. It went to #1 on the dance chart and reached the top 10 across adult contemporary, adult pop, and mainstream pop radio.

05
of 10

"Paparazzi" (2009)

Lady Gaga Paparazzi
Courtesy Interscope

The music video for "Paparazzi" took the image of Lady Gaga and ran with it to an artistic extreme as directed by Jonas Akerlund. It was a meditation on fame, death, and revenge. The clip received strong critical accolades. It earned two MTV Video Music Awards.

The song has a deceptively complex dance groove that is stylistically independent of Lady Gaga's RedOne productions. The production on the song was a collaboration between Lady Gaga and Rob Fusari. "Paparazzi" landed at #6 on the pop chart while going all the way to #1 on the dance chart and at mainstream pop radio.

06
of 10

"You and I" (2011)

Lady Gaga You and I
Courtesy Interscope

Lady Gaga's "You and I" is a rock song which is a shift in style from the dance-pop of her previous hits. The lyrics are inspired by her romance with ex-boyfriend Luc Carl. "You and I" was co-produced by rock legend Robert John "Mutt" Lange. Brian May of Queen plays guitar on the recording. The song was the 11th consecutive top 10 hit for Lady Gaga peaking at #6. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance.

In live performances and the music video for "You and I," Lady Gaga revealed a male alter ego Jo Calderone. The music video was directed by Lady Gaga's choreographer Laurieann Gibson. Much of the video was filmed on location in Springfield, Nebraska.

07
of 10

"Do What U Want" featuring R. Kelly (2013)

Lady Gaga Do What U Want R. Kelly
Courtesy Interscope

The single "Applause" and its album Artpop were received with lukewarm critical notices. "Do What U Want," with guest vocals from R. Kelly, was not originally planned to be the second single from Artpop but enthusiastic praise from both fans and critics pushed it into the marketplace. It is a strong statement of mental independence within sexual submission from Lady Gaga. "Do What U Want" reached the top 10 at mainstream pop radio and on the dance chart.

A music video directed by photographer Terry Richardson, who generated controversy with his Miley Cyrus video "Wrecking Ball," was shot but never released. 

08
of 10

"Just Dance" (2008)

Lady Gaga Just Dance
Courtesy Interscope

"Just Dance" is the song that introduced us to Lady Gaga when no one had a clue of the success that was to come. It is a paean to the club world. The groove remains irresistible and there is an engaging simplicity many of Lady Gaga's other artful works lack. "Just Dance" was a #1 pop hit and went to #2 on the dance chart. Lady Gaga has stated that "Just Dance" is the record that saved her life and made her career. She says that she wrote it in just ten minutes. "Just Dance" earned Lady Gaga's first Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording.

The accompanying music video was directed by Melina Matsoukas, known for her work with Rihanna. The blue lightning bolt beneath her right eye is a tribute to David Bowie, one of Lady Gag's idols, and his Aladdin Sane album cover.

09
of 10

"Til It Happens To You" (2015)

Lady Gaga Til It Happens To You
Courtesy Interscope

Lady Gaga co-wrote the song "Til It Happens To You" with songwriter Diane Warren for the documentary film The Hunting Ground. Nile Rogers accompanied them on the recording. According to both Lady Gaga and Diane Warren, the recording process was very emotional. The film investigates rape on college campuses. A powerful music video was put together to draw attention to the issues addressed in the movie. "Til It Happens To You" earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. It also earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Song Written For Visual Media. Although "Til It Happens To You" only reached #95 on the Billboard Hot 100, remixed versions of the song propelled it to #1 on the dance chart.

10
of 10

"Million Reasons" (2016)

Lady Gaga million reasons
Courtesy Interscope

"Million Reasons" is included on Lady Gaga's studio album Joanne. It was first released as a promotional single for the album and then was later promoted to radio as the project's second official single. "Million Reasons" includes influences from country music. The song was co-written by Lady Gaga, country songwriter Hillary Lindsey, and producer Mark Ronson. As a promotional single "Million Reasons" reached #57 on the US pop chart. After Lady Gaga performed it in her Super Bowl halftime show, the song soared to #4. It was her 14th top 10 pop hit and her first since "Applause" more than three years earlier. The accompanying music video was a continuation of the video created for the previous single "Perfect Illusion."