A Look Back at All of the Lead Singles From Lady Gaga

Introducing Lady Gaga, just 22 years old and ready to lead you to the dance floor. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta arrived in 2008 with this intoxicating anthem, serving as the first preview for her debut album, The Fame. It was a slow-burner, building steam for months before finally hitting number one in January 2009. Gaga has said that the song took 10 minutes to write, and was met with plenty of people who didn’t think it would work. It went on to grab a GRAMMY nomination and it is still an essential part of any party.

The Fame Monster is technically an EP from Lady Gaga, and there’s still debate over whether it counts as one of the singer’s 5 stated previously released studio albums or not. There’s no argument though over how powerful it is, filled with epic arrangements and fashion-forward grooves. Oh, and Beyoncé. “Bad Romance” kicks it all off, dressed in soaring vocals, unshakable chants, and absolute style. It debuted during Fashion Week in Paris and hasn’t stopped strutting since.

A mechanical grinding beat, spoken word Madonna-esque delivery, and an inclusive invitation to be whatever you are – “Born This Way” found Lady Gaga harnessing her Pop power for the most good, kicking off the album of the same name. The song has become a battle cry against inequality, and somehow sounds familiar and beamed from the future all at the same time.

With stabbing snyths and otherworldly vocals, Lady Gaga found her inspiration on “Applause” in something much more simple. The fans. The lead single from ARTPOP in fueled by the cheer of the crowd, motivating Gaga to move past injury and once again crush creative ceilings. Space age Pop over pristine piano, mixing all that she is into a song for all the little monsters that keep her going.

Who would have dreamed when we first heard the “ra-ra-ah-ah-ah” of “Bad Romance” that Lady Gaga would seem just at home singing a Cole Porter song beside a crooning icon? We’re in the future too, so we know how well it works, but initially it was an amazing jump to do Cheek To Cheek with Tony Bennett. Still not sure how this figures into our counting to 6, but “Anything Goes” shows another side of Lady Gaga that we loved to discover.