Lady Gaga’s impressive musical career spans nearly two decades. Lady Gaga not only dominates the world of pop, but defines it. Her artistic sensibilities are finely tuned. For years, she has woven together the power of artifice and authenticity to create an image of the character Lady Gaga that speaks to the state of the industry, her influences, and her personal journey as she progresses through different phases.The release ofMayhemhas left fans and critics in a state of nostalgia. The album hearkens back to herearly pop projectsthat pull you out onto the dance floor.
Despite her albums spanning different genres, themes, and aesthetics, they all have a flavor that is uniquely Gaga. Her vision is clear and strong and her bold personal style is undeniable. Her personal sound is never lost in the scores of influences she pulls from. As an artist, Gaga gives her all to every project that she is involved in. From her studio albums and collaborations to her film appearances and fashion statements, Gaga is meticulous in her creation and curation.
In her seven studio albums, Gaga has put her artistic prowess and heart on full display. While this list is ranked from worst to best, she has never once put out an album that is categorically bad. Her love and respect for the craft has made it possible for Gaga at her worst to soar high above so many artists at their best. From her start as a punky New York City club kid to her modern career as a veritable high-art pop icon, Gaga has always delivered.
7Chromatica (2020)
Gaga’s Ill-Timed Dance Record
It should be no surprise thatChromaticalands in the lowest spot on this list:the project was doomed to be forgettable. Despite containing so many house-inspired earworms including “Rain on Me” featuring pop princess Ariana Grande, this album was not the wild success you expect out of an artist of Gaga’s stature. When making the album,the artist wasn’t in the best place emotionally.
When creating this project, Gaga could never have predicted thatevery dance floor in the world would be left desolate for at least a year due to the worldwide pandemic in 2020. Listening to songs like “Stupid Love” I can imagine how incredible the energy would have been as crowds heard this song in the club for the first time the week it was released, but the reality of pressing play after logging off of your remote virtual meeting did not have the same impact.However, that is not to say these songs are bad. “Rain On Me” made its way into several advertising campaigns and continues to play constantly in gay bars and clubs everywhere. “911” is one of my favorite songs of 2020.
Chromaticais also one of Gaga’s least adventurous. It adheres rigidly to its dance and house influence, relying on looping drums and simple staccato chord progressions to accompany the vocals. While this is great for the club and DJs mixing tracks, this leaves fans of Gaga’s insane genre fusion and unpredictable edge wanting more.
6Joanne (2016)
Gaga’s Foray Into Americana And Country
Joanneis beloved by critics for the shift in her career trajectorythat people predicted the album marked at the time, but with the benefit of hindsight, this album feels more like a one-off departure from her gritty pop. However, the world and the singer may have needed the reprieve.
This album is very sentimental for Gaga, who named the album after her aunt, who passed away, and many of the songs are about her family.The album puts Gaga’s vocal performance front and center, and that is without question the best element of the record. “Million Reasons” still tugs at the heart strings nearly a decade later. Her sorrow is palpable, and the song is an anthem for anyone who has ever had to grapple with the decision of letting go of someone they love.
Occasionally, an album that comes out of left field and presents a new side of an artist to audiences and it is really groundbreaking, like Beyonce’sCowboy Carter.However,Joannedoesn’t have the same impact. When I am in the mood to put my paws up and turn on some Gaga, I am never reaching for this album. This may be because this album was Stefani Germanotta coming out from behind the Lady Gaga mask.The album is as if it was created by another artist entirely with the help of Lady Gagaas a producer. Her pop persona and sound are not entirely lost, but rather in the back seat.
Lady Gaga took a risk professionally and musically when she put outJoanne: she bared her soul and depicted her emotions and family candidly on this album and gave up privacy. She created an album in a genre that caught the world off guard. Although this is not my favorite Gaga album,these risks did pay off. The album was wildly successful worldwide.
5Artpop (2013)
The Last Pop Album Before Taking A Step Away
Artpopis likely one of the reasons that Gaga stepped away from popfor seven years and her signature brand of pop chaos for over a decade. The album is celebrated by fans and held up as one of Gaga’s best,but critics could not agree less. When this album dropped in 2013, critics couldn’t agree on whether this album was too adventurous or not adventurous enough, but the consensus was that it wasn’t very good. I will be taking the Justice forArtpopside of this debate.
Artpopwas Gaga’s attemptto bring the influences of artists' spaces and Warholian art into pop. In the beginning of her career, she found herself embraced and held up by a community of artists in New York City that ate, lived, and breathed culture. On this album she brought that unpredicatbility into her writing process.
Music critics of the time struggled to understandArtpopand its unpredictable song structures, proving this album achieved its mission. The songs are crafted as sculptures, paintings, and narratives. They do not have defined chorus-verse-chorus structures; they are not constrained by the rules of pop music. Gaga breaks and bends the rules while prioritizing the layered texture of tracks with EDM, trap, and funk-inspired sounds. “Sexxx Dreams” is a perfect example of the musical fusion occurring on this album. Its trap bass transitions into a funkier finger style at times. It’s punchy house chords are punctuated by dubstep arpeggios.
In 2013, so many critics missed the opportunity to champion this album and the experience soured pop for Gaga for years to come. Fans are still asking for the tracks that did not make the final cut ofArtpop. While Gaga refuses to releaseArtpop 2,the original deserves a second judgment.
4The Fame Monster (2009)
The Fame’s More Popular Younger Sibling
The Fame Monster, a continuation of Gaga’s debut,The Fame, launched off the ramp of the first album’s success and soared. The combined legacy of these two albums is difficult to overstate, butThe Fame Monsterbarely pulls ahead of its predecessor.Her untainted vision shines through on these records, free of the pressure to outdo her last release.
Some of Gaga’s greatest and most recognizable tracks are found on this album.“Bad Romance” is the party song of the early aughts and 2010s. Her cannibalistic “Monster” displays her ability to be perverse and undeniably catchy at the same time. “Telephone” featuring Beyoncé is a diva off that puts both artists' talent in the spotlight. The song’s legacy continued when it was featured in a hilariously absurdGleemoment. Beyoncé’s syncopated flow on this song is mesmerizing.
While touring for her previous album,she found herself facing many fears or “monsters” on the road. These songs put a name to her fears about sex, alcohol, love, and other struggles she found came with her fame. While she intended this album to be a re-release ofThe Fame,it took on a life of its own. This album is honest, raunchy, catchy, and well-constructed.
3The Fame (2008)
A Smashing Success Of A Debut
Think of a hit Lady Gaga song and the chances are good that you thought of a song off of her debut album. For nearly three years she worked meticulously on her debut album seeking aperfect introduction, and she succeeded. From top to bottom, this album is essentially flawless.
The Fameexplores so a wide range of emotions, struggles, highs, and lows, all set to infectious pop synth melodies. Gaga kicks the album off with the club hit “Just Dance” that inspired the name of the video game of the same name. “Paparazzi” lays bare the feelings of romantic obsession while commenting on the toxic relationship between artists and paparazzi. “Poker Face” and “LoveGame” also soared on the charts and remain fan and critic favorites in her discography.While this album’s production stays largely faithful to mainstream pop, her vocals and melodies show her knowlege and passion for a plethora of genres and techniques.
Gaga wrote this album from the vantage point of fame, which she had yet to achieve, referring to it as her delusion.Her delusion may have served as manifestation, because this album launched the career of a titan. Her weird style, persona, and vocal styling made her standout from the sea of hopeful artists.
2Mayhem (2025)
Gaga’s Triumphant Return To Pop
Mayhemis a return to everything that made Lady Gaga special when she first hit the charts and acelebration of everything she has learned along the way. This album has grunge, funk, dance music, rock, and the influence ’80s icons like David Bowie. Her fiancee, Michael Polansky, encouraged her to return to pop music and kept her steady on that path as she veered off into genre-specific tangents.
Mayhemis a raw reflection of Gaga’s struggles with decades of unimaginable fame and her own inner demons. At the album’s conclusion, she comes out the other side, happier and healthier than she has ever been in her career. In order to create a sound that reminded fans why they fell in love with her music,Gaga went back to her roots and remembered the sounds that made her fall in love with music. She reckons with the results of her giving her private persona to the public withJoannein the voice of her stage character Lady Gaga. The funk of “Killah,” the grunge of “Disease,” the disco of “Zombieboy”: this album is an amalgamation of her passion for the art of music. I personally love when she dives into a pop rock sound that almost strays into arena rock with “Lovedrug,” a self-referential track calling back to “LoveGame.”
Lady Gaga “Abracadabra” Lyrics & Meaning Explained
Lady Gaga is known for releasing powerful songs, and like much of her music, “Abracadabra” is full of hidden messages to fight the darkness.
Lady Gaga is planted firmly in the driver’s seat of this album, having a heavy hand in the production. She made this album surrounded by people who care about her and her career and in a place where she can finally take a breath of relief. Her freedom shines through in this record, it is clear that this is a passion project for herself and her fans.
1Born This Way (2011)
The Sophomore Triumph Of Lady Gaga
Born This Wayis peak Lady Gaga. When she entered into this phase of her career, the lasting pop culture image of Lady Gaga was created. Her meat dress and Jo Calderone ushered in the era in whichGaga broke out of her shelland further leaned into the weird. She was known at the time not just for her outrageous outfits and stunts, but for her inescapable music.
This electronic pop record solidified her status as a legend and arguably a genius. She comes into her own vocally on this album, showing the full range of tone and texture she can inject into her vocals.
Born This Wayalso highlights Gaga’s lasting reputation forusing her platform to speak up about causes that matter to her. “Born This Way,” one of her most celebrated songs, speaks to the LGBTQ+ experience and champions the community that she is proud to be a part of. A decade later she released a version of the album remixed by LGBTQ+ artists.
“Judas,” is the crown jewel of the Gaga discography: it is campy, heretical, intense, and captivating and captures everything that Lady Gaga as a persona has come to embody. The synth bass breakdown is filthy, in the best way. The album ends on a powerful note with her hit song “The Edge of Glory,” belted from the depths of her soul.
On this album,Gaga celebrates her status as an outcast and a freak. She encourages her fans to embrace everything that makes them different. If you’re ever wondering what made fans fall in love withLady Gaga, it is the sounds that she offered on this groundbreaking album.
