My Top 10 Moments In A Decade Of Gaga's Career

[Space Cowboy 11,670]

Feel free to share your top 10 as well, No judgement here. The ranking is based off of my own personal favorites.

 

Honorable Mentions

Marry The Night on Alan Carr, But Beautiful duet with Tony Benett, 2016's Dive Bar Tour

 

10. The Born This Way Ball

The third concert tour by Lady Gaga, in support of her 2nd studio album Born This Way. The tour visited all continents, except Antarctica, and was ranked as the fifth highest-grossing tour of 2012. The tour grossed $22.5 million in 2013 according to Pollstar's year-end chart from the 18 dates played, bringing the Born This Way Ball Tour's total gross to $183.9 million from 98 dates. The tour was well received by critics who praised the stage design, Gaga's vocal abilities and different expressive messages. At one point Lady Gaga paraded around the stage in Russia, holding out her arms for a pair of imaginary handcuffs and saying: "Arrest me Russia! My name is Lady Gaga, I'm 26 years old, I was born in Manhattan, and I believe that all men and men were born free ... You are here to carry out a revolution: sexual, political, religious."

9. American Horror Story

The plot centers around the Hotel Cortez in Los Angeles, CA that catches the eye of an intrepid homicide detective. The Cortez is host to the strange and bizarre, spearheaded by its owner, The Countess, who is a bloodsucking fashionista. The hotel is loosely based on an actual hotel built in 1893 by H. H. Holmes in Chicago, Il. for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.

8. The Rolling Stones "Gimmie Shelter"

Lady Gaga the pop behemoth with a penchant for the outlandish, met her match at the Prudential Center on 12-12-12 in the form of rock's original provocateur, Sir Mick Jagger when she joined The Rolling Stones onstage to sing ‘Gimme Shelter’ at the band’s gig at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

 

7. "Dance In The Dark" at The Monsterball Tour

Gaga performed "Dance in the Dark" as the opening song of The Monster Ball Tour. The show began with Gaga performing in a set, reminiscent of New York City night scene, with flickering neon signs displaying the words "Ugly", "Sexy" and "Liquor", fire escape stairwells and a broken yellow taxi. In an now iconic show with notable moments from Gaga Biting off Barbie Doll heads to the Pyro Bikini and it's Wizard of Oz themes, the show is a staple to Gaga's ever growing career.

 

6. David Bowie Tribute

"My whole career is a tribute to David Bowie." In the interview, Gaga revealed that her love of Bowie first began when she saw the Aladdin Sane cover for the first time. "I was 19 years old, and it just changed my perspective on everything, forever. It was an image that changed my life," Gaga said. "I remember I took the vinyl record out of the casing and I put it on my vinyl player — which was on my stovetop in my kitchen, because I was living in this really tiny apartment and I had my turntable on my stove. 'Watch That Man' came on and, I mean, that was just the beginning of my artistic birth. I started to dress more expressively. I started to go to the library and look through more art books. I took an art history class. I was playing with a band." Gaga credited Bowie's music for introducing her to "a lifestyle of total immersion in music, fashion, art and technology." "You meet or see a musician that has something that is of another planet, of another time, and it changes you forever," she said. "I believe everyone has that, don't you? That one thing you saw as a kid that made you go, "Oh, okay. Now I know who I am. I've been watching his videos all day long, and also listening to Blackstar, his last album, which is a truly incredible piece of music," Gaga said. "It's one of the single greatest things an artist has ever done: making a masterpiece album that is their own eulogy. Can you imagine? To go into the studio every day and put your heart in that place, where you are saying goodbye to life? I mean, his art made him strong. In 2016, Gaga was asked pay tribute to Bowie at the Grammy Awards. Teaming up with super producer Nile Rodgers–who produced Bowie’s most commercially successful album, 1983’s Let's Dance–Gaga went through a medley of Bowie’s most iconic songs, starting with his first hit, 1969’s “Space Oddity.” Bowie’s famous red lightning bolt from Aladdin Sane and Ziggy Stardust’s “spiders from mars” all appeared on Gaga’s face. From there, Gaga sang other hits from Bowie’s glory years, including “Changes,” “Ziggy Stardust,” “Suffragette City,” “Rebel Rebel,” “Fashion,” “Fame,” “Let’s Dance,” a quick beat of “Under Pressure,” and finally finishing off with an incredible version of “Heroes.” Whether your part of those that hated it or absolutely loved, It’s safe to say Gaga nailed it, and did David Bowie proud.

 

5. MTV VMA's

No introduction is needed for when forces of The VMAs and Mother Monster Lady Gaga come together.

 

4. GRAMMYS 2010 Poker Face/Your Song Duet with Elton John

Her performance played on the celebrity-machine themes that connected her Fame and Fame Monster eras. Gaga emerges to perform "Poker Face" in a space-age green outfit with glittery, pink upside-down triangles painted around each eye. Her piano-only rendition transitions into the electronic dance-pop original before she gets dumped into the "rejected" pit of fire. Gaga returns once more – this time with Sir Elton John, both of them covered in ash at a double-piano. "Take my picture, Hollywood. I wanna be a star!" she declares before singing a duet/mash-up of John's "Your Song" with her own ballad "Speechless" Elton John has since called this performance "inspiring" and "brilliant" where he left all creative direction up to Gaga.

 

3. Music Videography

American singer Lady Gaga has been featured in twenty-eight music videos. From her debut album The Fame (2008), she released music videos for the singles "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame" and "Paparazzi". In the latter, she portrays a doomed starlet taking revenge on her lover. She reissued her first album as The Fame Monster (2009), preceded by a music video for the lead single "Bad Romance", which won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video and seven MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year in 2010. The following year, Jonas Åkerlunddirected the music video for "Telephone"—a continuation of "Paparazzi"—which was shot as a short film. The video received an MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year nomination, and was named the Best Music Video of the Decade by Billboard in January 2015. For the now notorious video "Alejandro", Gaga received positive review from critics, though she was criticized by the Catholic League that alleged blasphemy.

Gaga's second studio album Born This Way released the music video for the eponymous lead single, in which she gives birth to a new race. The music video won the Best Female Video and Best Video with a Social Message awards at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, which was accepted by her alter-ego Jo Calderone. The following video, "Judas", she portrays Mary Magdalene, and Norman Reedus plays the title role. The video for "The Edge of Glory" consists mostly of interchanging shots of Gaga dancing and singing on the street and was considered the simplest of her career. In the same year, she released "You and I", which focuses on her trying to get her boyfriend back in Nebraska. She also introduces her male alter ego Jo Calderone in the video. Gaga directed her 14-minute video for the final single "Marry the Night", which narrates her story to find success in the music industry, but she ultimately suffers setback.

In 2013, Gaga released her third album ARTPOP, with "Applause" as its lead single, whose music video includes artistic and complex. "G.U.Y." was filmed at the Hearst Castle in 2014. Later that year, Gaga released a jazz album with Tony Bennett, called Cheek to Cheek, which generated four studio videos showing the recording process. In 2015, she released the music video for "Til It Happens to You", a song about campus rape in the United States.

Her fifth studio album, Joanne, was released in 2016, and the music video for its lead single, "Perfect Illusion", was shot in the desert with a story that continues in her subsequent videos "Million Reasons", "John Wayne", and "Joanne"

 

2. Superbowl Halftime Show

In 2016, Gaga was announced as the halftime headliner for Super Bowl LI, in the midst of the promotion campaign for her much-hyped fourth album Joanne. It was a speculation on what she would use the performance for: as an aggregation of past accomplishments, or an argument for contemporary relevance? It didn't take long for Gaga's answer: Dressed in her Gaga Stardust makeup and wardrobe, she kicked off her set in earnest with early classic "Poker Face," and ran through "Born This Way," "Telephone" and "Just Dance" from there. There were aerials, there were keytars, there were a whole lot of angular gesticulations and dance routines with slightly alien choreography. It was Gaga through and through, and every song felt more gratifying than the last; storming hi-NRG anthems of NRG Stadium size, reminding you why Gaga's pop supremacy was so inarguable not all that long ago. Then, "Million Reasons." It sounded good, always does, really and it brought back fun memories to see Gaga crawling up on her piano bench, too moved by the spirit to possibly sit still while playing. As the set closed triumphantly with signature jam "Bad Romance" -- performed in Mad Maxed shoulder pads, and capped by Gaga spiking the mic and being tossed a football. In what will likely go down as one of the best halftime sets this century, and rightly so Still, if nothing else, Gaga's performance should be remembered as the best demonstration of why her musical legacy should remain essentially unimpeachable. These were half a dozen classic pop songs that Gaga scorched through with boundless energy and peerless professionalism, but she left just as many on the table: "Applause", "Paparazzi," "Marry the Night," ," and yes, even "Perfect Illusion," which woulda sounded goddamn awesome on the world's biggest stage. Gaga's place beside the all-time greats is secure. The mic drop was well-earned.

 

1. GRAMMYS 2011 Born This Way

Often outshined by the meatdress, Gaga made one of her most outlandish red carpet entrances yet as she arrived at the Grammys concealed in a giant vessel, The singer emerged from the glowing vessel to launch into her single Born This Way. Wearing a sheer gold coloured skirt and cropped top, with her hair tied up in a style of Madonna, the singer danced her way through the number. At one point, she played on a dramatic organ with disembodied heads balanced on top, Gaga would leave the show with 3 Grammy awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album.

[Babel 41,249]

Sis you missed The Sound of Music tribute, the most important turning point in her career. 

[Space Cowboy 11,670]

4 minutes ago, Triggered said:

Sis you missed The Sound of Music tribute, the most important turning point in her career. 

Not in my personal top 10 but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate that performance because It's one of her best siss!

[PrinceOfTheStorm 5,904]

Paparazzi performance. 

But I love this! 10 Years since Just Dance and I got became a fan. Legendary. 

[Salvador Sequea 813]

You're trying too hard 

[Space Cowboy 11,670]

6 minutes ago, Salvador Sequea said:

You're trying too hard 

[PartySick 146,807]

4 hours ago, Salvador Sequea said:

You're trying too hard 

Maybe you're not trying hard enough

Spoiler

The work that went into this thread

My personal top 10 is way different tbh  mostly ARTPOP/Joanne related stuff 'cause that's when she really started to reach me as a person rather than me just liking her music. My #2 would also be the SBHTS, but my #1 would be Swine at the SXSW Festival  she had already long separated herself from the ranks with her older antics but this performance...I don't think anyone else would've had the balls to do it and to give my favorite song a visual piece like that left me shook to my core 

Some would say it's a career ending moment, I say it's career defining

We stan a legend

[ryanripley 86,575]

i STAN a well thought out thread

[Ariana Grindr 3,173]

I stan this thread

[Space Cowboy 11,670]

18 hours ago, ryanripley said:

i STAN a well thought out thread

Queen

[DiamondAngel 5,044]

My personal top 10 in no particular order:

1. Paparazzi VMAs

2. You and I VMAs

3. Meat Dress

4. 2010 Grammys

5. Born This Way single release

6. Paparazzi Video

7. Telephone Video

8. ARTPOP's Second Coming (GUY video, Harper's Bazaar Interview, SXSW, basically when she switched management and took back control even though it was short-lived)

9. ARTPOP announcement

10. Born This Way video

 

so unfortunately no Joanne era moments, even though I love stripped-down Gaga, and love her raw performances, anyone can do that (Adele, Beyonce, anyone with a good voice, you name it) and what sets Gaga apart is her theatricality. The 10 moments I listed above blew me away! 

[Charles X Charles 1,522]

The VMA 2009 Paparazzi performance is #1 in my list. 

[Haroon 49,685]

I like so many of these  Quite a few of the top picks are interchangeable for me, like they're all huge in their own ways

[GaGaAst 12,972]

Nicely done..u missed few but again it's ur personal perception...

For me, 

1. Paparazzi VMA : This was the moment when she became queen forever..no need to say anything

2. BAD ROMANCE MUSIC AND VIDEO :So what it didn't reach #1, BR is the best thing to happen in music this decade and one of the most important historical event in music

3. SOUND OF MUSIC : For general public this was totally unexpected, when she performed like an angel. Many would have thought her to be long gone from music industry after ARTPOP backlash but no fcking queen came back like a wrecking ball and blew everyone away. 

4. HER HIP BREAK : NO PERSON WOULD HAVE PERFORMED THE FULL SONG AFTER HER BREAK. SHE CONTINUED RISKING HER ENTIRE LIFE AND CAREER.. SHE DIDN'T DESERVE TO BEAR THE PAIN AT FIRST PLACE BUT THE WAY SHE KEPT GOING MADE ME CRY AND I WAS ANGRY WHY SHE EVEN DID IT.. I BET EVEN MJ WHITNEY BOWIE FREDDIE WOULDN'T HAVE PERFORMED FOR A SECOND MORE AFTER HIP BREAK. (LET ME KNOW IF SOMEONE HAS) 

5. SUPERBOWL 2016 + 2017

She continued her image transformation with these 2 performances in public image, while scalping everyone (Did u know gaga had opened a new WIG center after her superbowl to get all the profits from wig sale  to donate in BTWF. IF u don't know its normal. It never happened) 

6. Paparazzi video : No one cared about artistic visions for a long time until she debuted this video..salute to her. Everyone followed her afterwards but obviously couldn't even match her) 

7. VMA 2011 : THAT PERFORMANCE OF JOE IN YOU & I was a historical event. No one would have even thought she would do something like that..just another event where people couldn't help but respect her. 

8. RELEASING BORN THIS WAY : ITS HET BEST ALBUM IF U REMOVE FEW SONGS ITS A MASTERPIECE . BUT WASN'T IT TOO RISKY TO PUT A RECORS LIKE THAT DURING HER PEAK..

OTHER ARTISTS WOULD HAVE RELEASED A ALBUM FULL OF BOP AT THAY STAGE TO CONTINUE THEIR REGIME BUT QUEEN TOOK A SHARP TURN WITH BORN THIS WAY AND I HAVE NOTHING BUT RESPECT FOR HER. 

9. JUST DANCE POKER FACE IMPACT

Needless to say no one disrupted the market like she did during 2008-2009.

Gaga was everywhere. She was no doubt the most famous person (and not singer)  at that time. But why is this a moment?.It had a huge impact on everyone..people started copying gaga after being threatened of being irrelevant.. When in history some new singer or product disrupted market like she did. 

10. MTV 2013 

Two reasons..

1st..Her performance was no doubt one of her best ever (Imagine original planned performance or if miley wasn't twerking it would have made headlines all over. 

2nd..HER supporting 1D.when booing started no one cared but gaga was offended and affected too. That's a sign of legendary human cum artist

 

 

[Lazlo 106]

I stan this thread. Just watched the Jo Calderone performance and cried.