Lady Gaga - The Fame

[Glove Slap]

The debut album from Lady Gaga, it was first released in Canada in August 2008, and gradually across other markets into the beginning of the following year. It spawned four hits (five in select markets) and eventually turned her into the biggest star in the world for a period, reaching #2 in the US and #1 in the UK for 7 weeks. The first two singles, Just Dance and Poker Face, were massive #1 hits around the globe and amongst the biggest hits of all time. It went on to win the Best Dance/Electronic album at the 2010 Grammys, with Poker Face winning Best Dance Recording (Just Dance had been nominated for this award the previous year, and led to a change in Grammy rules when it disqualified her from being nominated for Best New Artist). It also won the International Album award at the 2010 BRIT Awards, with Lady Gaga also winning International Female Solo Artist and International Breakthrough Act. It was re-bundled with The Fame Monster EP the following year (the EP was released in a few markets as a stand alone purchase as well). Taken together, the original and bundle sold around 15 million copies.

1. Just Dance (featuring Colby O'Donis)
2. LoveGame
3. Paparazzi
4. Poker Face
5. Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)
6. Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
7. The Fame
8. Money Honey
9. Starstruck (featuring Space Cowboy and Flo Rida)
10. Boys Boys Boys
11. Paper Gangsta
12. Brown Eyes
13. I Like It Rough
14. Summerboy
15. Disco Heaven
16. Again Again

[Ginger Spice]

I was obsessed with this (and her) for years. I bought "Just Dance" on iTunes when they first started showing the video on VH1, followed by "Poker Face" as it was becoming popular. I remember considering buying the whole album, but then also thinking (for God-knows what reason) that she wouldn't be the kind of artist that would have more than a few good songs. HA! How wrong was I? "LoveGame" was the song the finally got me to check out the full album, and I couldn't believe how wrong I was about her! This pretty much was my soundtrack of late 2009, and I became even more obsessed when The Fame Monster came out. I remember thinking that was one of the best albums I had ever heard.

Sadly, this album and The Fame Monster haven't aged quite as well as I would've liked. I still enjoy them, but I don't get the same feeling listening to them that I do when I listen to classic albums by my other faves. I got kind of tired of her around the Born This Way era, but that album has actually aged the best for me.

[#LisaRinna]

Birth of an icon!

[Bwol]

It makes me sad knowing that we don’t get albums like this anymore.

[brady47]

I don't think any era will ever top this - she was ubiquitous during this era and the general public couldn't get enough of her! The fact that this sold 15 million in 2009 shows how iconic this era was. She really brought electro-pop into the mainstream and shifted the music landscape with this

Just Dance - amazing dance anthem, the fact that this took months to take off, but when it did, it smashed hard! She really brought electro-pop into the mainstream with this song

Poker Face - One of the best pop songs ever! I don't think she'll ever top this - but this made Gaga a global phenomenon! It was everywhere...the video was iconic, the chorus just hits out of no where - her repeating the chorus 6x in the last minute of the song just makes me want to play it again and again, it's so infectious!

Lovegame - sex anthem - I wanna take a ride on your disco stick = iconic

Paparazzi - the consequences of fame, it's so dark when you really listen to it, it gives me "Say It Right" vibes

Bad Romance - this cemented her status as a global icon - how she followed this up from Poker Face in less than 1 year, I will never know. The video is iconic - it actually didn't smash as hard as Poker Face, but it remains one of her most iconic singles

Alejandro - very dark, La Isla Bonita vibes

Telephone - Beyonce + Gaga duet about just having a good time on the dancefloor

Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say) - I know everyone hates this - but I love it! It's not really lyrical, but the melody is beautiful and her vocals sound so stripped down here which we don't see in her other songs

Overall, an iconic era. So glad I got to witness it, and the acclaim she received during this period