Top 12 Lady Gaga Songs, Ranked
Gaga, ooh-la-la.
UPDATED APRIL 22, 2025
Stefani Germanotta, also known as Lady Gaga (also known as Mother Monster), may well be one of the most significant entertainers of the 21st century. The versatile performer is known for her wildly flamboyant image, but her music is the real deal— she’s one of the best selling music artists EVER, and the recipient of 13 Grammy Awards. Let’s get a-rankin’!
Honorable Mentions
It is not lost on me that “Paparazzi” is widely considered one of her best songs, with multiple iconic (if not inconsistent) performances. Oscar winner “Shallow” (A Star Is Born) will forever be a mainstay in karaoke bars, moreso than the equally formidable “I’ll Never Love Again.” From The Fame Monster, “Dance in the Dark” and “Alejandro” are both undeniable bops… and “Babylon” serves it to you ancient-city style. And from her newest album, it’s giving healing as LG cures our “Disease” and takes us to the “Garden of Eden.”
Note: The original list had SPEECHLESS and JUDAS. I didn’t want to delete my blurbs about them, so I left it up.
12. JUDAS
I’m just a holy fool, oh, baby it’s so cruel…
The second single from Born This Way recalls a certain provocative religiously-themed song from Madonna (“Like a Prayer”), but with a turbo-charged electricity for the 2010s. It’s undoubtedly her strangest hit, but its oddity is anchored by a punchy pop chorus and a delicious sense of camp.
11. SPEECHLESS
I’ll never talk again, oh, boy, you’ve left me speechless…
A glam rock ballad that recalls Queen and Elton John, the piano-driven song is tonally quite different from the rest of The Fame Monster. It may have been ahead of its time in 2010, but now, it fits squarely in her oeuvre.
10. REPLAY
The monster inside you is torturing me, the scars on my mind are on replay, r-replay, eh-eh…
This may well be the catchiest song about trauma. Short and sweet, the funky song is a highlight on Chromatica, and the fact that it wasn’t released as a single still bothers me to this day. The production is top-notch, with a pulsating energy that has defined her legacy as a dancepop artist.
9. HOW BAD DO U WANT ME
That girl in your head ain’t real, how bad do u want me for real?
Her album Mayhem pulls from every corner of Gaga’s oeuvre, but “How Bad Do U Want Me” is pure basic pop ecstasy, reminiscent of synthy 80s hits. The melody writing is so, so strong, and Gaga’s prowess in pop elevates even the most seemingly simple of lyrics. Many listeners compare this song with the work of Taylor Swift, but I want to point out that Ms. Swift did not invent this sound.
8. RAIN ON ME
I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive…
A defining feature of Lady Gaga’s music is an infectious dance anthem with powerhouse vocals, and the second single on Chromatica checks off both boxes. The song came out in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s just what the doctor ordered. Gaga and Ariana Grande compete for who has the more iconic vocals on the song, and the winner is… the listeners!
7. YOÜ AND I
Something, something about my cool Nebraska guy; yeah, something about, baby, you and I.
I can’t believe Lady Gaga invented Nebraska. Her retro country headbanger is a rollicking tribute to old-school rock, using the iconic beat of Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” and— believe it or not— a guitar solo from Queen’s own Brian May. Her foray into country would continue with her album Joanne, but nothing on that album hits quite as hard as “Yoü and I.”
6. DO WHAT U WANT
You can’t have my heart, and you won’t use my mind, but do what you want with my body…
The sexy electro-pop track may not fit with the experimental vibe of Artpop, but its clever lyrics and throbbing synths make it a highlight of her catalog. The original version featured R. Kelly, but Lady Gaga had that version removed from streaming services after allegations of sexual assault by Kelly. The superior version, featuring Christina Aguilera, still exists (as well as Gaga’s solo version), and you won’t be able to tell where Gaga ends and Xtina begins.
5. TELEPHONE
Stop callin’, stop callin’, I don’t wanna talk anymore; I left my head and my heart on the dance floor…
Lady Gaga and Beyoncé? If that sounds like it could be the pop crossover event of the century, it’s because it is. They’ve never performed it live together… the hooky, powerful chorus is already a tour de force in the recording— could we handle such a live duet without shattering the fabric of the universe?
4. VENUS
When you touch me, I die, just a little inside…
If there’s one song that achieves the vision of Artpop, it’s this extraordinarily ambitious interstellar tune. Just when you think the song has reached its peak in catchiness, Gaga surprises with yet another massively infectious chorus. Its insane harmonies are only amplified by strange lyrics (it’s about traveling to the planet of sex?). Additionally, it’s one song that was produced entirely by Lady Gaga— another flex to show us just how much the multi-hyphenate entertainer can excel at.
3. ABRACADABRA
Abra-ca-dabra, morta ooh ga-ga.
I won’t be going to the club anytime soon if they aren’t playing this on repeat. Gaga’s most recent single brings back the peculiarity of her previous dance anthems (like “Judas” and “Venus”), but now with a mystical, spellbinding twist. Its rhythmic setting and hook are incredibly catchy, with the signature theatricality we’ve come to expect from mother.
2. THE EDGE OF GLORY
I’m on the edge of glory, and I’m hangin’ on a moment with you…
The final track of Born This Way combines Gaga’s penchant for disco with an all-out arena rock sound. The result is this electric retro pop anthem, boasting some of Gaga’s best vocals, a powerful chorus, and a smooth-as-fuck saxophone solo from Clarence Clemons of the E Street Band. There’s not much I can say that can effectively describe how incredible this musical masterpiece is. It would be her best song, in my opinion, if not for…
1. BAD ROMANCE
I want your love, and I want your revenge, you and me could write a bad romance…
One of the biggest pop hits of ALL TIME, this is the song that turned Lady Gaga from a pop star into a global phenomenon. The electronic europop earworm cemented her status as a weirdo, unafraid to push boundaries both sonically and aesthetically. It’s the rare song that actually makes her impressive roster of previous songs seem weak in comparison. She’s a free bitch, baby.
With that, eh eh, there’s nothing else I can say. What do you think?