I try to make the worst seem better

 

 

| 05 // Million Reasons // Joanne // 9.34

 

Opening the top 5 is the final song to feature from Joanne and Gaga's most stripped back, softest, tender single she's ever released. Million Reasons, like many of Gaga's releases didn't have the most structured release strategy. Initially a promo single, it took radios and audiences by storm and was soon later made an official single (instead of A-Yo lmao bye). A song that was born naturally through conversations Gaga had during the recording of the album and her reflecting on the men she's had in her life. It focuses on heartbreak and hope in a relationship, and is an overall positive message about how hope can prevail through faith. Nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance at the Grammys and charting top 10 in several countries, it put chart success back into Gaga's hands. This was helped primarily by a stunning performance at Gaga's Superbowl performance as she proves once again that she is strongest when belting out a passionate number. The music video continued on from the previous single's where she is rescued by her friends and shows a different meaning to the already personal song: friends and family can be saviours when all else crumbles around you. It's done incredibly well here, making a debut appearence in the top 5 and will surely go down in the future as a Gaga classic - one that does not compare musically to anything she has done before and for this reason it stands out as a lone gem among a field of chaos and amarchy. Sometimes, less is more.

There is certainly some passionate singing taking place here, especially through the "guarantee I'll be form/but I is not going to cease right up until that boy is mine"

Promise I'll be kind/ wont stop until that boy is mine yes??

I sort of think that Million Reasons will eventually become the track she'll be known for. It feels so timeless.

Promise I'll be kind/ wont stop until that boy is mine yes??

Listen again very carefully, it's definitely "guarantee I'll be form/but I is not going to cease right up until that boy is mine"

I sort of think that Million Reasons will eventually become the track she'll be known for. It feels so timeless.

 

Omg THIS!!

 

Listen again very carefully, it's definitely "guarantee I'll be form/but I is not going to cease right up until that boy is mine"

 

Oh so you're right!

 

Million Reasons is fantastic in every way, glad it's top 5

Just caught up! My favourite in the top 10 so far is 'Paparazzi' :wub: I remember watching the accompanying music video on YouTube when it first came out and being absolutely blown away by it, what a star *.* it's still one of her best visual experiences for me <3 wow at 'Million Reasons' being so high :o

 

A huge shame that 'Alejandro' JUST missed out on a top 10 place. It's in my holy trinity of Gaga songs. I'm hoping a certain part of that trio will be the winner.

The moon lights her way while she's howlin' at him

 

 

| 04 // Dance in the Dark // The Fame Monster // 9.34

The highest album track, non-single, and for me, the greatest song she or anyone else has ever done: Dance in the Dark is your #4! Appearing on Gaga's darkest project, the song is about loneliness, a fear of being on your own, but powering through this darkness and dancing on. It is centrally about a fear of oneself, be it in those intimate sexual experiences or more widely accepting who you are and owning it. Body confidence is another issue dealt with in the song and it seems to foreshadow many of the issues that Gaga would tackle throughout her career, most notably in the album that followed it. The song was initially planned to be released as the 3rd single, following Telephone (a song about wanting to be left alone) but after a dispute, Gaga got her own way and released Alejandro instead. Perhaps she knew that Born This Way was just around the corner and so didn't want to release something similar, both musically and lyrically? Or perhaps she wanted the song to remain a hidden gem for her fans, due to its personal, heart-felt message that only a select few would truly understand. Either way, it consistently ranks very highly for many Gaga fans, as has been proven here and once again is crowned as her best song, to not be released as a single across the world. She explores these issues by initially citing people in history whose lives have ended tragically - and to further this message, the song was performed at the 2010 BRIT Awards, where Gaga dedicated it to Alexander McQueen, who had committed suicide a few days earlier. It was nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 53rd Grammy Awards and continues to invigorate, excite, inspire and move her fans. THE BEST EVER.

DITD is just wow

 

Shame she hasn't included it in her tours in years.

"Dance in the Dark" only clicked with me last year when she included a clip of it in her Super Bowl medley. It's not hard to see why it's consistently the highest ranked album track, it's such a musical journey from start to finish.

 

If the three songs left are what I think they are then this is a GREAT top three :wub:

Yass at Million Reasons so high!!

 

Dance in the Dark is eh

I'll get him hot, show him what I've got

 

 

| 03 // Poker Face // The Fame // 9.41

Taking the bronze award, it's one of Gaga's biggest hits and the song that cemented her status as hitmaker and not a one-hit wonder. Featuring a barrage of sexual innuendo, Poker Face explores bisexuality and being able to bluff when having sex with a partner (even as far as gender preference). It's a totally banging dance hit and manic in every single way. The best-selling single of 2009 worldwide, and one of the best selling singles of all time it was inescapable for a good two years as it captivated people everywhere. The music video shows Gaga playing strip poker, and being adorned by lusters around her - casual Saturday evening for her. It was nominated for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the 52nd Grammy Awards, and won the Award for Best Dance Recording. While some consider the song to now be fairly dated, it always packs a punch whenever I hear it and takes me right back to when the song was on top. An iconic moment of pop history and one that without, we wouldn't have the sexually liberated, kooky, zany Lady we have today.

Yasss what a classic! One of my faves, I guess everyone's

the limit's where we know we both belong tonight

 

 

| 02 // The Edge of Glory // Born This Way // 9.52

Following the huge hype from lead single BTW, and follow up that underwhelmed the charts, Judas, pressure was on for the third single. A song that starts with a heartbeat, and ends with a flatline - it tells of the journey from life to death. The Edge of Glory is a stupendously celebratory song; it celebrates life in all of its glory and focuses on passion, living for the moment and hanging onto every positive moment you experience. Featuring airy, breathy vocals that explode with colour, it is unique in her back-catalogue and still sounds sublimely fresh today. It's no wonder it has beaten some of her most ferocious and in your face songs, because it stands up against all of those and beats them down through sheer bliss and ecstasy. Initially released as a promo single, the hugely warm response meant it eventually went on to become the official third single. The music video was the most tame she'd released up until that point, but many fans have read into its meaning and have grown to appreciate its simplicity. There were several complications in the build up to its release and so some scenes were cut and later edited into the video for You and I! It's a song that speaks to many, should be performed at stadiums until she stops touring and will forever fill fans and casual listeners with a sense of belonging and excitement for life. There's a reason the song closes the Born This Way album, this is your life.

I want your everything

 

 

| 01 // Bad Romance // The Fame Monster // 9.76

Was there ever going to be any other winner? The #2 song actually put up a decent fight, but once again you have named Bad Romance as your favourite Gaga song. The most monstrous song in her discography, the one that united fans as a species of oddities, outcasts and rejects - but people who shared one commonality - a LOVE of this oddness and an appreciation that sometimes even the best things in life were absurd, twisted, dark and... bad. Is there a more iconic song intro? A more daring chorus? A more ICONIC music video? At a point in her career where all eyes were on her every move, Gaga decided to appear at her most grotesque and extreme and we ate it up. In its most simple terms, its about falling in love with the wrong type of people, but it subverts this and shows a love of these wrong-doings. Winning two Grammy Awards for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Short Form Music Video and becoming one of the biggest selling songs of all time, she cemented herself as an icon of pop. The music video went on to be nominated for 10 VMAs, winning 7 of them and has since gone on to be named the greatest music video of the decade by Billboard. Truly a masterpiece in pop, redefining the culture of music videos and what it meant to be a popstar, Gaga changed the game with this song and made it cool to be weird, and incredible to be a monster. A song that changed the musical landscape and still continues to ignite a spark in the hearts of pop music fans worldwide. She burnt the rule book, rewrote it and did it all in killer heels. Your #1 ~

What a tremendous Top 3 *.* It just had to be Bad Romance at #1 - iconic in every way. The Edge of Glory really is glorious, truly one of her finest moments. And while I loved Just Dance, it was Poker Face that really cemented my decision to stan her.. To think it will turn 10 years old this month... :cry:

 

Thanks so much for hosting this Bal, I've really enjoyed reading your passionate commentary throughout. :wub: Slay opa xx

YAS at Million Reasons so high, I'm not sure it'd quite be in my top 5 but I agree it could be one of her most remembered in decades to come. It's a real turning point for her and embodies everything about why she's such an artist and a bloody good vocalist, the fact that alongside huge pop classics like Poker Face and Bad Romance, she can endure with a country ballad that just relies on her voice.

 

I always underrate TEOG tbh, I would have given it a 10 had it been unlimited and tbh it deserved a 10 over some of the things I did give 10 to (although it needed it less). I used to find it a bit overrated which is ridiculous really, it's imbued with the power of a whole life and all of its experience and is just so joyous and euphoric in a way that none of her other songs are :wub: Bad Romance is of course THAT song though, it'll be nearly impossible to top such a quintessentially Gaga song for all its iconic quirks and brazen perfection, a true 11/10 song!

 

Thanks for this Bal, sorry I didn't comment too much I'm terrible at keeping up with rate results and stuff but I've enjoyed reading through it all! <3

I love TEOG, I just don't think it's WORTH top 2 but great anyways. BR is obviously a worthy winner, amazing track

 

Thanks for doing this Bal!!

PERFECT TOP THREE!!

 

That is the exact order I would have put the songs in!

 

Edge of Glory should have been the second single. It would be a classic now. ScheiBe third. Marry The Night could have closed out the era.