Top 10 Underrated Lady Gaga Songs
These Lady Gaga songs don't get enough appreciation! For this list, we're looking at notable songs recorded and released by Lady Gaga which we not released as traditional singles or given standalone music videos. We've included songs from her albums “Born this Way”, “Joanne, “ArtPop” and “The Fame Monster”!
#10: “Diamond Heart”
Joanne (2016)
Izzo Blues Coalition The Messiah Will Come Again Shine On You Crazy Diamond Intro
For much of her career up to now, Gaga commanded attention with her larger-than-life persona and over-the-top sense of style. With the release of Joanne however, she simplified both her look and her sound, embracing elements of country, folk and rock for this personal album. It spawned three singles, “Perfect Illusion”, “Million Reasons” and “Joanne”. Due to the nature of the record however, each song feels worthy of attention, with “Diamond Heart” in particular being a standout . The opening track of the album this song says loud and clear “this is Lady Gaga like you’ve never heard her before.”
#9: “Highway Unicorn (Road To Love)”
Born This Way (2011)
On “Born This Way”, Gaga expanded her sound, continuing with the dance and synthpop elements that made her an international star, while incorporating more elements of both arena rock and techno. This oft-overlooked track draws on both of these influences, blending them together in unique and unexpected ways. The song is rooted in a driving industrial techno type beat, but features a large anthemic chorus that, with a different drum track, would be at home in any epic ‘80s rock jam. The sort of song you could lose yourself dancing to, it’s a fan favorite for good reason.
#8: “Paper Gangsta”
The Fame (2008)
SeeMoreGlass - Roaring Paper Spring (Official Music Video)
With her debut album, “The Fame”, Lady Gaga introduced herself as a musical force to be reckoned with. The record spawned five singles, including the massive hits “Just Dance” and “Poker Face”. But what was perhaps most remarkable about “The Fame” was the sheer variety of the songs Gaga offered up. Almost every track feels like a potential single from a different sub-category of dance pop. Against steep competition, “Paper Gangsta,” Gaga’s bold shot at ex-label Island Def Jam, stands out thanks to a piano line that grabs you from its very first repetition, and a chorus that’ll stay stuck in your head for days.
#7: “Dance in the Dark”
The Fame Monster (2009)
Unseen Lady Gaga 2008 Footage - 'Just Dance', 'Love Game'
While the world was still reeling from “The Fame”, Gaga followed through with this knockout punch just one year later. An extended edition or EP depending on the territory in which it was released, “The Fame Monster” produced such singles as “Telephone,” “Alejandro” and the colossal “Bad Romance”, but spread among them were many other great songs to solidify Gaga’s position in pop royalty. “Dance in the Dark” is an infectious up-tempo track with the sort of emotional chorus that you can’t help but sing along to . It was intended as a single, but only wound up being treated as such in Australia, New Zealand and France. Too bad, because it’s clearly single quality.
#6: “Bad Kids”
Born This Way (2011)
Songs You Didn't Know Were Written By Lady Gaga
Unless you’re one of her Little Monsters, there’s a chance that you never even heard this track from “Born This Way”. And you’ve definitely been missing out. An ode to her fans, inspired by their stories of alienation, it’s a driving feel good loner anthem, with the sort of throwback ‘80s dance pop chorus that you would have expected from pop queen Madonna in her heyday. It’s the little gems crafted specifically for her fans like this that make Gaga such a magnetic figure. Listening to the track, you can understand how it would make someone feel a little less lonely even if they’re dancing by themselves in their bedroom.
#5: “Dope”
ArtPop (2013)
For some, Gaga’s third studio album is a criminally underrated piece of musical art. For others, it was a significant commercial misstep, while for a third segment of the population, it’s a release that didn’t even register. As many critics pointed out, the album was artistically ambitious, but at the expense of radio-friendly singles. It felt designed for fans, but not built for making new ones. Of course, that means that it’s chock full of great, underrated songs - “Dope” being one of them. A gut-wrenchingly emotional track about isolation, dependence and regret, it’s deeply powerful.
#4: “Monster”
The Fame Monster (2009)
Innersleeve # 23 Monster Magnet | L.A. Rats | Billboard Music Awards 2021
First comes the fame, then comes the monster. Another underappreciated track off of Gaga’s 2009 release, “Monster” has a real eurodance vibe to it, and employs that same stuttering delivery that stood out on “Poker Face”. In keeping with her style up to this point, it’s an extremely danceable song with darker dramatic elements to it. Don’t take any of these comparisons to her previous works as a criticism though - Monster is much more than a rehash of what she had already done. It’s another strong musical offering from an artist with a clear sense of vision and identity. It’s a testament to the quality of this album that such a song was sidelined.
#3: "Venus”
ArtPop (2013)
As we’ve said, Gaga’s underrated “Artpop” is brimming with music just waiting to be discovered. SB [ “Venus”, a unique, creative and epic-sounding song, was actually intended as the album’s second single, but was apparently put aside in favor of “Do What U Want” after the duet with R. Kelly began gaining traction. Considering R. Kelly’s legacy and the song’s lyrics, in hindsight, the choice feels very out-of-sync with Gaga’s image and politics. The decision feels even more ill-conceived when you consider just how great and distinct “Venus” is. A portion of it was featured in Gaga’s ArtPop film, but it’s lost in the noise - and this track stands on its own.
#2: “Grigio Girls”
Joanne (2016)
This heartfelt tune is pure girl power - from the Spice Girls reference to the group sing-along chorus that closes out the track. It’s the sort of song you’d want to use as the soundtrack when assembling a montage to commemorate a trip you took with your girlfriends. Like a glass of pinot grigio, it goes down smooth and leaves you with a sense of warmth in your chest. It might not be a single… but for people who listen to albums in their entirety, “Grigio Girls” is an undeniable standout. Whether you’re missing a friend or just feeling emotional at the end of a girl’s night, this is the song you need.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
“Sheiße”
Born This Way (2011)
“Americano”
Born This Way (2011)
“Teeth”
The Fame Monster (2009)
#1: “Speechless”
The Fame Monster (2009)
Top 10 Live Music Performances That Left Us Speechless
Seriously, Gaga’s 2009 follow-up to The Fame was just one single-worthy song after another, and this track, for lack of a better word, will leave you “Speechless”. Gaga herself once stated that she thought this was the best song she ever wrote. An appeal to her father to get the open-heart surgery he so desperately needed at the time, “Speechless” is dripping with genuine emotion. Though first and foremost a power rock ballad, this was one of Gaga’s first songs to borrow elements from country music, which would feature prominently, years later, on “Joanne”. Though critics were divided on the song, among fans “Speechless” is considered a true Gaga classic.
