Lasting Legacy of Lady Gaga: A Look at the Influence on History

A closer look at the lasting mark left by Lady Gaga—a timeline of influence.

Lady Gaga, born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, is a highly influential American singer, songwriter, and actress. Renowned for her image reinventions and versatility, she has achieved immense success in the music industry, selling an estimated 124 million records, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She has been recognized by publications like Billboard and Rolling Stone as one of the greatest artists in history.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Legacy & Impact

1937: Original film "A Star Is Born" release

The original film "A Star Is Born" was released in 1937, which the 2018 film starring Lady Gaga is a remake of.

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2009: Greatest Pop Star of 2009

According to Billboard, Lady Gaga was named "the Greatest Pop Star of 2009", due to her one-year rise from rookie to MVP that was game-changing, thanks to her voracious appetite for reinvention.

2010: University of Virginia College of Arts and Sciences course titled 'GaGa for Gaga: Sex, Gender, and Identity'

During its Fall 2010 semester, the University of Virginia College of Arts and Sciences introduced a writing course titled "GaGa for Gaga: Sex, Gender, and Identity" which explored "how identity is challenged by gender and sexuality and how Lady Gaga confronts this challenge".

2010: Forbes' Celebrity 100 Inclusion

In 2010, Lady Gaga was included in Forbes' Celebrity 100 list, a recognition she maintained until 2015 and again from 2018 to 2020. She was also included on Forbes' list of the World's Most Powerful Women from 2010 to 2014.

2010: One of Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2010, Time named Lady Gaga one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

2011: Most Followed Person on Twitter

From 2011 to 2013, Lady Gaga was the most followed person on Twitter, according to Guinness World Records.

2011: "Lady Gaga Day" in Taichung, Taiwan

In 2011, July 3 is designated as "Lady Gaga Day" in Taichung, Taiwan, marking the first day Lady Gaga visited the country.

2011: Named 'Queen of Pop' by Rolling Stone

In 2011, Lady Gaga was named the "Queen of Pop" in a ranking by Rolling Stone based on record sales and social media metrics.

2011: University of South Carolina course titled 'Lady Gaga and the Sociology of the Fame'

In early 2011, sociologist Mathieu Deflem of the University of South Carolina launched a course titled "Lady Gaga and the Sociology of the Fame" with the objective of unraveling "some of the sociologically relevant dimensions of the fame of Lady Gaga".

2012: Ranked Fourth in VH1's Greatest Women in Music

In 2012, Lady Gaga ranked fourth in VH1's Greatest Women in Music and was featured in the exhibition 'The Elevated. From the Pharaoh to Lady Gaga' at the National Museum in Warsaw.

2012: Meat dress displayed at museum

In 2012, Lady Gaga's meat dress was displayed at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

2013: The Fame Listed as One of the 100 Greatest Debut Albums of All-Time

In 2013, Lady Gaga has been credited as one of the musicians that popularized synth-pop in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Rolling Stone listed The Fame as one of the 100 Greatest Debut Albums of All-Time.

2013: Most Famous Celebrity

In 2013, according to Guinness World Records, Lady Gaga was recognized as the most famous celebrity.

2014: Most Powerful Popstar

Guinness World Records recognized Lady Gaga as the most powerful popstar in 2014.

September 2015: Meat dress enters the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

In September 2015, Lady Gaga's meat dress entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

2015: Forbes' Celebrity 100 Inclusion

In 2015, Lady Gaga was included in Forbes' Celebrity 100 list, a recognition she received from 2010 to 2015 and again from 2018 to 2020.

2015: Time notes that Gaga invented the current era of pop music as spectacle

In 2015, Time noted that Lady Gaga had practically invented the current era of pop music as spectacle".

2017: "Bad Romance", "Alejandro", and "Poker Face" Ranked as Catchiest Tracks

In 2017, "Bad Romance", "Alejandro", and "Poker Face" ranked number one, eight, and nine, respectively as part of a journal published by Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts that studying structural patterns in melodies of earworm songs compiled lists of catchiest tracks from 3,000 participants

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2018: Forbes' Celebrity 100 Inclusion

In 2018, Lady Gaga was included in Forbes' Celebrity 100 list, a recognition she received from 2010 to 2015 and again from 2018 to 2020.

2018: Second Most Influential Female Artist of the 21st Century

In 2018, NPR wrote Lady Gaga was the second most influential female artist of the 21st century, calling her "one of the first big artists of the 'Internet age'".

2019: Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People

In 2019, Lady Gaga was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. She also ranked second in its most influential people of the past ten years readers' poll in 2013.

2019: Release of Joker

In 2019, the film Joker was released.

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October 2020: Estimated Net Worth by Forbes

In October 2020, Forbes estimated Lady Gaga's net worth at $150 million.

2020: Billboard ranks Lady Gaga as a top music video artist

In 2020, Billboard ranked Lady Gaga sixth on its list of "The 100 Greatest Music Video Artists of All Time", stating that her name will forever be synonymous with culture-shifting music videos.

2020: Forbes' Celebrity 100 Inclusion

In 2020, Lady Gaga was included in Forbes' Celebrity 100 list, a recognition she received from 2010 to 2015 and again from 2018 to 2020.

2020: "Born This Way" Listed in "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"

In 2020, Rolling Stone listed the album "Born This Way" among "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

May 2021: "Born This Way Day" in West Hollywood

In May 2021, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Born This Way and its cultural impact, West Hollywood mayor, Lindsey P. Horvath, presented Gaga with a key to the city and declared May 23 as "Born This Way Day".

2021: "Bad Romance" on Rolling Stone's Lists

In 2021, Rolling Stone featured "Bad Romance" and its music video on their respective lists of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" and "100 Greatest Music Videos of All Time".

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