Lady Gaga's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Lady Gaga. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

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

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: MTV Video Music Awards

At the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga won eight awards from 13 nominations, including Video of the Year for "Bad Romance".

Loading Video...

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: Billboard's Artist of the Year

In 2010, Lady Gaga was named Billboard's Artist of the Year and subsequently appeared on its "Greatest of All Time Artists" chart.

2010: The Fame Monster Success

In 2010, The Fame Monster became the second best-selling album worldwide.

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.

February 2011: Release of "Born This Way"

In February 2011, Lady Gaga released "Born This Way", the lead single from her album of the same name, which quickly sold over a million copies and became the 1,000th number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100.

May 2011: End of The Monster Ball Tour

In May 2011, Lady Gaga's The Monster Ball Tour concluded, grossing $227.4 million and becoming the highest-grossing concert tour for a debut headlining artist.

2011: World's Highest-Paid Female Musician

According to Forbes, in 2011, Lady Gaga was the world's highest-paid female musician and the most powerful celebrity.

2011: Guinness World Record for Lady Gaga impersonators

In 2011, 121 women gathered at the Grammy Awards dressed in costumes similar to those worn by Lady Gaga, earning the Guinness World Record for Largest Gathering of Lady Gaga Impersonators.

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.

2012: Billboard's Top Moneymakers

In 2012, Lady Gaga placed fourth on Billboard's list of the top moneymakers of 2011, with earnings of $25 million, including sales from Born This Way and her Monster Ball Tour.

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: Ono gives Gaga the LennonOno Grant for Peace

In October 2012, Yoko Ono gave Lady Gaga and four other activists the LennonOno Grant for Peace in Reykjavík, Iceland. That year Gaga also joined the campaign group Artists Against Fracking and pledged to donate $1 million to the American Red Cross to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

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.

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.

February 2016: Super Bowl 50 and Grammy Tribute

In February 2016, Lady Gaga sang the US national anthem at Super Bowl 50, partnered with Intel and Nile Rodgers for a tribute to David Bowie at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, and sang "Til It Happens to You" at the 88th Academy Awards.

February 5, 2017: Super Bowl LI Halftime Show Performance

On February 5, 2017, Lady Gaga headlined the Super Bowl LI halftime show, attracting 117.5 million viewers and earning an Emmy nomination.

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

Loading Video...

2018: Leading role in A Star Is Born

In 2018, Lady Gaga gained praise for her leading role in the film A Star Is Born. Her contributions to the soundtrack, including the single "Shallow", led to her being the first woman to win an Academy, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Grammy Award in one year.

Loading Video...

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: Awards for A Star Is Born Soundtrack

In 2019, Lady Gaga became the first woman to win an Academy, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Grammy Award in one year for her contributions to the A Star Is Born soundtrack.

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.

2020: Success on the International Singles Chart

As of 2020, Lady Gaga had six singles ("Just Dance", "Poker Face", "Bad Romance", "Telephone", "Born This Way" and "Shallow") featured on the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's annual Top 10 Global Singles chart, marking the most entries by any female artist.

Loading Video...

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".

January 2021: Gaga receives Yolanda Denise King High Ground Award

In January 2021, Lady Gaga received the Yolanda Denise King High Ground Award from the King Center's Beloved Community Awards in recognition of her activism for the Black Lives Matter movement during the 2020 George Floyd protests.

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: People ranks Gaga as one of the Best Dressed Stars

In 2021, People ranked Lady Gaga number one on their "Best Dressed Stars" list, highlighting her high-fashion designs and accessories.

April 2023: Appointed co-chair of President's Committee

In April 2023, Lady Gaga was appointed as co-chair of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities by President Joe Biden.

2023: One of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time

In 2023, Rolling Stone included Lady Gaga among the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.

2024: Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century List

In 2024, Lady Gaga was placed fifth on Billboard's "Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century" list.

March 2025: Hosted Saturday Night Live and received Innovator Award

In March 2025, Lady Gaga hosted Saturday Night Live for a second time and was honored with the Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.

Loading Video...

2025: Financial Success in Concert Tours and Residencies

As of 2025, Lady Gaga has grossed over $879.6 million from concert tours and residencies with an attendance of 7.1 million. She is the fifth woman to surpass half a billion in reported earnings to Billboard Boxscore and won the Pollstar Award for Pop Touring Artist of the Decade for the 2010s.