Words and Fan Art by Iute De Picioare
Published on 23 March 2025

A Devoted Fan’s Definitive
Album Countdown

From synth bangers to religious experiences, La Germanotta’s entire empire RANKED!

Spoiler Alert, MAYHEM Misses the Crown

“Abracadabra, amor-oo-na-na…” Someone get a stretcher. Gaga’s seventh (tenth if you like jazz) album just dropped and it’s called Mayhem. She’s yelling. There’s synth. You get the idea. We needed someone with stamina and perseverance to break it all down so we summoned Iute De Picioare—ex-“Romanian GaGa” fan-forum overlord and former teengay-in-distress—to rank every album she’s ever made. Yes, all of them.

That boy was me. Gaga was an oasis for my gay teenage self, navigating me through a very tumultuous period in my life. While my classmates were inhaling Axe body spray and talking about which girls they wanted to finger, I decorated every wall in my room with posters of Gaga. I hunted down every scrap of Gaga merch I could find (not easy in early 2010s Romania). By 16, I ran the first Romanian Gaga fan forum, which brought together hundreds of fans from across the country and gave me friendships that are still flourishing today.

With every new album rollout, I’ve found myself in a different stage of life, fighting a different battle, always with Gaga as the soundtrack. Here is my ranking of Gaga albums from best to bestest, because in the Gagaverse there are no bad apples.

gaga, ranked.

10. LOVE FOR SALE (2021)

On this album, Gaga and Tony take us through Cole Porter’s works. It’s a classic jazz album with undeniable chemistry between them. I put this album last (somebody had to be last) because while it’s good, it’s just… good. Gaga is a jazz powerhouse, but I live for the times she goes outside her comfort zone and experiments – those moments when she really SHINES! Here, she’s just beautifully behaving herself, and where’s the fun in that?

9. CHEEK TO CHEEK (2014)

Another jazz masterpiece, but this one ranks higher because you can hear Gaga’s hunger in every note. She took a bite of every song and left no crumbs, house down boots (I’m sorry!). The live recordings take it to another level – Gaga’s rendition of Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang Bang” is immaculate. But still, if I wanted straight jazz, I’d go to a jazz club.

8. HARLEQUIN (2024)

The only reason this album isn’t ranked even lower is because of “Happy Mistake” and that absolutely cunty Louvre ad. Now, do not throw tomatoes at me for this, but I loved (liked?) Joker 2. So when those Times Square billboards announced LG 6.5 – Harlequin, I lost my mind. For those next couple of months, bitch, the Joker was me!
And yet… it didn’t fully hit. Maybe it was the box-office bomb distracting from the music, idk.

7. JOANNE (2016)

This one is a fan favourite everyone loves to hate. And I get it, I was on that bandwagon for a second. One minute you’re laughing at the cowboy hat, the next you’re screaming “WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOIN!!??“ with mascara running down your cheeks. Joanne gets better with every listen, every year. The country-vibe had people rioting (fuck those people, Gaga singing in dive bars throughout America was such a mood). Everyone was so busy being mad about the yeehaw era, they missed all the other amazing things – her Joanne Ball visuals, THE JOHN FUCKING WAYNE MUSIC VIDEO!!
P.S: “Just Another Day” will forever have my heart. That song is so beautiful.

6. CHROMATICA (2020)

I really hope that “Stupid Love” pink plastic outfit isn’t in Gaga’s outfit museum/warehouse – it doesn’t deserve to be near the rest of this era’s fashion.
That aside, this is SUCH A GOOD DANCE ALBUM! Top to bottom bangers. Yes, even “Stupid Love” (which I love to hate) – you bet your ass I’m doing those silly twisty hand moves. “Freak out, freak out, freak out, freak out (look at me)!!!”
The girls who get it, get it: “Plastic Doll” supremacy! Special mention: the Dawn of Chromatica remix album, which united the best of the Hyperpop genre and delivered top tier remixes on what feels like a completely new record. Also, RIP the “Rain-On-Me” cinematic interlude that never existed. 🙁🪦🥀

5. THE FAME (2008)

Remember that 15yo gay boy from Romania obsessed with the “Paparazzi” snippet? Now he’s 16. It’s Sunday, September 13th 2009, 3 AM, and he is watching a livestream of the VMAs. There she goes: Lady Gaga on the red carpet with her date, Kermit the frog. Everything is so CAMP and his gay little eyes sparkle with excitement.
Two hours later, there is Gaga bleeding from the ceiling and my life has never been the same. I did not sleep at all that night – I couldn’t process the transformation I’d just gone through. And I had nobody to talk to about it. That was the moment I started building a fan community in Romania.
The album? MASTERPIECE. Glossy pop, but dirty, nasty and full of cocaine residue. “Just Dance,” “LoveGame”, “Paparazzi“, “Poker Face” – cultural reset after cultural reset. Gaga really makes fame a character on this album and then makes it her bitch. You desire it, then you despise it. You crave and then you purge. Fame has never looked so bad (by looking so good).

4. THE FAME MONSTER (2009)

Basically The Fame‘s darker, sexier afterparty. The Fame Monster pushed Gaga into writing about her fears and the monsters she encountered – but this time wearing an iced-out Bvlgari necklace and whispering something indecent in your ear.
Just like it’s predecessor, this album feels like looking into the gorgeous eyes of your worst nightmare, but more aggressive. Gaga meets European horror films, meets disco, meets clinical-grade pop production. “Bad Romance”, “Alejandro”, “Telephone” It’s about sex, love, death, addiction, loneliness – a spectrum of emotions that are part of being human.
Nothing will beat The Monster Ball, ever. Nick Knight and Lady Gaga are at their best when working together – the results speak for themselves.

3. MAYHEM (2025)

Just like The Fame, this album has one of the strongest 4-track-starters of all time. “Disease”, “Abracadabra”, “Garden Of Eden”, “Perfect Celebrity”— already iconic.
Mayhem is Gaga at her peak and I submit like a good boy. Everything on it is masterfully done, even the parts that are supposed to sound like a throwback to dirty-era early Gaga.
It’s been 17 years since I first discovered Mother Monster, half my life, give or take. Now I’m listening to her in complete awe, marveling at what her voice has become. “Killah,” “Zombieboy,” and “Shadow of a Man” are clear hits alongside that 4-track opening. You’re transported forward and backwards in time with the choices she makes – these songs are timeless, they’ll always make you move and groove.
“LoveDrug” (sneakily teased during her Harlequin era) is a surprise banger. “Don’t Call Tonight” shows her versatility, and we do love that in here.
The downside? “Die With a Smile“—that’s a hill I’ll happily die on. “Can’t Stop the High” (one of 2 tracks only available on exclusive vinyl variants) was clearly a better ending. But I trust that Mother knows best. She was right before.

Why only Bronze for Mayhem? Well, read on.

2. BORN THIS WAY (2011)

I always felt stupid when telling people that Born This Way made me comfortable to come out to myself. It dragged me out of the closet and into my actual life, so this album holds a special place in my heart.
The Born This Way Ball was the first time I saw Gaga live in concert. It was also the first time I met all the friends from the fan community I was running. We laughed, we cried, we screamed the lyrics. We had the full superfan experience, which culminated with us waiting in front of her hotel for 10 seconds of her time and a squiggly line autograph on our CDs.
This whole album was revolutionary. For myself and for so many other gay boys. This album and the whole era freed me and allowed me to wear my queer badge honourably. Born This Way made me laugh, dance, cry, it made me a bad boy, a sexy confident motherfucker, it made me whole.

1. ARTPOP (2013)

“Applause”, please. We have a winner!
Just like on Mayhem, ARTPOP is Gaga riding through chaos. But this time, she’s on top of the car, it’s going 100km/h, and there is no driver. It’s reckless, it’s misunderstood, it’s genius.
This album (and era) tops this list for a reason. It was Gaga against the world, against her management, against the critics, against a part of her fanbase. But she trusted her fucking intuition and now we have #JusticeForArtpop trending online.

Gaga is at her best when she’s being swallowed whole by her own ambition. The feeling that something could go off the rails at any moment is what makes ARTPOP her greatest work.
Back in 2011 Born This Way grabbed us by the hair, made us look in the mirror, and preached self-love until we choked on it. It was anthemic, and it was paws-up wonderful. 14 years later Mayhem is a victory lap (big synths, big choruses, big freak energy) with a steady hand. But ARTPOP wins. ARTPOP was fearless, pure genius, out of control.

Critics loved moaning over how it “over-promised” its own brilliance, but isn’t that the point? Pop is supposed to be excess. Art is supposed to be excess. Culture is excess. In my opinion Gaga totally over-delivered. This album is a masterpiece of self-exploration and fighting demons with art. It’s heavy and hard-hitting. It’s meant to kinda make you upset. And that’s why it’s the greatest.
It failed in 2013. #JusticeForArtpop in 2025.

Love you Mother Monster,
Your devoted Slav-Monster,
I.D.P (Alex)

Words and Fan Art by Iute De Picioare
Published on 23 March 2025

A Devoted Fan’s Definitive
Album Countdown

From synth bangers to religious experiences, La Germanotta’s entire empire RANKED!

Spoiler Alert, MAYHEM Misses the Crown

gaga, ranked.

10. LOVE FOR SALE (2021)

On this album, Gaga and Tony take us through Cole Porter’s works. It’s a classic jazz album with undeniable chemistry between them. I put this album last (somebody had to be last) because while it’s good, it’s just… good. Gaga is a jazz powerhouse, but I live for the times she goes outside her comfort zone and experiments – those moments when she really SHINES! Here, she’s just beautifully behaving herself, and where’s the fun in that?

9. CHEEK TO CHEEK (2014)

Another jazz masterpiece, but this one ranks higher because you can hear Gaga’s hunger in every note. She took a bite of every song and left no crumbs, house down boots (I’m sorry!). The live recordings take it to another level – Gaga’s rendition of Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang Bang” is immaculate. But still, if I wanted straight jazz, I’d go to a jazz club.

8. HARLEQUIN (2024)

The only reason this album isn’t ranked even lower is because of “Happy Mistake” and that absolutely cunty Louvre ad. Now, do not throw tomatoes at me for this, but I loved (liked?) Joker 2. So when those Times Square billboards announced LG 6.5 – Harlequin, I lost my mind. For those next couple of months, bitch, the Joker was me!
And yet… it didn’t fully hit. Maybe it was the box-office bomb distracting from the music, idk.

7. JOANNE (2016)

This one is a fan favourite everyone loves to hate. And I get it, I was on that bandwagon for a second. One minute you’re laughing at the cowboy hat, the next you’re screaming “WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOIN!!??“ with mascara running down your cheeks. Joanne gets better with every listen, every year. The country-vibe had people rioting (fuck those people, Gaga singing in dive bars throughout America was such a mood). Everyone was so busy being mad about the yeehaw era, they missed all the other amazing things – her Joanne Ball visuals, THE JOHN FUCKING WAYNE MUSIC VIDEO!!
P.S: “Just Another Day” will forever have my heart. That song is so beautiful.

6. CHROMATICA (2020)

I really hope that “Stupid Love” pink plastic outfit isn’t in Gaga’s outfit museum/warehouse – it doesn’t deserve to be near the rest of this era’s fashion.
That aside, this is SUCH A GOOD DANCE ALBUM! Top to bottom bangers. Yes, even “Stupid Love” (which I love to hate) – you bet your ass I’m doing those silly twisty hand moves. “Freak out, freak out, freak out, freak out (look at me)!!!”
The girls who get it, get it: “Plastic Doll” supremacy! Special mention: the Dawn of Chromatica remix album, which united the best of the Hyperpop genre and delivered top tier remixes on what feels like a completely new record. Also, RIP the “Rain-On-Me” cinematic interlude that never existed. 🙁🪦🥀

5. THE FAME (2008)

Remember that 15yo gay boy from Romania obsessed with the “Paparazzi” snippet? Now he’s 16. It’s Sunday, September 13th 2009, 3 AM, and he is watching a livestream of the VMAs. There she goes: Lady Gaga on the red carpet with her date, Kermit the frog. Everything is so CAMP and his gay little eyes sparkle with excitement.
Two hours later, there is Gaga bleeding from the ceiling and my life has never been the same. I did not sleep at all that night – I couldn’t process the transformation I’d just gone through. And I had nobody to talk to about it. That was the moment I started building a fan community in Romania.
The album? MASTERPIECE. Glossy pop, but dirty, nasty and full of cocaine residue. “Just Dance,” “LoveGame”, “Paparazzi“, “Poker Face” – cultural reset after cultural reset. Gaga really makes fame a character on this album and then makes it her bitch. You desire it, then you despise it. You crave and then you purge. Fame has never looked so bad (by looking so good).