The Fame is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriterLady Gaga. It was released on August 19, 2008, byInterscope Records. After joiningKonLive Distribution andCherrytree Records in 2008, Gaga began working on the album with different producers, primarilyRedOne,Martin Kierszenbaum, andRob Fusari. Musically,The Fame is anelectropop,synth-pop, anddance-pop record that displays influences from1980s music. Lyrically, it visualizes Gaga's love of fame in general, while also dealing with subjects such as love, sex, money, drugs, and sexual identity. The album was primarily promoted throughThe Fame Ball Tour and multiple television appearances, and was reissued as a deluxe edition withThe Fame Monster on November 18, 2009.
The first two singles off the album, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face", gained international success, topping the charts in several countries worldwide including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The subsequent singles, "LoveGame" and "Paparazzi", were commercial successes as well, charting within the top-ten of over ten countries worldwide. "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" had a limited single release in Australia, New Zealand, and select European countries, where it became a modest success, while "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" served aspromotional single. The title track and "Starstruck" (featuringSpace Cowboy andFlo Rida) would also chart.
The album received generally favorable reviews from critics, who commended its lyrical content, Gaga's musicianship, and vocal ability. It charted at number one in Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Scotland, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In the United States,The Fame topped theDance/Electronic Albums chart for 193 non-consecutive weeks, the most time on top in history. It has been certified diamond in France and multi-platinum in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.The Fame became the fifth best-selling album of 2009, and has sold over 4.9 million copies in the United States as of January 2019. Combined withThe Fame Monster, the album had sold over 18 million copies worldwide as of August 2019, making itone of the best-selling albums of the 21st century.
RedOne (pictured in 2017) produced a large portion ofThe Fame.
While establishing herself as an artist and working her way up through the New Yorkunderground club scene,Lady Gaga released her debut studio album,The Fame.[2] Speaking about the title and concept of the album, Gaga explained: "The Fame is about how anyone can feel famous. ...Pop culture is art. It doesn't make you cool to hate pop culture, so I embraced it and you hear it all overThe Fame. But, it's a sharable fame. I want to invite you all to the party. I want people to feel a part of this lifestyle."[3] Gaga stated in an interview withMTV UK that she had been working on the album for two and a half years and completed half of it during the first week of January 2008.[4] As well as writing the lyrics, Gaga worked on the melodies and synth work of the album, with record producerRedOne.[3] According to Gaga, the first track "Just Dance" is a joyous, heart-themed song, which appeals to people going through tough times in their life.[5] "LoveGame", the second track, was inspired by Gaga's sexual attraction on a stranger in a night club to whom she said, "I wanna ride on your disco stick". It was written in four minutes based on the disco stickhook.[6] "Paparazzi" has been interpreted with different meanings. However Gaga explained in an interview withAbout.com, that the song was inspired by her struggles and hunger for fame and love. Essentially a love song, "Paparazzi" dealt with enticing the media and asked the question, whether one can have both fame and love.[7]
"Poker Face" was inspired by Gaga's boyfriends who enjoyed gambling, and also dealt with her personal experience ofbisexuality; her fantasies about women while having sex with men, thus representing her 'poker face'."[8][9] "Boys Boys Boys" was inspired by the similarly titledMötley Crüe song "Girls, Girls, Girls". Gaga explained that she wanted a female version of the song that rockers would like too.[3] "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" summed up her time of self-discovery, living on theLower East Side and dabbling in drugs and the party scene.[3] "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" was about breaking up with a boyfriend and finding someone new.[3] "Brown Eyes" was inspired by the British rock bandQueen and, according to Gaga, is the most vulnerable song on the album.[3]
Gaga further clarified the ideas behindThe Fame, and her inspirations and visions for the album. She believed that the most important thing missing from pop music at the time was the combination of the visual imagery of the artist with the music. Gaga incorporated theatrics in her live performances of the songs from the album. Hence she hoped that people would take notice of the performance art, which she was trying to bring back with the album and its music; according to her, the music put the lifestyle in front of it.[10]
"I just feel like this record is really different- you[']ve got club bangers to more70s glam to more singer-songwriter records to rock music. ...The Fame is not about who you are—it's about how everybody wants to know who you are! Buy it and listen to it before you go out or in the car. ... I think you've really got to allow artists' creativity to marinate. It took me a while but really delving into myself I finally got it. I couldn't be more proud of it. It's not just a record[,] it's a wholepop art movement[.] It's not just about one song."[4]
Lady Gaga performing "Paparazzi" onThe Fame Ball Tour. The song talks about the desire of capturing attention.
Musically, the album combineselectropop,[11]synth-pop,[12] anddance-pop,[13] while drawing influences from1980s music.[14][15] Songs like "Poker Face", "Just Dance" and "LoveGame" are uptempo dance songs, with "Poker Face" carrying adark sound with clear vocals on thechorus and a pop hook.[16] "Just Dance" issynth-based while "LoveGame" has a more dance-oriented beat, and "Money Honey" has a moderatetechno groove.[17] All of them combine synths of clipped marching beats, sawingelectronics and contained mildR&B-infused beats.[18] "Paparazzi" carries a sultry beat while "Summerboy" had influences of the music ofBlondie.[19] Both "Starstruck" and "Paper Gangsta" featureauto-tuned vocals by Gaga. The former is a bass-heavyR&B track, while the latter iship-hop, showcasing Gaga blending half-rap and half-sung verses.[20][21] Title track "The Fame" showcases guitar riffs reminiscent ofDavid Bowie's style.[21] "Disco Heaven" is "disco pastiche", "Again Again" is "bluesy piano-rock", while "Retro, Dance, Freak" is aPrince-inspired track.[20] "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" is a slower tempo,[13]bubblegum-pop track[20] with a 1980s synth-pop feel to it.[19] "Brown Eyes" is a piano ballad, that was compared to music by Bowie andQueen.[20][21]
Lyrically, many of the songs onThe Fame talk about being famous and achieving popularity. The title track has been described as a "tongue-in-cheek ode to hedonism",[20] and "a mission statement and declaration of self for early Gaga".[21] "LoveGame" portrays a message about love, fame and sexuality. "Paparazzi" portrays a stalker who is following somebody being their biggest fan.[22] The lyrics also portray the desire of capturing the attention of the camera as well as achieving fame.[23] Gaga explained that,
"This idea ofThe Fame runs through and through. Basically, if you have nothing—no money, no fame—you can still feel beautiful and dirty rich. It's about making choices, and having references—things you pull from your life that you believe in. It's about self-discovery and being creative. The record is slightly focused, but it's also eclectic. ... The music is intended to inspire people to feel a certain way about themselves, so they'll be able to encompass, in their own lives, a sense of inner fame that they can project to the world, and the carefree nature of the album is a reflection of thataura. I like to funnel interesting ideas to the rest of the world through a pop lens."[10]
"Just Dance" talks about being intoxicated in a party, with lyrics like "What's going on on the floor? / I love this record, baby but I can't see straight anymore".[24] "Poker Face" is aboutsexual innuendo and teasing.[16] Gaga explained to theDaily Star that the lyrics carry a bit of an undertone of confusion about love and sex.[25] According to theBBC, the "Mum-mum-mum-mah" hook used in the song is sampled fromBoney M.'s 1977 hit "Ma Baker".[26] "I Like it Rough" was described as "kink bop".[21]The album's "Brown Eyes" is a breakup song where, instead of expressing tenderness, Gaga delivers the lyrics with a raw, almost defiant tone, even calling it "just a silly song about you."[20] In "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)", Gaga gently parts ways with a former lover.[20]
Gaga performing the lead single, "Just Dance" in a Montreal club. Before embarking on her first tour, Gaga had performed songs from the album in several small clubs.
"Just Dance" was released as the album's lead single commercially worldwide on June 17, 2008, through digital distribution.[27] The song was critically acclaimed with reviewers complimenting its club anthem-like nature and the synth-pop associated with it.[13][28] It achieved commercial success by topping charts in the United States, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, as well as reaching the top 10 in 16 other countries.[29][30][31][32][33] The song received aGrammy nomination in theBest Dance Recording category but lost toelectronic duoDaft Punk for their song "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger".[34]
"Poker Face" was released as the second single from the album. It was also well received by critics, most of whom have praised the robotic hook and the chorus.[35] The single achieved greater success than "Just Dance" by topping the charts in almost all the countries it was released to.[36] "Poker Face" became Gaga's second consecutive number one on the Hot 100.[37][38] On December 2, 2009, "Poker Face" received three Grammy nominations in the categories ofSong of the Year,Record of the Year, and won for Best Dance Recording.[39]
"Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" was the album's third single in Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and Denmark and fourth in France. The song received mixed reviews. Some critics compared it toninetiesEuropop while the others criticized it for bringing the party-like nature of the album to a halt.[19] It failed to match the success of the previous singles in Australia and New Zealand by reaching 15 and nine, respectively. It peaked at two in Sweden and at seven in France.[40]
"LoveGame" was released as the third single in the United States, Canada and some European nations. It was the fourth single in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The song was critically appreciated for its catchy tune and the "I wanna take a ride on your disco stick" hook.[41] The song has reached the top 10 in countries such as the United States, Australia and Canada and the top 20 in others.[42][43]
"Paparazzi" was announced as the third single in the United Kingdom and Ireland with a release date of July 6, 2009, the fourth single in the United States, and the fifth single overall.[44] The song has reached the top five in Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.[45] It also reached the top 10 in the United States. The song has received critical acclaim for its fun-filled, club-friendly nature and is deemed the most memorable and telling song from the album.[23] The associated music video for the song was shot as a mini-movie with Gaga starring as a doomed starlet who is almost killed by her boyfriend, but in the end takes her revenge and reclaims her fame and popularity.[46]
"Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" was initially announced as Gaga's second single. However, "Poker Face" was chosen instead, with the song being released as apromotional single only.[47] The song charted on the UK Singles Chart from digital downloads and spent three weeks on the charts, peaking at number 83.[48] To celebrate the launch of the showDirty Sexy Money,ABC created a music video of Gaga's song "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich", directed byMelina Matsoukas. There were two videos released for the song – the first version, which was composed of clips from the show and the second version, being the official music video.[49] In 2010, during a live performance of "Speechless", Gaga revealed that her label discouraged from writing an immediate follow-up toThe Fame in 2009, and instead wanted her to prolong the album's success by releasing "Boys Boys Boys" as a single. She refused and stated her belief in her new material, which eventually was materialized asThe Fame Monster (2009).[50]
At the2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Gaga gave a performance of "Paparazzi". Her gig involved choreographed dance moves, playing on the piano, theatrical blood dripping from her ribcage, and ended with the singer hung lifeless with one hand rising above her dancers and blood smeared on her face.[61] It is widely considered to be one of Gaga's greatest performances to date,[62] and according toBillboard's Ashley Laderer, "this was the performance that really made Lady Gaga. It proved she was more than just a superficial pop star—she was an artist".[63]
In addition to opening select shows onNew Kids on the Block's2008 tour[64] andThe Pussycat Dolls' 2009Doll Domination Tour,[65] Gaga embarked on her first headlining concert tour,The Fame Ball Tour, to promote the album. It started on March 12, 2009, inSan Diego, California. It was Gaga's first concert tour with North American shows in March, followed by dates in Oceania and a solo trek through Europe. Dates in Asia soon followed, as well as two performances at England'sV Festival and two shows in North America that had been postponed from April. Gaga described the tour as a traveling museum show incorporating artistAndy Warhol'spop-performance art concept.[66] Tickets were distributed for charity also. Alternate versions of the show with minimal variations were planned by Gaga to accommodate different venues.[67]
The show consisted of four segments, with each segment being followed by a video interlude to the next segment, and it ended with an encore. The set list consisted of songs fromThe Fame only. An alternate set list with minor changes was performed for European dates. Gaga appeared on the stage in new costumes including an innovative dress made entirely of plastic bubbles,[68] and premiered an unreleased song called "Future Love",[69] which she described as an "endorsement tosame-sex marriage".[70]
The show received positive critical appreciation, with critics complimenting Gaga's vocal clarity and fashion sense as well as her ability to pull off theatrics like a professional artist.[71] In June 2009, Gaga delivered an hour-long set at theGlastonbury Festival, as part of the tour. Will Dean ofThe Guardian wrote that she "didn't disappoint", praising "her dancing, bizarre mid-song banter and costumes (including a boob flamethrower!)" for offering as much entertainment as the music.[72]
The Fame received generally positive reviews frommusic critics.[81] AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received anaverage score of 71, based on 13 reviews.[74]AllMusic editorStephen Thomas Erlewine called the album "music that sounds thickly sexy with its stainless steelsynths and darkdisco rhythms", and wrote that it is "glorious pop trash and a wicked parody of it."[13] Nicole Powers ofURB complimented its "irony-laden lyrics, delivered in a style that owes a little something toGwen Stefani," as well as the album's "deluxe ditties".[80] Mikael Wood ofEntertainment Weekly called it "remarkably (and exhaustingly) pure in its vision of a world in which nothing trumps being beautiful, dirty, and rich. In this economy, though, her high-timesescapism has its charms".[76]
Alexis Petridis ofThe Guardian found it "packing an immensely addictive melody or an inescapable hook, virtually everything sounds like another hit single", and predicted that it "certainly sounds like it could be big."[18] Daniel Brockman fromThe Boston Phoenix wrote that "Gaga ups the ante in terms of catchy songwriting and sheer high-in-the-club-banging-to-the-beat abandon."[75] Ben Hogwood ofmusicOMH praised Gaga's "blend of sassy attitude, metallic beats and sharp, incisive songwriting", elements which he felt are integral to "creating pop music".[82]
Although he panned "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)", "Paper Gangsta", and "Brown Eyes", Evan Sawdey ofPopMatters calledThe Fame "a solid dance album" and wrote that "much of the album's success can be attributed to rising club producer RedOne."[19] Joey Guerra from theHouston Chronicle felt that although the songs present in the album are not innovative, Gaga deserved credit for bringing real dance music to the mass.[83] Genevieve Koski ofThe A.V. Club felt that the "whole point" of the album is "glitter-laced, dance-inciting energy that bodes well for extended club play".[24]Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani viewed that Gaga's lyrics veer between "cheap" and "nonsensical drivel", while her singing is "uneven at best". He added that the highlights such as "Poker Face", "Starstruck", "Paper Gangsta", and "Summerboy" rely "almost solely on their snappy production and sing-along hooks."[84]
Freedom du Lac fromThe Washington Post criticized the album for lacking originality.[28]MSN Music'sRobert Christgau gave the album an "honorable mention" and quippedly referred to it as "shallowness at its most principled."[85]The Fame garnered five Grammy nominations at the52nd Annual Grammy Awards on December 2, 2009. The album itself was nominated for Album of the Year and won Best Electronic/Dance Album.[39][86] It also won Best International Album at the2010 Brit Awards.[87] In 2013 and 2022,Rolling Stone namedThe Fame as one of the "100 Greatest Debut Albums of All-Time".[88][89] In 2025,Billboard namedThe Fame the tenth best album of the first quarter of the 21st century, based on its performance on the weeklyBillboard 200 chart.[90] The album accumulated a total of 396 weeks on the chart during the first 25 years of the century and remained on theBillboard 200 every year from 2008 to 2012, and again from 2016 to 2024. It is also the highest-charting debut album on the list and the fourth highest among works by female artists.[90]
In the United States,The Fame debuted at number 17 on theBillboard 200 with sales of 24,000 on the issue dated November 15, 2008.[91][92] After fluctuating down the charts, the album reached number 10 on the issue dated March 7, 2009.[93][94] The album also toppedBillboard'sDance/Electronic Albums chart; it has stayed at the number-one spot for 193 non-consecutive weeks, as of week of May 24, 2025, and holds the record for the most time on top in the chart's history.[95][96] In March 2020, the album was certified six-timesPlatinum for shipments of six million copies, by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[97] With the release ofThe Fame Monster, which was also combined withThe Fame as a deluxe edition, the album jumped from 34 to 6 on theBillboard 200 with sales of 151,000.[98] It reached its highest sales week on the issue dated January 9, 2010 with 169,000 copies sold. On the issue dated January 16, 2010,The Fame moved to a new peak of two on theBillboard 200 after being on the charts for 62 weeks.[99] By the end of 2009,The Fame became the fifth best-selling album of the year.[100]
The Fame has sold 4.9 million copies in the United States as of March 2019[101] and is the seventh best-selling digital album, selling 1.086 million digital copies.[102][103] Including equivalent album units,The Fame has sold 8.8 million in the country.[104] It was ranked at number 12 on theBillboard Top 200 Albums of All Time list.[105] Following Gaga'sSuper Bowl LI halftime show performance,The Fame re-entered theBillboard 200 at number 6, selling 17,000 copies and 38,000 total album-equivalent units.[106] It has spent over 400 weeks on the chart.[107]
In Canada, the album reached number-one, and has been certified seven times platinum byMusic Canada for shipment of 560,000 copies. It had sold 476,000 copies as of March 2011.[108][109] The album debuted at number six,[110] and peaked at number two in New Zealand as well as being certified double platinum.[111] In Australia, the album debuted at number 12[112] and peaked at number three.[113] The album has been certified sextuple platinum in Australia, by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of 420,000 copies.[114]
In France,The Fame debuted at number 73 and peaked at number two for five weeks. It has been certified triple diamond by theSyndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) and, as of February 2012, has sold 630,000 copies.[124][125] In Ireland, the album entered the charts at number-eight,[126] and in its fifth week climbed to number-one for two consecutive weeks.[127] In mainland Europe, the album peaked at number one on theEuropean Top 100 Albums,[128] theAustrian Albums Chart and theGerman Album Chart.[129] In Germany, it became the fourth most downloaded album ever.[130] It also reached the top 20 in Mexico, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, and Switzerland.[129] Combined with its reissue,The Fame Monster, the album has sold over 18 million copies worldwide.[131]
With the release ofThe Fame, Gaga was credited for revivingelectronic dance music during the late2000s on radio. Jonathan Bogart fromThe Atlantic stated, "EDM came in by no back door but right through the front gate, with Lady Gaga's 'Just Dance' in 2008" and that "the sound didn't take long to spread".[132] DJTommie Sunshine toldMTV that "there wouldn't be aDavid Guetta top 10 hit... there wouldn't be thisBlack Eyed Peasrecord, if it wasn't forThe Fame. The influence of that record is epic, and we are hearing talking about all of this because of that."[133]St. Louis Post-Dispatch's journalist Kevin C. Johnson with his article "Lady Gaga helps bring EDM to the masses", acknowledges the impact. In the article, Rob Lemon said Gaga "definitely has had influence" and that she "is exposing people to the music, and anybody exposing people to it is part of the machine."[134]
Radio personalityZane Lowe and record producer/DJCalvin Harris, addressed the impact of the album in aBeats 1 radio interview. Lowe stated: "Mike Skinner told me this, cause we were having a debate about Lady Gaga and he was like 'One thing you gotta remember about Lady Gaga, she putfour-on-the-floor back on American radio'" and that "up until that moment there was nothing resembling four-on-the-floor in pop music." Harris added: "A 100%. They even had ahip-hop version of 'Poker Face', for radio" and that "it was the 4/4 one that hit, and then it just went ridiculous."[135] In 2020, Stephen Daw fromBillboard stated that "The Fame not only changed the course of Gaga's career, but corrected the course of modern pop music for generations to come."[136]
The Fame Monster is areissue ofThe Fame, released on November 18, 2009. Initially planned solely as a part of the deluxe edition ofThe Fame, Interscope later decided to release the eight new songs as a standaloneEP in select territories. The decision was also due to Gaga believing the re-release was too expensive and that the albums were conceptually different, describing them asyin and yang. The deluxe edition of the album containsThe Fame in its entirety on a second disc along withThe Fame Monster.[137] The album deals with the darker side offame, as experienced by Gaga over the course of 2008–09 while travelling around the world, and are expressed through amonster metaphor. The two album covers were shot byHedi Slimane. One of the covers has agothic look and was initially declined by her record company, but Gaga persuaded them otherwise. The composition takes its inspiration fromGothic music and fashion shows.[138]
Music critics gave mostly positive reviews of the album, with the majority of them complimenting the songs "Bad Romance", "Telephone", "Dance in the Dark", and "Monster".[139] In some countries the album charted together withThe Fame while in others like the United States, Canada and Japan, it charted as a separate album. It has reached top 10 in most of the major markets. Gaga embarked on her second headlining tour,The Monster Ball in support of the album, which started on November 27, 2009, inMontreal, Canada, and finished on May 6, 2011, inMexico City, Mexico.[140][141]
^b signifies an additional co-producer and remixer
The original International edition of The Fame included the track "Again Again", featured alternate mixes of "LoveGame" and "Money Honey", and had a different track order.[147][148]
The track list was revised to its final form by removing "Again Again," adding "Starstruck" and "Paper Gangsta", "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" and "Poker Face" switching places, and standardizing mixes.
The UK, Irish and Japanese editions reordered "I Like It Rough" before and "Starstruck" after "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)".
The GermanySaturn limited edition includes the bonus tracks "Poker Face" (piano and voice version), "Just Dance" (stripped down version), "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" (electric piano and human beat box version), and "Again Again".[149]
The Japanese deluxe edition includes the bonus DVD which features the music videos of "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)", "LoveGame", and "Paparazzi".[150]
The 10th anniversary USB edition includes the tracks ofThe Fame Monster, the music videos of "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)", "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro", "Telephone", and the bonus feature The FameEPK (2008).[151]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^"Australian ARIA Singles Chart".Australian Recording Industry Association. aCharts.us. June 15, 2008.Archived from the original on December 3, 2011. RetrievedApril 28, 2009.
^"Canadian Hot 100".Billboard. aCharts.us. August 23, 2008.Archived from the original on September 24, 2011. RetrievedApril 28, 2009.
^"UK Singles Chart". The Official Charts Company. January 11, 2009.Archived from the original on January 18, 2009. RetrievedApril 28, 2009.
^Shachtman, Noah; Browne, David; Dolan, Jon; Freeman, Jon; Hermes, Will; Hoard, Christian; Lopez, Julyssa; Reeves, Mosi; Rosen, Jody; Sheffield, Rob (July 1, 2022)."100 Best Debut Albums of All Time".Rolling Stone.Archived from the original on April 21, 2017. RetrievedJuly 1, 2022.
^"Australia Albums Top 50".Australian Recording Industry Association. acharts.us. January 26, 2009.Archived from the original on February 6, 2009. RetrievedJune 9, 2009.
^"Charts Year End: AMPROFON"(PDF) (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on March 4, 2011. RetrievedFebruary 17, 2011.
^"Charts Year End: AMPROFON"(PDF) (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on January 31, 2012. RetrievedJanuary 19, 2012.
