Pop/Rock

Lady Gaga began working as a songwriter for Interscope Records, where she penned songs for pop acts such as the Pussycat Dolls. She mounted a solo career several years later, releasing her chart-topping debut single, "Just Dance," in early 2008. Her debut album, The Fame, was issued later that year, and its Grammy-nominated success paved the way for a U.K. release in early 2009. Gaga's march toward the top of the American chart was slow but "Just Dance" reached the peak position in January 2009, followed swiftly by "Poker Face." "LoveGame" and "Paparazzi" also appeared as singles before Gaga released The Fame Monster in 2009. The mini-LP contained the single "Bad Romance" and helped kickstart a stellar year for Gaga in 2010. That year, the hit singles "Bad Romance," "Alejandro," and the Beyoncé duet "Telephone," along with the successful Monster Ball Tour, put Lady Gaga front and center with the public as she worked on her sophomore album, announcing the May release of Born This Way on New Year's Day 2011. A full remix of the album, naturally called Born This Way: The Remix, appeared at the end of the year, as did a holiday television special called A Very Gaga Thanksgiving and an accompanying EP, A Very Gaga Holiday.