a definitive ranking of lady gaga’s 20 music videos, as of january 2019
The Rules:
- it must be an original lady gaga song — not a cover
- lady gaga must have top billing on the song (which most notably disqualifies ‘Video Phone’)
- any songs done for movies don’t count
The Rubric:
this is a ranking of lady gaga’s music videos. the #1 spot will be The Best lady gaga music video and #20 will be, i guess… just average. futher: while a video’s “iconic” status may factor into the ranking, this is not a list of lady gaga’s videos from most to least iconic.
other things that will factor into my ranking:
- fashion. kind of the whole point of a music video is essentially to see your fave in fun outfits.
- choreography. because there will be some. because it’s a lady gaga music video. i’m not picky, though!
- Art Factor. self-explanatory.
- sincerity. does it appeal to my Vision of Lady Gaga? does the video make me think “only lady gaga could have made this video” or could i insert any female pop icon into the video & feel like nothing changed.
- the song can, in no way, factor into my ranking. the ranking is purely based on the video.
finally, “definitive” means i’m right.
The Ranking:
20. “Just Dance” (2008) dir. Melina Matsoukas
it almost seems unfair to put this video at #20, since it’s lady gaga’s very first music video. the comments on the youtube video all agree: this song still very much goes in 2019. but no one’s talking about the video!
honestly, i feel so far away from this version of lady gaga, with her blunt cut bangs and poorly lit, low-budget music videos. she is very cute in this video, but there’s just not a lot to consider here. lady gaga and her friends show up to a party late and everyone starts dancing. a fashion high-point is her disco ball bra under a different top in some shots.
this is a perfectly fine video, but it just lacks some personality.
19. “Beautiful, Dirty, Rich” (2008) dir. Melina Matsoukas
this video is very similar to “Just Dance” but slightly more high concept. it’s the same director as the previous video and it definitely shows. there’s a lot of similar motifs: lady gaga & her friends stepping on/over people, sunglasses, unnerving found-footage style lighting.
i like her outfits more in this video, i like the shots of her rolling around on money, i like the brief choreographed segment at the table.
something about this video & “Just Dance” gives off the vibe of, like, a group of friends getting together to shoot a music video. the amateur-ish vibe of them, though, is not what gives them a lower rank. i just feel like there is a hesitance to go fully High Concept in both of these videos.
18. “LoveGame” (2009) dir. Joseph Kahn
placing this video so low is a bit painful, but it falls down on the “could lady gaga be the only person to make this video?” question. the answer is… arguable, i guess, but lady gaga’s personality just doesn’t fully shine through in this video for me.
i know this is when my list may start to fall apart for some people, already, because i do recognize there are elements of this video that give it Iconic status. that being said, the concept is a little too basic for me to rank it any higher. the outfits don’t stand out to me much, either.
17. “Perfect Illusion” (2016) dir. Ruth Hogben & Andrea Gelardin
i really do want to love this video. there is a lot i love about it, but it has one Extremely fatal flaw. the editing of this video is… impossible. it seems like there’s a new shot every second and the camera moves around A Lot, which makes it a little hard to watch for me.
lady gaga is styled beautifully throughout the video. i love her booty shorts, her high ponytail, her croptop (ft. underboob). i love the shot of her singing in her jeep. i have no idea why she gets out of her car to kick sand and scream but, y’know what, same!
i feel like the concept here must have been “what it feels like to be in the middle of a moshpit” which is fine, but it’s just not as special as most of her other videos.
16. “Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)” (2009) dir. Joseph Kahn
this video is very 2009.
again, this feels very distant from the lady gaga of 2019, but it’s more unique than my #20 and #19 picks. this feels a little more self-expressive, a little more inspired.
the shots of her ironing are perfect. the iconic bow hairstyle makes an appearance. the ridiculousness of lady gaga waking up in her pink heels and white lingerie sets this one apart from most of the earlier vids. i love that she seems to be literally glowing in every shot.
15. “Million Reasons” (2016) dir. Lady Gaga, Ruth Hogben, & Andrea Gelardin
this is another difficult placement for me. i like this video a lot, and i do believe it’s incredibly sincere. but it is… just… a little boring.
it picks up where the “Perfect Illusion” video left off, which is a concept i’m a huge sucker for. and she’s so, so beautiful in this video. but besides her beautiful pink suit, the shots of her friends hugging her in the desert, and the black-and-white shots where she looks perpetually on the verge of tears, there just isn’t much going on in this video.
for the most part, it’s just lady gaga playing guitar & a few shots of her having her make-up done. putting it like that, i see that it’s perhaps a little wild of me to place this video so high, but… lady gaga helped direct this one. it gains a lot of points for that.
14. “Edge of Glory” (2011) dir. Haus of Gaga
i love the way lady gaga is styled in this video. the set is really fun. but, again, i’m just kinda bored by this one. it’s mostly just lady gaga dancing on a fire escape or walking down an empty street.
i will say that i feel like this video matches the energy of the song. and… i don’t have anything else to say about it!
13. “Poker Face” (2008) dir. Ray Kay
this is when the list starts to get more difficult…
this is the earliest video to feel Lady Gaga to me. do you recognize the dogs at the beginning from “Eh, Eh”??? the choreography feels more familiar and the concept (while on the weaker side) is more unique. the hair-bow makes another appearance. this video feels like bridging 2008/early-2009 lady gaga with the rest of lady gaga.
i thought the bit at around 2:20 when she’s in silhouette and she has video glasses that say “GA GA” “POP” “CULTURE” was the coolest thing on earth when i was 15 years old. another fashion high point: the blue bodysuit.
12. “Alejandro” (2010) dir. Steven Klein
listen, i said this is when the list gets difficult, and i really meant it. this video was released in 2010, shortly after “Bad Romance” and “Telephone.” it isn’t fair. this video is very very good, and #12 is not meant as an insult.
the military themes don’t excite me and the religious themes are fun but it comes off a little shallowly compared to other lady gaga videos. it’s nice that it was made as a love letter to lady gaga’s gay friends/fans, but i’m not sure that comes across in the best way.
this video gets points for sincerity. it’s Very lady gaga. the fashion is wonderful, with the high point probably being the lace goggle look towards the beginning of the video. i hate the way the men are styled in this video.
11. “Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?)” (2018) dir. Ruth Hogben, Andrea Gelardin, & Haus of Gaga
i know this is probably an arguable choice for some, but i think this video is just so, so beautiful that it really stands out to me. i know i said music wouldn’t factor into my ranking at all, but i really like that this video is for an off-album version of the song.
she’s styled so beautifully, with her big blonde hair and pink pillowy dress. her pink dad-glasses. she makes the most beautiful faces while singing. i love her big, black cowboy hat and sparkly mesh top towards the end of the video.
i love the shots of her running around that feel very much like a ’70s home movie, or something. this video just radiates warmth and love.
10. “Born This Way” (2011) dir. Nick Knight
this video does a perfect job of shifting from the fame/fame monster era to the born this way era. the first 30 seconds really sets the tone. i love the pre-song part of the video when lady gaga narrates her “manifesto” or whatever she’s doing. there’s so much happening in this fucking video.
i had 0 appreciation for “Born This Way” as a teen when this song & video came out.
this video wins in The Art Factor. the styling in particular in this video is really out of this world. i especially love the scenes of lady gaga on her space throne, i love the skull boy sequences, and i very much love the horn(?) prosthetics. while the scenes of her dancing alone in a bikini fall a little flat fashion-wise, i love the unique choreography.
and the way the video wraps up, with lady gaga dancing in the smoky alley with her glowing white gloves? chef’s kiss.
9. “John Wayne” (2017) dir. Jonas Åkerlund
a continuation of “Million Reasons,” but also a heartbreaking placement on this list. i WANT to love this video more than i do (which is already a lot). i wish i could place it much higher, but it suffers from a similar issue as “Perfect Illusion.” the cuts are ultimately too fast.
besides that, i’m really head-over-heels for this video. the lighting is my favorite of any lady gaga video. i love the highly saturated look of the video. the styling is top notch; every outfit is a high point. the choreography is fun.
this video is just stunning & creative. it’s hard to put this at the lower end of my top 10!
8. “Paparazzi” (2009) dir. Jonas Åkerlund
this video rules.
you can really tell how much love and creative energy went into this one. it’s another early video, but her personality shines through a lot more. i know lady gaga was really proud of it when it came out. the first of many videos to have a “short film” vibe vs. an ordinary music video.
i love how unique this video feels, compared to her other earlier videos. i love that there’s a storyline. she poisons him!!!! bitch! and the final scene of her getting arrested is truly great. and the minnie mouse glasses yellow/black outfit? supreme.
ALSO, not to mention something besides the video, but the 2009 VMAs performance is really worth mentioning too.
7. “Yoü and I” (2011) dir. Laurieann Gibson
we’re getting into true “only lady gaga could have made this music video” territory with this one. the first 50 seconds of the video is just bizarre, truly setting the tone for the video.
the main styling of lady gaga in this video — specifically the black gown & hat with the bionic limbs — doesn’t super excite me, but i am WILD for jo calderone and yüyi the mermaid. and i do like blue hair lady gaga dancing in the barn with her backup dancers.
this video is a lot of fun and also just… i know i said this already, but it is truly very Lady Gaga.
6. “Marry the Night” (2011) dir. Lady Gaga
i expect this to be kind of an unexpected pick, because i don’t think many people gave this video much mind when it came out. i’ll be honest, i didn’t see it until a couple weeks ago either. if you haven’t seen it, i highly recommend devoting some time to giving it your full attention.
the autobiographical pre-music video does eclipse the actual music video in terms of Concept, but the whole video is really wonderful. it’s hard to explain what makes this video special, but i think if you watch it, you’ll get it. thank u lady gaga for directing this video.
5. “Applause” (2013) dir. Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin
THE ART FACTOR! directed by a dutch fashion photographer duo, this video appeals directly to me. you may argue with the #5 placement. i don’t care.
every single outfit in this video is perfect, but my favorite is the painted face. i love the concept of this video, which is “her passion for shape-shifting and transforming.” divine.
i love how little this video focuses on “lady gaga as beautiful,” and more on “lady gaga as art piece.” i love how often she’s just in this little black hood/cap with all her hair pulled out of her face. i love the inspiration from silent films, from horror films, from static art. i love Birth of Venus lady gaga.
i love this video.
4. “Judas” (2011) dir. Lady Gaga & Laurieann Gibson
this video is completely crazy, and honestly, sometimes i don’t know what’s going on in it. i know the basic idea is that jesus & the twelve apostles are a biker gang and lady gaga is mary magdalene. and judas is norman reedus which is incredible casting, thank you.
the styling of Everyone in this video is wild, but especially lady gaga and the guy playing jesus. my favorite part of this video, though, is probably (weirdly) the choreography. it’s the first thing i think of (after norman reedus) when i think of this video. the bath/baptism sequence is also wonderful and memorable.
oh, and Birth of Venus lady gaga makes another appearance! thank goodness.
3. “G.U.Y. - An Artpop Film” (2014) dir. Lady Gaga
this video covers “ARTPOP,” “Venus,” and “G.U.Y.” resulting in an amazing video that, when you see a segment of it at a box karaoke place while singing “Venus,” you go “whoa wait what the fuck i never saw this video what have i been missing” and then you forget to watch it again and when you finally remember, it immediately rockets into your top 3 lady gaga music videos.
the story of the video goes: lady gaga is a bird or something with big jim henson wings, she’s shot out of the sky by a bunch of guys fighting over money. she goes to hearst castle and is healed by being put in water. she’s reborn as a goddess and gets revenge on the men who shot her. the real housewives of beverly hills are there in a band. there’s a sequence where someone is inexplicably playing minecraft.
every outfit in this video is perfect. the video is beautiful, lady gaga is beautiful. everything about this screams Lady Gaga.
2. “Telephone” ft. Beyoncé (2010) dir. Jonas Åkerlund
taking place after “Paparazzi,” beyoncé breaks lady gaga out of a lesbionic prison and they go on a crime adventure in a vehicle called the pussy wagon. when i wrote out my list at first, i had this video at #3. it’s a tough call, but ultimately this video is essentially perfect.
all of the outfits in this video are incredible. the choreographed sequences are beautiful. the pre-music video is… just wild. when lady gaga kisses that girl in the prison?? the concept and execution of the video itself is perfect. and BEYONCÉ is in it!!!!
the last time i watched this video in full was on an airplane. that’s an experience that i highly (ha!) recommend.
also, unrelated, but this video reminds me of livejournal icons in 2010, because me and my close friends ALL had at least one icon from this vid.
1. “Bad Romance” (2009) dir. Francis Lawrence
this is, and i am in no way joking or exaggerating, the best music video of all time. billboard will, in a way, back me up on this. you should agree with me. it has over 1 billion views on youtube. you agree with me.
i honestly don’t know what to say about this video. i know i said a video’s iconic status would only factor somewhat into a video’s ranking, and that is true, but this video is hands down iconic. i think it’s the video you think of automatically when you think of lady gaga’s music videos.
the choreography is classic lady gaga. the outfits, of which there are roughly 100,000 are all beautiful and perfect and so is she. the visuals are interesting and creative. it is sincere to the concept of lady gaga.
“Bad Romance” deserves top spot!!! watch this video again, you’ll be delighted.
