by Lady Gaga exploded onto the music scene in 2008 with her smash hit debut single “Just Dance,” and she has been dominating the pop charts ever since. As a diehard Little Monster myself, I’m constantly in awe of Gaga’s extraordinary talent, fearless fashion sense, and tireless advocacy for equality. She truly is the epitome of a multi-dimensional modern superstar.
While Gaga’s success may seem meteoric from the outside, she has been honing her craft since childhood. Though she seemingly burst out of nowhere with her signature synth-pop beats and outrageous costumes, Gaga has cited a diverse array of musical legends who paved the way for her over-the-top visuals and catchy tunes. Let’s take a look at just some of the icons who helped shape Gaga into the powerhouse performer she is today.
Madonna
Perhaps Gaga’s biggest and most obvious influence is the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna. Though some critics initially dismissed Gaga as merely an imitation of Madonna, Gaga has been vocal about the immense impact Madonna’s fearless career had on her as a young aspiring musician. “I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without Madonna,” Gaga declared in a 2010 interview. “She is the greatest inspiration and the greatest woman I look up to.”
Gaga seems to have taken cues from Madonna’s constant ability to reinvent herself and push boundaries. Whether it was her lace getups in the “Like a Virgin” days or her bold cone bra corset on her Blond Ambition Tour, Madonna set the standard for provocative fashion onstage. Gaga runs with this tradition in her own way, rocking avant-garde outfits made of everything from bubbles to meat to promote messages of self-love and acceptance through her outward expression.
Additionally, Gaga has credited Madonna’s bold songwriting and unapologetic lyrics as major inspirations. Songs like “Express Yourself” and “Vogue” gave Gaga permission to embrace her weirdness, be confident in her abilities, and write music that resonates with her experiences as a strong female pop artist. “Madonna’s true legacy is her connection to her fans,” Gaga mused in an interview. “She gives so much hope and inspiration to her fans…and I want to do that for my fans too.”
David Bowie
While Gaga’s outrageous costumes and personae clearly take notes from Madonna, she’s also been highly influenced by music’s ultimate avant-garde chameleon, David Bowie. Of particular inspiration seems to be Bowie’s androgynous, cosmically cool alter ego, Ziggy Stardust. Gaga told Rolling Stone that she admired how Bowie “made me always feel like an outsider in my own way for being different and wearing crazy outfits…He was unapologetic about it.”
She seems to channel Bowie’s penchant for taking on different identities and challenging gender stereotypes through metamorphosing her look and sound. Gaga’s Ziggy Stardust-esque persona emerged in the music video for “Born This Way,” in which she had multicolored face paint and an asexual, otherworldly vibe. Bowie also often collaborated with cutting-edge fashion designers for his iconic looks, much like Gaga’s partnerships with powerhouses like Armani and Alexander McQueen.
Ultimately, Bowie showed Gaga the power of embracing your inner weirdo and being proud of what makes you different. As she told MTV, “David Bowie made me feel like someday, the freaks and the misfits could come together and be celebrated.”
Grace Jones
Gaga has also made no secret of her admiration for the bold, androgynous Jamaican-American model and musician, Grace Jones. Known for shattering beauty standards and living life entirely on her own terms, Jones has undoubtedly paved the way for boundary-breaking artists like Gaga to thrive.
Gaga seems particularly inspired by Jones’ ability to blend high fashion, performance art, and music into one mesmerizing package. She took notes from Jones’ commanding stage presence and knack for turning heads with sexy, futuristic get-ups. In fact, Gaga heaped praise on Jones in a 2010 interview, stating, “Grace Jones inspired so much of what I do. There are men and women in the world who inspire and motivate women like me to get into the action. Grace Jones is one of those magical women.”
Jones’ song “Fame” also had a major impact on Gaga, who titled her debut album The Fame as an homage. Gaga later had the chance to meet Jones at a event, where she bowed down and thanked her idol for being “such a great inspiration.” It’s clear that Jones’ trailblazing persona gave Gaga the confidence to embrace her inner fabulousness and bring it to the world.
Andy Warhol
As an art school dropout, it’s no surprise that Gaga found inspiration from the godfather of pop art, Andy Warhol. His avant-garde paintings, films, and lifestyle encapsulated the edgy, freaky zeitgeist that Gaga has come to embody in the music world.
Gaga seems particularly drawn to Warhol’s knack for turning pop culture icons into enduring works of art, something she aims to do with her own persona and performances. She told MTV that “Andy Warhol is absolutely the godfather of what I’ve created… He brought art and culture together.”
Gaga channeled Warhol in the music video for “Applause,” taking on Warhol’s signature silver wig and ’60s mod style. She also seems to take inspiration from The Factory, Warhol’s New York studio where creative misfits and eccentrics collaborated. To Gaga, Warhol represented acceptance, community, and infusing art with mainstream appeal – values she tries to build through her Little Monsters fanbase.
Finally, Gaga has spoken about how Warhol’s work ethic showed her that her ambitions could become reality through commitment and singular focus. As she told Rolling Stone, “When I look at Andy’s work, I am reminded to simply be myself. It’s a powerful message he gave to generations, and it continues to inspire me.”
Elton John
While flamboyant fashion clearly inspires Gaga, she’s also hugely influenced by musicianship itself. Elton John stands out as an especially monumental inspiration for her songwriting and piano playing abilities.
Gaga grew up listening to Elton John classics, often learning to play them on piano by ear as a child. She credits him with teaching her how to become not just an entertainer, but a serious musician. In a 2010 interview, she proclaimed, “When I was growing up, I was giving Elton chicken cutlets as payback for him teaching me so much about songwriting and being a strong, gay man.”
She seems to take cues from Elton John’s knack for crafting effortlessly catchy pop songs layered with emotional lyrics. Where Elton John masters the craft of universally relatable storytelling through songs like “Your Song” and “Daniel,” Gaga excels at writing dance-pop anthems like “Poker Face” that anyone can relate to.
Gaga has also cited Elton John as an inspiration simply for being an openly gay musician with mainstream global appeal. On Instagram, she wrote, “You showed strength when the world was booming down on your sword. You carried so many people on your shoulders of melodic joy and perpetual kindess.” It’s clear she hopes to pass on that strength and kindness to her own fans.
Though Lady Gaga has crafted her own distinct style and sound, her music simply wouldn’t be what it is today without these monumental influences. By taking the best lessons from music and fashion trailblazers before her, she has become a singular pop culture icon in her own right. She continues to honor her greatest inspirations, once stating, “I don’t think of any of my idols as myths. They all have stories and advice that teaches me.”
Gaga’s nonstop work ethic and determination is undoubtedly a huge factor in her success as well. She moved to Los Angeles at just 19 to pursue music, paying her dues playing dive bars on the strip for years. But her faith in her unusual sound and look never wavered. She told Vanity Fair:
“I worked so hard. I was so determined to make it as an artist. I went to songwriting school when I was a teenager. I learned to play piano and write. I worked in restaurants. I promoted nightclubs. I immersed myself in the gay club scene in New York City, because I could get paid $50 a night for three songs.”
Those years of relentless hustle allowed her to hone the skills and style that would launch her to fame once opportunity struck. Though she came off as an overnight sensation in 2008, nothing could be further from the truth.
That year, Gaga’s debut single “Just Dance” immediately caught fire, hitting #1 in 6 countries and selling over 10 million copies. The world instantly took notice of this flashy new pop star with the synth-fueled beats and crazy couture. When The Fame dropped later that year, the reaction was even more insane. The album also hit #1 in 6 countries, selling 15 million copies total.
Suddenly this scrappy chanteuse from the New York club scene was a full-blown superstar, headlining sold-out tours and winning Grammys. But in the whirlwind of fame, Gaga stayed grounded by remembering her artistic heroes who stuck to their guns and changed culture in the process.
In 2011, she released Born This Way – named after the Ziggy Stardust-inspired single – to critical acclaim and massive commercial success. The fiercely pro-LGBTQ album seemed to signal Gaga’s transition from fame-obsessed pop diva to bonafide activist and advocate. She continued this mission with later hits like 2013’s “Applause,” which empowered fans to define success on their own terms – not to live for outside validation.
Over a decade into mainstream success now, Gaga is still pushing boundaries and evolving both her music and philanthropy. She’s expanded into jazz (Cheek to Cheek with Tony Bennett), folk rock (Joanne), and film (A Star Is Born). She’s even launched her own beauty line, Haus Laboratories, and a nonprofit, Born This Way Foundation.
Through it all, she stays true to the confidence, individuality, and compassion she’s gathered from her greatest influences. In that way, Lady Gaga has come full circle to inspire outsiders just as Madonna, Bowie, Jones, Warhol and Elton John so uniquely inspired her. As she sings in “Born This Way,” she helps Little Monsters everywhere learn to embrace their own inner fame monters too.
Lady Gaga proves that with relentlessness drive, immense gratitude, and a flair for the fantastic, anyone can achieve their wildest dreams. She’s living proof that embracing your inner freak can propel you to unfathomable fame. But most importantly, she reminds fans from all walks of life that there’s no shame in being your true, unfiltered self – flaws and all. We should all unleash our inner Gagas and set the world on fire with our uniqueness. Just like Mother Monster, anything is possible if you dare to dream big, work hard, and stay grateful to those who helped you spread your wings along the way.
