The Fame
by Lady Gaga
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 1674 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,448 out of 1674
  2. Mixed: 94 out of 1674
  3. Negative: 132 out of 1674

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  1. Mayfair
    Mar 20, 2012
    7
    This is a good debut album with catchy and fun songs. Gaga has a great voice and knows how to use it.

    By far this album is better than "Born This Way", but no better than "The Fame Monster"
  2. ahern1204
    Oct 6, 2015
    7
    When I was in high school and just come out of the closet, this album was my holy grail! I had a Gaga obsession like most gays in 2008 - 2012 but while listening to Gaga, I felt a sense of security with my sexuality. Weird, since the depth of these songs are very shallow. I felt like a proud and out gay kid while listening to the Fame and my memories of this album are nothing but happyWhen I was in high school and just come out of the closet, this album was my holy grail! I had a Gaga obsession like most gays in 2008 - 2012 but while listening to Gaga, I felt a sense of security with my sexuality. Weird, since the depth of these songs are very shallow. I felt like a proud and out gay kid while listening to the Fame and my memories of this album are nothing but happy moments. You don't get much of Gaga's vocal talent on here since they're mostly drowned in reverb but you do get how great Gaga is for creating infectious hooks and verse lines that I've quoted more than lines from Mean Girls (which was A LOT when in high school).
    Here, you have an overload of really catchy pop tunes and I don't think anyone should judge it more than that.
    Best Songs: Paparazzi, PokerFace, Paper Gangsta
    7/10    … Expand
  3. 0987
    Feb 28, 2017
    10
    No better way than to start an album with five excellent songs!!! And since it becomes much more great!!! Perfect album, perfect debut for Gaga!!! Perfection!!
  4. StrawberryBlond
    Oct 25, 2013
    8
    When Lady Gaga first came on the scene back in 2008, few truly realised how talented she was. Having studied pop culture well, she knew that as a popstar, talent has to be fairly hidden initially if you wanted success and you couldn't be overly artistic either. She realised that if she wanted to make the music that she truly wanted, she had to sell out a bit at first. As such, she launchedWhen Lady Gaga first came on the scene back in 2008, few truly realised how talented she was. Having studied pop culture well, she knew that as a popstar, talent has to be fairly hidden initially if you wanted success and you couldn't be overly artistic either. She realised that if she wanted to make the music that she truly wanted, she had to sell out a bit at first. As such, she launched herself as an attractive, sexy popstar with top quality pop tunes that the public ate up. But a lot of people thought she was all style, no substance, couldn't sing, play an instrument or had anything interesting to say. But towards the end of The Fame's album campaign, she started changing a bit. She started pushing her vocal performances to prove she had a voice, she started playing piano live (a talent in which she was classically trained and had led to offers from Juliard) and she began to say rather intelligent things in interviews. And if you truly listened to her album, you would find that The Fame is highly satirical. The songs sound as if she is advocating a superficial lifestyle but on closer inspection, you realise she is actually critiquing it. Especially evident on songs like Paparazzi, The Fame, Just Dance, Lovegame and Money Honey, Lady Gaga is clearly "in on the joke." She cleverly released an album that sounded mainstream enough to sell yet its songs were actually picking fun at the mainstream if you listened closely. But the album wasn't just a swipe at fame. It also has genuinely touching ballads Brown Eyes and Again Again (available on some worldwide editions). Lady Gaga would go on to create better albums, but The Fame is still good for what it was. This album was the stepping stone that she needed to become famous and she could show her true talent later on, when the public had accepted her. All she needed was to open that door to be accepted in the first place and she could go her own way afterwards. The Fame was the perfect vehicle for this ambition. Not quite as outstanding when looking back on it 5 years later, but still very good as a pop album.… Expand
  5. BWETMatangi
    Aug 15, 2013
    8
    I love Lady Gaga. This album is truly amazing. You can listen to it at any time, and the upbeat tracks will cheer you up immediately. Definitely a must buy.
  6. jpsuxx
    Sep 14, 2019
    10
    Ambicioso ao extremo, temos uma novata na cena pop cantando sobre a fama: seus luxos e lixos. Lady Gaga consegue transformar um álbum de estréia em uma performance, dando vida ao conceito do disco através de sua própria carreira. Era apenas o começo.
  7. Eddann123
    Oct 13, 2013
    10
    amazing album, she managed to create an album electopop iconic, one of the best albums of recent years, the electronic sound mixed with pop and fashion made ​​a success of THE FAME
  8. candyangelin
    Oct 17, 2013
    10
    perfect material, perfect production, it´s an amazing pop album with a good vibe and influences, it´s fresh, funny, catchy, i could dance all night longe, lady gaga is an amazing singer and she´s so experimental, so smart with her songs, that´s why i like her music so so much good luck girl, you´re gonna so so far
  9. mike4444
    Nov 2, 2013
    9
    Between Poker Face, Just Dance and Nothing Else I Can Say, you'll feel that this album has been in your head forever. That's not necessarily a bad thing :P
  10. miguelsanhueza
    Nov 5, 2013
    10
    Un gran album debut, tiene canciones muy bailables que mezclan la fama con el amor, ademas tiene canciones que te recordaran tiempos memorables como los 80's!
  11. CaliLilMonster
    Nov 10, 2013
    10
    Years later after release I'm still loving The Fame. It still gets me dancing! It's such a great album and it a definitely a classic. I would recommend buying this on iTunes.Every song is amazing. I guarantee this is a great album to have, that can compare to any album of today.
    My Personal favorites are: Love Game, Poker Face, Just Dance, and Starstruck.
  12. marcmyworks
    Nov 13, 2013
    8
    I was not a Gaga fan until I saw her "Fame Ball" tour and then it all changed. She channels a fresh pop sensibility into each track. Her knowing of how to energize a crowd will surely give her longevity.
  13. we_4231
    Oct 24, 2016
    10
    As we all know Lady Gaga is the bomb. This album is the beginning of her career. It includes Poker Face and Paparazzi (among all her great songs on here). If you appreciate fine pop music, even if you are not a Lady Gaga fan, you will become one once you hear this album. It is amazing!
  14. GabZChris
    Nov 29, 2013
    7
    A mildly favourable album, with pop songs that will appeal to the masses due to the infectious tunes and beats. Songs like Eh, Eh, Starstruck & Boys Boys Boys are easy on the ears while Just Dance & Poker Face are obvious club bangers, with the latter two later becoming the breakthroughs for her career. There's nothing much to dislike on the album, but most of the later songs played areA mildly favourable album, with pop songs that will appeal to the masses due to the infectious tunes and beats. Songs like Eh, Eh, Starstruck & Boys Boys Boys are easy on the ears while Just Dance & Poker Face are obvious club bangers, with the latter two later becoming the breakthroughs for her career. There's nothing much to dislike on the album, but most of the later songs played are obvious fillers. With the exception of Eh, Eh, Lady Gaga and her record label definitely chose the right hits to represent her album as singles.

    Standout Tracks: Just Dance (ft. Colby O'Donis), LoveGame, Poker Face    … Expand
  15. Diamandis
    Dec 30, 2013
    8
    She has everything to be a star in pop music. "The Fame" is one of the best debut albums of the decade. "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "Paparazzi" and "Brown Eyes" are my most recommended songs. Lady Gaga gave a new breath to pop culture with this fresh music but certainly she needs to polish herself a little bit more as an artist and explore all the talent she has to be on top.
  16. FragileLamplite
    May 22, 2014
    9
    The Fame is undoubtedly one of the most impactful and iconic debut albums in modern pop music. It catapulted Lady Gaga into stardom and our hearts. Here she shows off her songwriting abilities and vocal versatility, effortlessly singing through smash hits "Poker Face, "Just Dance" and "Paparazzi". The Fame also helped bring electronic music back into the mainstream through the help of itsThe Fame is undoubtedly one of the most impactful and iconic debut albums in modern pop music. It catapulted Lady Gaga into stardom and our hearts. Here she shows off her songwriting abilities and vocal versatility, effortlessly singing through smash hits "Poker Face, "Just Dance" and "Paparazzi". The Fame also helped bring electronic music back into the mainstream through the help of its singles, and also ventures into experimental territories on "Paper Gangster" and more retro sounds on "Summerboy" and "Disco Heaven". Filler tracks are virtually nonexistent, and we start to see some of the musical threads continued on its sequel, The Fame Monster. Although it may not be Gaga's best work, it still stands alone as a monolith of pop culture, one of the defining albums of 2008.… Expand
  17. iSpeakTruth
    Jan 12, 2014
    10
    Ahh,good old Lady Gaga, it all started here,good old The Fame days, the days then Lady Gaga was new,fresh "it girl", The Fame is not bad, I would say even a good album with a many hits and few slower songs in the back, Poker Face shows this album potential it has, amazing work Lady Gaga! My first physical CD and digital album I bought and I'm very happy with that,I was satisfied!
  18. ilikekpop
    Jan 31, 2014
    10
    Overall great debut album, she was my 2009, highlights are just dance, poker face, paparazzi, lovegame, I like it rough, money honey, boys boys boys and brown eyes
  19. Teodoro
    Jun 20, 2014
    10
    E ela veio pra salvar a música pop com esse album,trazer de volta a graça que se tinha perdido.
    Não é a toa que já vendeu mais de 20 milhões de cópias.
  20. raulkul
    Jun 25, 2014
    10
    Some songs of this album were written years ago, at the time Lady Gaga still dreamed to be a popstar, for example "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich". This prove that she's been working on music since the beginning. With 8 years old Gaga has already knew how to play piano and dance. Her first album 'The Fame" crossed many taboo and became one of the most important album in pop music!
  21. SonOfGagaVenus
    Sep 20, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. a truly perfect album starts with a catchy song Just Dance is for sure these songs are a masterpiece, and one of the best CDs of the decade, Lady Gaga and her team are to be congratulated.… Expand
  22. Nein
    Sep 25, 2014
    10
    Definitely the game changer album of POP. Pop will never be low brow. Lady Gaga have changed the game of POP entirely, the singles are really fantastic and bops. From Just Dance to Paparazzi, I enjoyed all of them. The album will never get old. It deserved #1.
  23. MatthewSC
    Jun 14, 2020
    10
    One of the best debut albums of all time. Changed radio. Iconic. Standout tracks: Paparazzi, Poker Face, Paper Gangsta
  24. Adson
    Sep 23, 2014
    8
    The best dance pop I ever heard. The synths and the bass sounds so amazing and live is so good. My Favorites:
    1 - Poker Face
    2 - Just Dance
    3 - Paparazzi
    4 - Brown Eyes
    5 - Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)
  25. retrospecial
    Sep 23, 2014
    10
    Lady Gaga's debut album The Fame is just as easy to hear as any up-and-coming pop album, but is enriched with a catchy sound that carries Gaga's voice all the way through. Not the best album out there, but an excellent breakthrough debut that easily paves her road for future success. Gaga is clearly able to combine mainstream pop sound with phonetic brilliance that is usually absent fromLady Gaga's debut album The Fame is just as easy to hear as any up-and-coming pop album, but is enriched with a catchy sound that carries Gaga's voice all the way through. Not the best album out there, but an excellent breakthrough debut that easily paves her road for future success. Gaga is clearly able to combine mainstream pop sound with phonetic brilliance that is usually absent from most albums.… Expand
  26. literallykevin
    Sep 24, 2014
    10
    The Fame is an amazing album to say the least. She, at first, lacks credibility as an artist, but she convinced me with Just Dance, Poker Face and Paparazzi.
  27. alehmarchiori
    Sep 24, 2014
    10
    This album show the world a girl who came to music to change the pop music, and the get the change in this album, this album is a complete revolution of pop music
  28. GlM
    Sep 24, 2014
    10
    One of the greatest debut albums by an artist. The album delves into the idea of 'The Fame' to give us a narrative, filled with standout Dance-Pop anthems, touches of Disco, and R&B infused beats. The Dance fueled tracks of the album give an insight as to who Lady Gaga is, and who she is to become with a very long career ahead of her. She isn't stopping any time soon.
  29. luckythisway
    Sep 1, 2015
    10
    Definitely one of the best and strongest debut albums of all times. If you haven't heard it yet, then you're not breathing as it's hit singles have become some of the biggest hits of all time like Just Dance, Poker Face and Paparazzi. An awesome concept album about fame, and all the fun things that you do when you have it. Gaga made her mark on the industry with this album, and it was soDefinitely one of the best and strongest debut albums of all times. If you haven't heard it yet, then you're not breathing as it's hit singles have become some of the biggest hits of all time like Just Dance, Poker Face and Paparazzi. An awesome concept album about fame, and all the fun things that you do when you have it. Gaga made her mark on the industry with this album, and it was so good that she became the biggest popstar out there! Queen!… Expand
  30. rebeligado
    Jan 6, 2015
    9
    Álbum dos Hits Just Dance, Love Game, Paparazzi e Poker Face. Mas amo The Fame e Retro, Dance, Freak são perfeitas, a Sonoridade de I Like It Rough, é muito boa. esse é um ótimo Álbum de estreia.
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Most Discussed Album of 2008
6
#6 Most Shared Album of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. AllMusic
    70
    Fueled by heavy dance tracks and popping electronic beats, The Fame, the first album by the glamorous Lady Gaga, is a well-crafted sampling of feisty anti-pop in high quality.
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  2. Billboard
    80
    The full-length The Fame proves she's more than one hit and a bag of stage tricks.
    Read full review
  3. Boston Globe
    80
    Listen a little closer to the sly, snarky lyrics and glam grooves on this feisty debut and you'll hear that this former downtown New York spice girl has at least a few things on her dirty mind.
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