Lady Gaga reveals songs that defined her life: one directly inspired Born This Way

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• Why Gaga picked the songs that shaped her sound
• Springsteen and the Americana thread in her work
• Beck and the downtown influence on her evolution
• The deeper roots: Carl Bean and a legacy of self-acceptance
• A mosaic of genres: rock, soul, jazz and electronica
• How these tracks reflect her artistic priorities
  • Key takeaways from her playlist
• The full list she shared and what each reveals

Lady Gaga returned to the pop spotlight this year with Mayhem, a record that revisits her early highs while weaving in fresh sounds. In a new Rolling Stone video, she walked viewers through the songs that shaped her, offering a peek into the music that formed her identity as an artist.

Why Gaga picked the songs that shaped her sound

In the interview, Gaga explained that the records you discover when you’re young leave the deepest mark. She described those years as a period of absorption, when a single song can steer your tastes and ambitions for decades. Those early influences reappear across her albums, especially on work that aims to be personal and raw.

Springsteen and the Americana thread in her work

One of Gaga’s first picks was Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road.” The Springsteen connection runs deep in her catalog, especially on tracks that lean into classic American rock and soul. Rather than copying his sound, she borrowed Springsteen’s emotional grit and storytelling sensibility.

• “Thunder Road” — Evokes memories of family and a bittersweet nostalgia for the past.
• Elements of Americana show up in songs like “Yoü and I” and in the persona work she did around Born This Way.

Beck and the downtown influence on her evolution

Gaga also singled out Beck’s “Nicotine & Gravy.” That track reminded her of life in the Lower East Side and of the adaptive, chameleon-like quality she admired in other artists. Watching Beck morph his sound inspired her to experiment and evolve.

• As a 19-year-old, she said the song matched her downtown energy and desire to change.
• The lesson: reinvention can be a creative engine, not a loss of identity.

The deeper roots: Carl Bean and a legacy of self-acceptance

One selection surprised many: “I Was Born This Way” by Carl Bean, a 1977 record from a Motown singer who later became a pastor and activist. Bean’s version predated and influenced later queer-affirming anthems.

• Carl Bean founded a church that welcomed Black and LGBTQ people and later started the Minority AIDS Project of Los Angeles.
• Gaga credits Bean’s message as a seed for her own title track and for the broader mission behind Born This Way.

Born This Way became a cultural milestone that amplified voices outside the mainstream. Bean’s earlier record helped show a path to translating that message into pop music.

A mosaic of genres: rock, soul, jazz and electronica

Gaga’s list jumped across decades and styles. She included classic rock, 1950s jazz, soul, and modern electronic acts. The choices map to moments in her life, from late-night club nights to stage-based theatricality.

• Classic rock: The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” and Led Zeppelin’s “Thank You.” She noted the mix of mythic rock mystique and human warmth in those songs.
• Art rock and new wave: David Bowie’s “Watch That Man” and The Cure’s “Never Enough” for mood and attitude.
• Alternative and post-punk: She Wants Revenge’s “Tear You Apart,” chosen for its dark romanticism.
• Soul and pop: Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” and Carole King’s Tapestry album for songwriting craft and groove.
• Jazz and standards: Dinah Washington’s “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes” and Miles Davis’ “So What” — nods to her jazz moments and her collaborations with Tony Bennett.
• Electronica and contemporary edge: Justice’s “Stress,” which taps into late-night energy and modern production bravado.

How these tracks reflect her artistic priorities

Across the list, certain themes recur: theatrical drama balanced with sincerity, a fascination with character and storytelling, and an appetite for reinvention. For Gaga, songs become mirrors. They show who she was then and hint at who she wants to be next.

Key takeaways from her playlist

• Many songs served as personal touchstones for friendship groups or specific life phases.
• Some tracks sparked direct creative choices on major albums.
• Others taught her how to blend spectacle with honesty in performance and songwriting.

The full list she shared and what each reveals

Gaga expanded beyond ten items, ending up with fifteen selections that span 1950s jazz to 2000s electronic rock. Each choice sheds light on a different facet of her musical identity.

• Bruce Springsteen — “Thunder Road”
• Beck — “Nicotine & Gravy”
• Carl Bean — “I Was Born This Way”
• Iron Butterfly — “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”
• David Bowie — “Watch That Man”
• Heavy Metal Kids — “Hey Little Girl”
• Stevie Wonder — “Superstition”
• Carole King — selections from Tapestry
• Dinah Washington — “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes”
• Miles Davis — “So What”
• Rolling Stones — “Sympathy for the Devil”
• Led Zeppelin — “Thank You”
• She Wants Revenge — “Tear You Apart”
• The Cure — “Never Enough”
• Justice — “Stress”

These songs form a patchwork of influence that helps explain how Gaga moves between pop spectacle and intimate performance. They chart a path from gritty rock and soul to modern electronic tension, mirroring the shape of her career to date.