Lady Gaga released Joanne in October 2016, and a decade later it still stands as her most personal album. Named for her aunt Joanne Germanotta, who died of lupus at 19 in 1974, the record traded turbo-pop for country, rock, Americana and folk, and it dove straight into grief, trauma, female friendship and social justice. Produced by Gaga with Mark Ronson and BloodPop, it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and won best pop vocal album at the 2018 Grammys, while the title track took best pop solo performance in 2019.
For the anniversary, Billboard ranked every track on Joanne plus three deluxe bonus cuts.“Perfect Illusion”landed at No. 1, and the“Angel Down”work tape came in last, a ranking that’s already sparking debates among fans. The album also helped kick off a back-to-roots wave among pop stars, proving Gaga could strip away the spectacle and still command a room.
Whether you’re here for“Million Reasons,”the Florence Welch duet“Hey Girl,”or that gut-punch title track, Joanne rewards a full re-listen. The themes of family and loss hold up just as hard ten years later. So we have to ask: which Joanne track do you think deserved the top spot?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.