Who was the first female artist to have three singles sell more than 10 million copies?
It seems a bit of a blasé statement to say now that a female artist can often have it harder than their male counterparts in the music industry.
It’s blasé because it’s obvious. The tale we’ve been told for decades is one of discrimination, uneven airplay, and women being shooed out of certain sections of the industry simply because it’s seen as a man’s world. Somewhere along the line, though, a rebellion was lit, and now blazes to an inferno.
There are countless classic examples, from Aretha Franklin to Siouxsie Sioux and Dusty Springfield to Stevie Nicks. Not all took flight from the same part of the world or even the same genre, but they have all, in their own distinct ways, contributed significantly to the landscape we have now. There’s no denying that women are currently ruling supreme in the mainstream.
Of course, no one is trying to claim that someone like Charli XCX is a direct descendant of a great such as Nina Simone, but within the confines of the more modern zeitgeist, there are multiple female role models from whom newer artists can take the lead on how to make a massive career for themselves.
Lady Gaga’s been at it for the best part of two decades now, and she’s still got that spark that leaves the rest of the industry playing catch-up. What began with meat dresses and chicken nugget headpieces quickly morphed into full-blown pop royalty. She even became the first woman to rack up more than three singles selling over 10 million copies – not bad going, eh?
Which songs by Lady Gaga have sold more than 10million copies?
It goes without saying that 10m is obviously a huge amount of sales, so to have completed that feat over three times in a singles capacity sets a massive precedent. Lady Gaga first reached the milestone back in 2008 with her breakthrough hit ‘Just Dance’, taken from her debut album The Fame.
This was quickly followed hot on the heels by her next single, ‘Poker Face’, before the hat trick was completed the next year with the roaring success of ‘Bad Romance’. It wasn’t bad going within the space of just over 12 months, and for an artist who had only just broken out of obscurity, but if there’s anything we know by now, it’s that Lady Gaga doesn’t do anything by halves.
Over time, she was joined in the golden leagues of the trio of 10-million-selling singles by Katy Perry, Rihanna, and Adele, and although she would have no doubt enjoyed the company of a selection of fellow female superstars, Lady Gaga has never been a woman to be outdone. Almost a decade after gaining the hat trick, she then made it four after ‘Shallow’ from A Star is Born made it past the 10m sales mark.
This, of course, highlights the massive numbers behind a huge name in the pop music industry. But it also points out that success does not happen overnight. Now we’re in the midst of the social media age, where everything seems so instant, Lady Gaga proves that just sometimes, the best things are worth the wait.
