by John White

Created on: April 17, 2010   Last Updated: May 11, 2010

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah,

Roma-roma-ma-ah.

Gaga, ooh-la-la,

Want your bad romance.

Okay, so Lady Gaga is no John Lennon when it comes to song lyrics, but before you dismiss her linguistic abilities, remember the Beatles wrote only about kissing and holding hands in the infancy of their musical career. Lennon’s poetic, haunting prose came much later on when he had matured as a songwriter/musician.

Now comparisons between Lady Gaga and Madonna are inevitable. Both are of Italian heritage, both struggled early in their careers, and both blasted onto the musical scene with mega-hit singles.

Right up front, let’s just say there is no comparison between their careers. When Lady Gaga can say she’s been successful in the business for 26 years, sold over a 100 million albums, won a Golden Globe for best actress, had a bestselling book, and bore two children while maintaining her high school weight, then she can compare her career to Madonna.

Musically though, Lady Gaga has an edge. Born Stefani Joanne Germanotta in 1986, New York, she learned piano at age 4, composed her first piano ballad at 13, performed open mic nights by 14, and at 17, gained early admission to the prestigious New York University Tisch School of Arts.

She drifted for a few years performing in local clubs until she hooked up with music producer Rob Fusari who helped her get a job writing songs for Britney Spears, Fergie, and the Pussycat Dolls.

Her success on the Lollapalooza tour led to her first album ‘The Fame’ and the hit single ‘Just Dance.’ Her second hit ‘Poker Face’ established her as the next big thing in the music industry.

Madonna also had struggles early in her career and also had a meteoric rise in the industry beginning in 1982 with ‘Borderline’ and ‘Lucky Star.’ Born Madonna Louise Ciccone in Bay City, Michigan, Madonna made up for a weak voice and lack of songwriting skills with a bevy of other talents, including a pretty face, wonderful dancing skills, an instinct for self-promotion and the chameleon-like ability to change musical styles and follow the popular trend.

Lady Gaga, on the other hand, has what Howard Stern would call a butterface and she can’t dance—period. Yet with her vibrant vocal talents and songwriting abilities she someday should surpass the accomplishments of Madonna. A risky prediction but Miss Germanotta has already shown her chops and they are formidable.

Perhaps a comparison to Elton John would be more in line. Both are admitted bisexuals, both can write their own songs and perform them, and both wear outrageous costumes on stage, John with his high heeled platform boots and elephant sized glasses, while Gaga wears outfits that look like they came off a Vegas billboard.

Yet both Lady Gaga and Elton John have that rare ability to hear that tune in their heads and put it down on paper, a talent Madonna doesn’t possess. And it’s that difference musically that separates the great from the good.

Lady Gaga’s music and lyrics, like the early Beatles, are in their infancy, but in the near future her talent as a songwriter will develop and then we’ll hear her ‘Candle in the Winds,’ ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Roads’ and ‘Imagines’ come to the surface.

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