"The Fame" is the debut studio album by American singer Lady Gaga, released on August 19, 2008, through Interscope Records. Gaga collaborated with producers RedOne, Martin Kierszenbaum, and Rob Fusari on the album, which features a mix of electropop, synth-pop, and dance-pop with influences from 1980s music. Thematically, the album explores Gaga's fascination with fame while addressing topics like love, sex, money, drugs, and sexual identity.
The album was promoted through The Fame Ball Tour and various TV appearances. It received generally favorable reviews for its lyrical content, Gaga's musicianship, and vocal performance. The Fame was a commercial hit, topping charts in multiple countries, including the UK, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Poland, and Switzerland. It peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and spent a record 190 non-consecutive weeks at number one on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart. By January 2019, it had sold over 4.9 million copies in the US and, combined with The Fame Monster (2009), had sold over 18 million copies worldwide.
The album's lead singles, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face," achieved international success, reaching number one in multiple countries, including the US, UK, and Australia. Follow-up singles "LoveGame" and "Paparazzi" also performed well globally, while "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" had a limited release and "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" was a promotional single.
The Fame has received numerous awards and accolades, including five Grammy nominations at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, with wins for Best Electronic/Dance Album and Best Dance Recording for "Poker Face." It also won Best International Album at the 2010 Brit Awards. Rolling Stone recognized it as one of the "100 Greatest Debut Albums of All Time" in 2013 and 2022. As of 2023, it remains the 12th biggest album of all time on the US Billboard 200.
