1. 'The Fame Monster' (2010)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrO4YZeyl0I There simply cannot be a finer or better record in this particular list, despite the insistence amongst purists that as an EP, it simply doesn't count. 'The Fame Monster' is only eight tracks long and was created as a companion piece to sister album 'The Fame' but soon surpasses it immeasurably in terms of crafting solid, addictive and incredibly well-received pop songs. 'Bad Romance' - perhaps the song Gaga will be most remembered and celebrated for - is the commander on 'The Fame Monster', shaping feelings of desire, love and longing with Hitchcock references and a dark undercurrent that had ardent pop fans and stalwart non-fans appreciating this stellar song. Fortunately the rest of the EP is as solid - summery single 'Alejandro' is an Ace-of-Base smash waiting in the wings (despite the misguided and overly dark video) while fellow single 'Telephone' is a superb dance-pop epic involving the talents of Gaga's pal Beyonce who nearly steals the song away with a killer middle eight. The themes of the album deal with the ideas of darkness and fear, with songs such as the brilliant 'Dancing in the Dark' dealing with the fear of intimacy, 'So Happy I Could Die' dealing with fears of addiction and 'Monster' dealing with her fear of sex. Add to that the emotional and heart-wrenching ballad 'Speechless' about her dad's illness and terrific catwalk anthem 'Teeth' which closes the EP, and you have a superior collection of tracks. 'The Fame Monster' might not be the longest or most expansive of Gaga's albums to date, but it contains a concise and blisteringly brilliant hitlist of pop songs that manage to strike at the head, engage the heart, and move your body towards the dancefloor. And there's not many EPs that can manage that. Bravo.