Lady Gaga Makes Time Magazine’s Most Influential People List

It goes to show you—drop Madonna’s greatest hits into a blender, sprinkle a little Bowie on it and then cover it with AutoTune, and voila–you’re set. At least, according to MTV, who reports that pop oddball Lady Gaga has been named as one of Time Magazine’s Most Influential People.  But, before you exclaim that this validates Gaga’s artistry and brilliance and whatever else the kids in the comments wall will claim, know that while the list includes such luminaries as President Barack Obama, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and Apple’s Steve Jobs, it also features such immortal icons as Taylor Swift and Robert Pattinson.  As for which camp Gaga will fall in, only time (or record sales, either way) will tell.

Lady Gaga’s friend and fellow pop chameleon Cyndi Lauper described her pal to Time as follows:

“An artist’s job is to take a snapshot — be it through words or sound, lyrics or song — that explains what it’s like to be alive at that time. Lady Gaga’s art captures the period we’re in right now… Gaga’s lyrics are incredibly literary. When ‘Bad Romance’ starts, the music grabs your ear immediately. Then she opens with the line ‘I want your ugly/ I want your disease,’ and all of a sudden you’re listening. Most of the stuff on the radio is not very clever, but Gaga presents her ideas in a sophisticated manner. She has an incredible pop sensibility.”

Whether you love her, hate her, or simply don’t care, it seems like Gaga is here to stay.  Which is fine, but does this mean that Madonna can finally go away now?  Pretty please?

What do you think of Lady Gaga’s ascension to Time Magazine’s Most Influential People List?