To label Lady Gaga as a pop star or even a pop idol would be understandable, but it would be understandably inaccurate. Lady Gaga is more than some red-carpet-walking paparazzi victim, and she's more than a major record label attention whore. She's a cult leader, and her fans are more than pop culture trend followers, they're worshippers. She's earned her spot on The New Statesman's “Fifty People Who Matter, 2010,” but not for the reasons illuminated by this article. While it was her performance art and outlandish outfits that made her famous, the legacy she leaves behind will have nothing to do with her “self-professed freak” persona. Rather, Lady Gaga is one of the top fifty most significant figures in American society today because she's bringing back to life the activist spirit that died with the classic rockers of the sixties.
In today's world of celebrity philanthropy, posing with pandas in the name of environmentalism or signing autobiographies to raise awareness is considered a legitimate way for the rich and famous to “help out.” Sometimes, these passive-aggressive attacks on oppression help to create change. Sometimes they don't. Regardless of either outcome, at the end of the day, these celebrities ride their limos and Escalades back to one of their five homes, sip a glass of wine and feel good about at least attempting to tame the institutional beasts of our society. Gaga is an entirely different animal, and she's going straight for the jugular. At this years VMA's, while guests of honor flashed their pearly whites for the cameras, Gaga turned the attention toward something more significant than the evening itself. She walked the red carpet flanked on either side by individuals – two men and two women – in military uniform who had either resigned or been discharged from the military as a result of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. During the award ceremony that followed her bold entrance, the Lady flaunted a dress made entirely out of flank steak – a political statement, she said, that expressed her sentiment that the government is treating it's LGBTQ members of the military like meat, not people. On September first, Momma Monster published a black and white public service announcement where she pleaded for Senators and Representatives to repeal the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, and asked her audience to call their representatives in Congress with the same request.
By ensuing such a bold attack on the oppression endured by LGBTQ Americans today, Lady Gaga leads by example in showing her fellow “beautiful and dirty rich” (to quote her own lyrics) celebrities that the privilege they experience comes with a responsibility, and that they must use the spotlights upon them to inspire and provoke change. Her attitude is reminiscent of musicians of the sixties like Bob Dylan, Credence Clearwater Revival and John Lennon who used their power and influence in popular culture to protest the war in Vietnam, racism, sexism and environmental destruction. These artists inspired people to take their issues to the streets and ordered their governments to obey their demands. Gaga is doing the same thing, and hopefully will inspire other celebrities and individuals who occupy the public's attention to do the same.

she matters because she's popular. a few years ago that was britney being worshiped.
http://www.song-list.net/ladygaga/songs

Wow. Three fairly intelligent remarks and all the rest were teenagers (or adults with teen minds) writing nonsense about how great It is. It is influential and It probably deserves to be on this list. But It isn't all that.
I wish It would tell all of Its cult-followers to go to Jonestown and drink the Flavor-Aid with It. (To all of you ignorant "monsters" who are too busy worshipping It, take a break and look up "Jonestown Kool-Aid" on a search engine.