Lady Gaga’s Longest-Charting Hits All Have Something In Common

“Die With a Smile,” the collaboration between Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, has become her second-longest-charting hit on the Hot 100. This time around, the Grammy-winning smash holds steady at No. 8 once again, ranking as one of the 10 biggest tracks in America, 45 weeks into its lifetime on the tally.

The tune is likely to remain on the list for quite some time, and its success underscores a running theme for Gaga — one that has proved fruitful for her on several occasions.

Collaborations Are King

All three of Gaga’s longest-charting singles on the Hot 100 share something in common: they are collaborations with other artists. Not just other musicians, but solo male acts. Two of them are proper duets, while another credits a featured act who delivered just a single verse.

“Die With a Smile” is matched with “Shallow,” Gaga’s Oscar-winning collaboration with Bradley Cooper from the film A Star Is Born and its accompanying soundtrack. The two hits have racked up 45 frames apiece on the ranking, but “Die With a Smile” will likely break that tie in just a few days.

“Just Dance” Still Leads

Gaga’s longest-running winner on the Hot 100 remains “Just Dance,” which launched her into the pop music stratosphere. That dance-pop cut lived on the tally for 49 frames, and it easily stands out as featured star Colby O’Donis’s most successful track in America.

“Die With a Smile” and “Shallow”

When it comes to both “Die With a Smile” and “Shallow,” the star power of the musician sitting alongside Gaga may have been instrumental in their success. Cooper was never known as a musician, but he is an A-list movie star, and all the excitement around the two performing at the Academy Awards propelled the track to No. 1.

Mars is, of course, one of the most successful pop hitmakers of the past several decades, and it’s easy to understand how the fan bases of the two musicians have kept the tune afloat.

O’Donis, however, was only slightly more famous than Gaga when “Just Dance” arrived, and his career tapered off quickly afterward. It was the catchy quality of that track and the novelty of electronic dance-pop that made “Just Dance” as huge as it was well over a decade ago.

“Poker Face” and “Bad Romance” Buck the Trend

Gaga’s next two longest-charting tracks on the Hot 100 are solo affairs, as “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance” lived on the list for 40 and 35 frames, respectively. Much of Gaga’s output that has reached the tally only credits her, though she has also landed big wins alongside stars like Beyoncé, Ariana Grande and even R. Kelly.