Lady Gaga birthday special: 'Shallow' singer's top 5 live performances

"I have always been a famous artist, you just didn't know it yet." These are the words of Lady Gaga, who with her distinctive voice and live performances has enthralled audiences for over two decades. Despite her multi-hyphenated persona, Gaga emerged as a resilient star in her illustrious career. On her 37th birthday, we look at the most epic live showings by the artist.

Her performance in the Super Bowl LI Halftime Show (2017) is widely regarded as one of the best live showings in Super Bowl History. She performed some of her biggest hits including Poker Face, Born This Way, and Bad Romance. One could easily recall the best moment when Gaga performed her hit song a Million Reasons while playing the piano adorned with glittering rhinestones.

Gaga gave one of the most heartfelt tributes to the most beloved musicals of all time—The Sound of Music—at the 2015 Oscars. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the musical, the singer performed a medley of songs including The Sound of Music and My Favorite Things. In a stunning white gown and sleek blonde hair, she reminded everyone of the movie's protagonist, Maria von Trapp.

Gaga's Paparazzi performance at the 2009 MTV VMA is considered one of the most iconic and controversial live showings in history. She pushed the limits and showcased a gruesome storyline involving her murder on stage with fake blood. The performance received mixed reviews. While some praised her for her daring work of art, others condemned her for being "too violent" for a mainstream audience.

If you have to witness Gaga's willingness to push boundaries, then watch Born This Way performance at the Grammy Awards. With a beautifully crafted storyline, which began with Gaga emerging from a giant egg-shaped vessel, a nod to her "birth" as an artist, the performance was packed with a spectacular display of choreography, special effects like the usage of smoking machines, visuals, and costumes.

One of the biggest hits of that time, Bad Romance was performed live during The Oprah Winfrey Show (2010). The song was accompanied by a troupe of dancers in elaborate costumes. It became one of the most memorable performances as along with singing, Gaga expressed gratitude to Winfrey and called her a "miracle" and a "beacon of hope" for millions of people globally.