The Fame

The acronym is F-A-M-E, but it may as well be S-O-U-L. It was a full half-century ago that the recording studio, record label and publishing operation originally known as Florence Alabama Music Enterprises established itself and its trademark sound with the hit recording of ‘You Better Move On’ by Arthur Alexander. In the fifty years since, FAME Studios and its idiosyncratic founder Rick Hall have been at the forefront of the Muscle Shoals Sound. FAME begat the process whereby a little known Alabama backwater would evolve into the very crucible of southern soul, a holy place to where musicians, singers and fans still make a very specific pilgrimage in the hope of experiencing a little bit of the magic behind so many hit records: ‘I’m Your Puppet’, ‘Land Of 1,000 Dances’, ‘Tell Mama’ and countless others.

The Fame Monster is a reissue of Lady Gaga's debut album The Fame, including new tracks. The album included hits such as "Bad Romance" and "Telephone" and centered around the negative effects of fame.

Lady Gaga's debut album, released in October 2008, reinvigorated the music industry by racking up worldwide sales of over 15 million copies, earning six Grammy Award nominations with one win and spawning three top five singles. Among the Grammy nominations was her first of three in a row for Album of the Year, a feat not seen since the Beatles. This edition includes the bonus track Disco Heaven.