Lady Gaga: a pop icon in pictures

Lady Gaga promoting her debut single, Just Dance, in Sydney, September 2008. It reached No 1 in the UK, the US and Australia Photograph: John Grainger/Newspix / Rex Feat/John Grainger/Newspix / Rex Feat Photograph: John Grainger/Newspix / Rex Feat/Action images Striking a pose at Interscope Records in Santa Monica, March 2009. Amazingly, this is Gaga's idea of dressing conservatively Photograph: Chris Pizzello We did warn you ... here's Gaga being interviewed on German TV in July 2009, modelling a Kermit the Frog ensemble. Her stylist Nicola Formichetti and the Haus of Gaga team devise these high-concept outfits Photograph: Public Domain The crowd reacts to president Obama's comment that 'it is a privilege to be here tonight to open for Lady Gaga' at a human rights campaign dinner, in Washington, October 2009 Photograph: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Performing at Glastonbury festival in 2009, during which her bra sprayed fire at an unsuspecting crowd. It's fair to say you didn't get this with Foals Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images Lady Gaga with Sir Elton John at the Grammy awards in LA, January 2010 ... shortly before setting him on fire Photograph: Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com Attending the Brit awards, where she won a hat trick of prizes Photograph: Jon Furniss/WireImage Attending the announcement of her Polaroid partnership at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, January 2010 Photograph: David Becker/Getty Images 'But how does one wear a meat dress?' Gaga meets the Queen at the Royal Variety performance in Blackpool, December 2009 Photograph: LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images Her controversial Telephone music video , which premiered in March 2010, is 10 minutes long and partially set in a women's prison where Gaga is incarcerated. Luckily, she doesn't let this get in the way of some bonkers outfits ... Photograph: Publicity Image Walking around London looking very British with a cup of tea and John Lennon glasses in February 2010 Photograph: Beretta/Sims/Karius / Rex Featur On the cover of Vanity Fair in September 2010, where Gaga divulged her avoidance of sex for fear of losing her creativity Photograph: Nick Knight This month Gaga hit the headlines after wearing a dress made entirely of meat to the MTV VMAs. This angered animal rights campaigners but proved once again that she knows how to create controversy in style Photograph: Wire/PA