Edge Of Glory
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"The Edge of Glory" is a song by American singer
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
from her second studio album, '' Born This Way'' (2011). The song was released on May 9, 2011, as the album's third single. Initially released as one of two promotional singles for ''Born This Way'', it shortly became a single following its success in digital outlets worldwide. The song was written and produced by Gaga and
Fernando Garibay Fernando Garibay (born December 27, 1982) is an American record producer, songwriter, and author. He was one half of the short-lived pop duo, Kylie and Garibay, which he formed with Australian singer Kylie Minogue in 2014. Career Garibay was ...
, and is a
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
,
electro-rock Electronic rock (also known as electro rock and synth rock) is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s when rock b ...
, and
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
song that speaks of the last moments of life. According to Gaga, lyrical inspiration came from the death of her grandfather, who died in September 2010. Along with a
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...
solo played by
Clarence Clemons Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American saxophonist. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. Clemons rel ...
, the melody of the song resembles much of the musical works of
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
, and contains several qualities similar to that of 1980s adult contemporary musical works. "The Edge of Glory" received critical acclaim, with many reviewers deeming it an album highlight. Much of the praise went to the song's chorus and the musical production. Reviewers also complimented Gaga's vocals, describing it as "soulful". The song was a commercial success worldwide and even more successful than "Judas", charting in the top 10 in several major music markets, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Gaga's tenth consecutive top-10 single in the United States. A music video for the song was filmed in late May, co-directed by the singer and her production team, Haus of Gaga. The video is simple in contrast to much of Gaga's past work and portrays her dancing on a fire-escape and walking on a lonely street. Differences include the lack of intricate choreography and backup dancers, as well as using only one outfit designed by
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. Critics praised the simplicity of the video, while comparing it to the works of
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
,
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
and
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
. Live performances of the song include the tenth season of ''American Idol'', the
2011 MuchMusic Video Awards The 2011 MuchMusic Video Awards was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at MuchMusic's headquarters on June 19, 2011. The awards were aired on MuchMusic, CP24, E!, MuchHD and FUSE TV, Fuse. Along with the MuchMusic VJ's, it was confirmed on the Much ...
, ''
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''s "Summer Concert Series", and many of the singer's concert tours.


Background and release

"The Edge of Glory" was written by Lady Gaga,
Fernando Garibay Fernando Garibay (born December 27, 1982) is an American record producer, songwriter, and author. He was one half of the short-lived pop duo, Kylie and Garibay, which he formed with Australian singer Kylie Minogue in 2014. Career Garibay was ...
, and DJ White Shadow, and was produced by Gaga and Garibay. The origins of the song first came about in January 2011, when Gaga released part of the lyrics on her
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
account. DJ White Shadow revealed that before they returned to Europe for the 2010 dates of
The Monster Ball Tour The Monster Ball Tour was the second worldwide concert tour by American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga. Staged in support of her first EP, ''The Fame Monster'' (2009), the concert largely comprised songs from that recording as well as Gaga's debu ...
, Gaga had taken leave for few days to be with her ailing grandfather. After he died, Gaga told White Shadow that she wrote a song about her grandfather's death and its impact on her. Gaga spoke to
Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' about the story behind the song:
" The Edge of Glory'was about how when my grandma was standing over my grandfather while he was dying. There was this moment where I felt like he had sort of looked at her and reckoned that he had won in life. Like, 'I'm a champion. We won. Our love made us a winner.' They were married 60 years. I thought about that idea, that the glorious moment of your life is when you decide that it's okay to go, you don't have any more words to say, more business, more mountains to climb. You're on the cliff, you tip your hat to yourself and you go. That's what it was for me in that moment when I witnessed it."
More information in regards to "The Edge of Glory" was revealed by Gaga, in an interview with
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where she explained the song as being about one's final moments on Earth, before death. Another inspiration for the song was actor
Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...
's 1976 film ''
Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American independent film, independent sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the Rocky (film series), ''Rocky'' franchise and also star ...
'', which is Gaga's favorite film. The singer felt that the song was about looking at life directly, with the feeling that he or she is a champion—like the emotion displayed by the character
Rocky Balboa Robert "Rocky" Balboa (also known by his ring name the Italian Stallion) is a fictional character and the titular protagonist of the ''Rocky'' franchise. The character was created by Sylvester Stallone, who has also portrayed him in eight of ...
in the film. On May 5, 2011,
Interscope Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...
sent out an e-mail to radio stations across the United States, which explained that "The Edge of Glory" was to be released on Monday, May 9, 2011, as the first of two
promotional single A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mu ...
s for ''Born This Way''. It was to serve as the first song in the "Countdown to ''Born This Way''" promotion on iTunes Store. However, after its release to the digital stores, "The Edge of Glory" started selling a considerable amount of digital downloads, prompting Gaga to make it the third single from ''Born This Way''. On her Twitter account Gaga revealed the cover for the single. It shows a naked Gaga with her mouth open, wearing her facial prosthetics from the " Born This Way" cover, and her hair wildly cascading around her.


Recording and composition

"The Edge of Glory" features synthesizers executed in a style influenced by
smooth jazz Smooth jazz is commercially oriented crossover jazz music. Although often described as a "genre", it is a debatable and highly controversial subject in jazz music circles. As a radio format, however, smooth jazz radio became the successor to e ...
, as well as the inclusion of a
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...
solo. The song is less electronic and more straightforward pop, and the lyrics deal more with romance than individual inspiration. Garibay revealed that the song was recorded in Gaga's natural vocal tone, and required just one
take A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production. Film In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup". Takes of each ...
. She requested him to add the sound of
heartbeat Heartbeat, heart beat or heartbeats may refer to: Science and technology * Heartbeat (biology), one cardiac cycle of the heart * Heartbeat (computing), a periodic signal to indicate normal operation or to synchronize parts of a system ** Heartbea ...
at the start of the track. Garibay said that the decision to add a saxophone solo was a "bold move" for Gaga, since
contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...
did not have any songs with a saxophone solo on their song playlists. A
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
,
electro-rock Electronic rock (also known as electro rock and synth rock) is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s when rock b ...
,
arena rock Arena rock (also known as stadium rock, pomp rock or corporate rock) is a style of rock music that became mainstream in the 1970s. It typically involves radio-friendly rock music that was designed to be played for large audiences. As hard rock ...
, and
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
song, "The Edge of Glory" opens with Gaga's vocals over a keyboard, singing the line: "There ain't no reason you and me should be alone tonight, yeah baby, tonight, yeah baby." According to
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
's Jocelyn Vena, the song's production evokes the "late '80s, early '90s adult-contemporary pop, when big choruses were the norm for songs." Jason Lipshultz from ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' stated the song "leans upon sunny
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
" that sounds big on the chorus, where Gaga sings "I'm on the edge of glory and I'm hanging on a moment of truth". Evan Sawdey of the website
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
found several
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
elements in the composition of the song. Vena also felt that what made the song stand out from others on the radio was the saxophone solo by Clemons right in the middle of the track, as Gaga belts out, "I'm on the edge with you." Robert Copsey from
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
said that the
musical composition Musical composition can refer to an Originality, original piece or work of music, either Human voice, vocal or Musical instrument, instrumental, the musical form, structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or writing a new pie ...
is a mixture of loud-sounding
electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...
s and club-beat influenced synths. The song and album ends with a long coda, with the sound of the saxophone fading out. According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Sony Music Publishing LLC (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is an American music publisher. Responsible for publishing the largest quantity of music, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021, it is part of Sony ...
, "The Edge of Glory" is written in
common time A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates the ...
with a
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
of 128
beats per minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...
. Set in the key of
A major A major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor. The A major scale is: Changes needed for the ...
, it follows the basic
chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural, or simply changes) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from ...
of A–E–D for the verse and A–E–Fm–D progression for the chorus, while Gaga's voice spans from A3 to D5. Gaga's reference for the saxophone solo was the
E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band that has been the primary backing band for rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972. In 2014, the E Street Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For the bulk of Springsteen's recordin ...
and
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
; she ultimately asked
Clarence Clemons Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American saxophonist. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. Clemons rel ...
from the E Street Band to play the instrument. Clemons told ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' that in January 2011 he was contacted by Gaga's management and they wanted him to play on ''Born This Way''. Since the call was on a Friday, Clemons replied that he could record it on the coming Monday or Tuesday, but Gaga was adamant to have him at the New York recording studio on that day itself. Clemons flew from Florida to New York, and reached the recording studio in Manhattan at midnight. Gaga wanted him to play saxophone on multiple tracks, one of them being "The Edge of Glory". She simply told Clemons, "We'll put the tape on and you just play". The recording concluded by 3 a.m. after a few takes. Clemons added that he was surprised to get paid, since he "would have done it for free. I can never believe something that feels so good earns me money."


Critical reception

"The Edge of Glory" was met with general acclaim from critics. While previewing the song Matthew Perpetua from ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' wrote a positive review: "This one sounds crazy in print .. but somehow it all seems totally natural when you actually hear it." Perpetua added that there is an element of cheesiness in the song, but nevertheless, it is captivating and catchy when one listens to it. He complimented the inclusion of Clemons as an "inspired touch that amplifies the song's Eighties stadium rock vibe," and Clemons' actual performance was described as amazing and among the best of his career. In another review, Perpetua noted that "The Edge of Glory" is "an immediate pop anthem". Fellow ''Rolling Stone'' journalist Jody Rosen complimented the hook, the chorus and Clemens' saxophone playing on the song. Jocelyn Vena from
MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
asserted that the song showed a softer side to Gaga, as opposed to her previous singles from ''Born This Way''. Willa Paskin from ''
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
'' was impressed with the track, saying: "If the first two tracks off the forthcoming ''Born This Way'' were all jangly dance-rock, this is as smooth as an '80s jam straight off the ''Flashdance'' soundtrack, and it has the saxophone breakdown to prove it." Paskin also believed that the song had potential to be a summer hit, but could face competition from singer
Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists in hist ...
's single, " Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)". Jason Lipshutz of ''Billboard'' wrote that "The Edge of Glory" was "risk-taking, utit's focused on romance rather than individual inspiration." Lewis Corner of
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
awarded the song with five out of five stars and wrote: "Gaga belts over a chorus tastier and more filling than a meatball sub – stuffed with stadium-sized beats and massive techno synths; while the side of sax solo courtesy of the late Clarence Clemons is bound to seduce many a clubber into bringing out their rarely-used-nowadays air sax." Kevin O'Donnell of ''Spin'' noted that in the song, Gaga "goes back to basics". He also called the song a "four-on-the-floor anthem with loads of references to '80s pop music" and concluded "Thankfully, 'Edge of Glory' proves Gaga hasn't let her global celebrity get the best of her art, and she's still capable to cranking out straightforward, dance-ready jams like 'Just Dance' or 'Poker Face'." Both Andy Gill of ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' and James Reed of ''
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'' praised Clarence Clemons' saxophone solo in "The Edge of Glory". Nardine Saad from ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' asserted that "The Edge of Glory" was less shock-provoking than her previous releases. Saad also felt that the track was slower and less electro in its composition than "
Judas Judas Iscariot (; ; died AD) was, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Judas betrayed Jesus to the Sanhedrin in the Garden of Gethsemane, in exchange for thirty pieces of ...
", her then current single. Priya Elan of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' wrote that the song felt like a "pop moment" without Gaga trying too hard to address social issues or religious conflicts; Elan also complimented Clemons' saxophone addition. Similar sentiments were expressed by fellow ''NME'' writer Dan Martin, who found the track to be gleaming, calling it the "most ecstatic pop serenade" Gaga has ever come up with. Robert Copsey from Digital Spy commented that the song is a "straight-up fists-in-the-air feel-good anthem that is less cheesy than 'Born This Way' but equally (if not more) euphoric." However, he found the opening bar of the song similar to that of
Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
's 2002 single "
Song for the Lonely "Song for the Lonely" (originally titled "(This is) A Song for the Lonely") is a song by American singer Cher from her twenty-fourth studio album, '' Living Proof'' (2001). It was written by Mark Taylor, Paul Barry and Steve Torch, and produced ...
". Megan Gibson from ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' was disappointed with the single, feeling that it was not "particularly good", and called the music as trite, uninspiring and bland. Matthew Cole from ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' was polarized with the song, stating that while it lowered his expectations for the album, he expressed that the saxophone solo was "admittedly a high point, and one of the more original ideas that Gaga has had of late." Sal Cinquemani, from the same publication, felt that the song "isn't retro so much as retrograde, starting off with some crafty
Art of Noise Art of Noise (also the Art of Noise) were a British avant-garde synth-rock group formed in early 1983 by engineer/producer Gary Langan and programmer J. J. Jeczalik, along with keyboardist/arranger Anne Dudley, producer Trevor Horn, and ...
synth tones before morphing into what sounds like the theme song to an early-'90s sitcom, or an inspirational sports flick, as sung by
Bonnie Tyler Gaynor Sullivan (née Hopkins; born 8 June 1951), known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, is a Welsh singer. Known for her distinctive husky voice, Tyler came to prominence with the release of her 1977 album '' The World Starts Tonight'' and its ...
."
Greg Kot Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the ''Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busines ...
of ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' also gave a mixed review about the song, calling it a "Springsteen-on-steroids bombast" and adding that it features "Clarence Clemons doing almost a parody of a Clarence Clemons sax solo." "The Edge of Glory" is widely regarded as one of Lady Gaga's finest songs. In 2019, ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' ranked the song number nine on their list of the 15 greatest Lady Gaga songs, and in 2020, ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' ranked the song number two on their list of the 30 greatest Lady Gaga songs.


Accolades

"The Edge of Glory" was nominated in the category for Song of the Year at the
38th People's Choice Awards The 38th People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2011, were held on January 11, 2012 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and were broadcast live on CBS at 9:00 pm ET. Katy Perry Dominated the 38th People ...
. At the end of 2011, ''Slant Magazine'' listed "The Edge of Glory" as the eighth best song of the year, with Ed Gonzalez from the website commenting that the song is "a study in radical contrast that, once you sift aside its deliberately dated effects and the legacy of the late Clarence Clemons, is deep down an incredibly delicate ballad. Yes, everyone expects Gaga to make her confessions on the dance floor, but who knew she could make her shouts whisper?" It was placed at the same rank by ''Billboard'', and at position seven by ''Rolling Stone''. In September 2013, the saxophone solo ranked number two on
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
's list of the 15 Greatest Guest Solos in Rock History.


Chart performance

In the United States, "The Edge of Glory" debuted at number 31 on the ''Billboard'' Pop Songs chart, for the issue dated May 28, 2011. It also debuted at number two on the
Hot Digital Songs The Digital Song Sales (previously named Digital Songs and Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Luminate and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally started tracking so ...
chart, with sales of 266,000 copies, according to
Nielsen SoundScan Luminate Data, LLC (formerly MRC Data and P-MRC Data) is a provider of music and entertainment data. Established as a joint-venture in 2020, it brought together Nielsen Music, Alpha Data (formerly BuzzAngle Music) and Variety Business Intellige ...
. The song entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number three, and the Radio Songs chart at number 54, with 20 million audience impressions. Gaga became the first artist since
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
to have her first ten singles enter the top ten of the Hot 100. The next week, "The Edge of Glory" moved up to number 18 on Pop Songs, becoming the greatest gainer of the week. However, digital sales dropped by 64% to 98,000 copies, hence the song fell to number 19 on the Hot 100. The song rose to number 37 on the Radio Songs chart, with airplay increasing to 30 million audience impressions. In its third week on the chart, "The Edge of Glory" was again the greatest gaining song on the Pop Songs chart and reached number 14, while debuting at number 33 on the
Adult Pop Songs The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Syste ...
chart. It was also the greatest-earning digital song, selling 165,000 copies, with overall airplay increasing to 39 million audience impressions, subsequently resulting in the song re-entering the top-ten of the Hot 100 at number eight. In the end, the song reached a peak of number four on Radio Songs, number three on Pop Songs, number one on Hot Dance Club Songs, number seven on Adult Contemporary and number two on Adult Pop Songs. "The Edge of Glory" sold 2.325 million digital copies in 2011 and became the 29th best-selling song of the year in the United States. As of April 2016, it has sold 3,000,000 digital downloads in the US according to Nielsen SoundScan. "The Edge of Glory" debuted at number three on the
Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007 as the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart ...
and entered on the Canadian Hot Digital Songs chart at number two, selling 26,000 digital downloads. It was the top debuting song on the contemporary hit radio chart of Canada, at number 42. After four weeks, the song re-entered the top 10 of the Canadian Hot 100, and reached the top 10 of the Contemporary hit radio chart. In the United Kingdom, "The Edge of Glory" debuted at number six on the UK Singles Chart. After fluctuating down the charts for few weeks, the song rebounded in the top 10 on June 26, 2011. Its digital sales increased by 89.1%, supported by the performance of the song on ''
Paul O'Grady Live ''Paul O'Grady Live'' is a British comedy chat show hosted by Paul O'Grady, that began airing on 10 September 2010 on ITV. The show is a Friday night chat show that features a mixture of celebrity guests, airing at 21:00. The show culminates w ...
'', which was broadcast on three occasions, and promoted in the radio airplay of the song, where it moved up the chart to reach a peak of eleven. As of January 2025, the song has sold 1.1 million copies in the UK with 54 million streams, and is certified platinum by the
British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI). In Australia, it debuted at number 11 on the
ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
and in New Zealand it debuted at number three on the
RIANZ Singles Chart Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...
. The song was later certified quintuple platinum and Gold by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
(ARIA) and the
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded ...
(RIANZ), for shipment of 350,000 and 7,500 copies of the single, respectively. In Ireland, "The Edge of Glory" debuted at number 10 on the
Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are ...
, on May 13, 2011, and reached a peak of four. In France, the song debuted at number seven on the
French Singles Chart SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in ...
, before dropping to number 35, becoming Gaga's tenth top ten but also her biggest dropping in the country. In Germany, the song debuted on the
Media Control Charts The GfK Entertainment charts are the official charts for music, home video, and video games in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on be ...
at number 28, and reached a peak of three. "The Edge of Glory" sold 44,176 digital downloads in South Korea, to debut at number two on the Gaon International Online Chart on May 22, 2011, and moved to the top of the chart the next week, with further sales of 48,937 copies.


Music video


Background

At the BMI Pop Music Awards, Gaga's choreographer
Laurieann Gibson Laurieann Gibson (born July 14, 1969) is a Canadian choreographer, director, television personality, singer, actress, and dancer. She has choreographed dance numbers for musical artists such as Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, and Beyon ...
explained that they would be filming the
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for "The Edge of Glory" soon. While she did not reveal much about the music video concept, she added: "I just know that we'll be feeling very fishy." Gaga told
MTV UK MTV is a British pay television channel focusing on reality TV and music programming operated by Paramount Networks UK & Australia. The channel launched as part of MTV Networks Europe localisation strategy in 1997. MTV UK (previously MTV UK & I ...
that she had recently written the treatment for the video, adding that it's her favorite.
E! Online E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable television network. It is owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The channel focuses primarily on pop culture, celebrity based reality shows and movies. ...
reported that a casting call for the video was made, where the agents looked for a Puerto Rican or Dominican origin male. Other roles included a male or female on-air reporter, a doctor role reminiscent to the one in the popular show ''
Dr. 90210 ''Dr. 90210'' is an American reality television series focusing on plastic surgery in the wealthy suburb of Beverly Hills, California. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2008 on E!. ''Dr. 90210'' gets its name from the ZIP code o ...
'', and a group of military men for scenes involving rifles. The music video director was confirmed as Joseph Kahn, but Interscope Records later confirmed that Kahn and Gaga parted ways due to collaborative misunderstandings. Gibson confirmed that there was "some issues on the set", which resulted in Kahn being replaced as the director. Gaga's creative team Haus of Gaga were later chosen to direct the video instead. Chancler Haynes, Kahn's on-set editor revealed that the mermaid-themed performance of the song, on '' Le Grand Journal'' was the actual theme of the video, and included sets built for a hospital scene, Brooklyn Bridge, and a big underwater mermaid scene. However, at the last minute until shooting, Gaga changed her mind regarding the whole concept, leading to a disagreement with Kahn, and hence it was cancelled. She then shot the scenes with
Clarence Clemons Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American saxophonist. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. Clemons rel ...
(his final appearance before he died) in a New York City set. She later explained that her idea was to create a "sweater set of a video". She wanted to acknowledge herself and the success she had experienced in her music career, with a simplified video showing her dancing outside her New York apartment from her early days. The music video premiered on June 16, 2011, on the eighth season of US reality television show, ''
So You Think You Can Dance ''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and has ...
''.


Synopsis

Gaga's wardrobe throughout the entire video primarily consists of only one outfit which was designed by
Gianni Versace Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace (; 2 December 1946 – 15 July 1997) was an Italian fashion designer, socialite and businessman. He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-up ...
. The dress consists of a S&M-inspired outfit, with heavy gold jewelry, studs on the leather, and vibrant nail polish and lipstick. Notable in the video is the absence of backup dancers, elaborate choreography, or a symbolic plot: components that have been fully predominant in Gaga's other music videos. Aside from Gaga herself, Clemons is the only other person to appear in the video. The video begins with Gaga slowly appearing from behind a building on a deserted street corner. The whole scenario is pervaded in red and purple lights, coming from the windows of the buildings and alleyways as steam billows out from the drains. When the first verse of the song begins, Gaga emerges from the window of an apartment onto the fire escape. A long take follows, of Gaga strutting through the red-lit district singing the line "I got a reason that you should take me home tonight", and a shock of black hair falls in her eyes. Gaga does not remove it and the shot spans to her walking backside, gesturing the viewer to follow. The video consists mostly of intersplicing shots of Gaga dancing and singing on the street, on the fire escape, and on the steps in front of the apartment building with Clemons. Near the end of the video, after Clemons' saxophone solo, Gaga hunches over in front of the building's steps and kisses the sidewalk. The video concludes with a close-up of Gaga's face, before she comes back through the window into her hazy apartment.


Reception

Both Jocelyn Vena from MTV and Christian Blauvelt from ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' commented on the similarity of the music video with the Broadway musical, ''
Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...
''. Vena also compared the visuals with those for
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
's 1986 single "
Papa Don't Preach "Papa Don't Preach" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album, '' True Blue'' (1986). Written by Brian Elliot, it was produced by the singer and her collaborator Stephen Bray. In the United States, the song was released as ...
" and
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
's 1983 single, "
Billie Jean "Billie Jean" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on January 3, 1983, as the second single from his sixth studio album, ''Thriller (album), Thriller'' (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson, produ ...
". She concluded by saying that the music video "still manages to shine, mostly because of its simplicity". In another review, James Montgomery from MTV, also found similarities between the video and the musicals ''Rent'' and ''
West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a Musical theatre, musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a Book (musical theatre), book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo an ...
''. Blauvelt was initially surprised to see the simplistic approach of the video, since her past releases had provocative visuals. He added that the video seemed a "clear homage" to Gaga's inspirations like Madonna, concluding that "all the references in 'The Edge of Glory' are so overt, there's no way it could be shameless cribbing." Sal Cinquemani of ''Slant Magazine'' gave the video a positive review, calling it a "visual triumph", with "breathtaking" art direction, and a "gray-blue-black color palette carefully calibrated by Gaga's vibrant lipstick and nail polish, a red painted stripe on the curb, and the gold of her jewelry and the studs on her leather, not to mention Clarence Clemons's brass." The video was compared to Michael Jackson's "
The Way You Make Me Feel "The Way You Make Me Feel" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on November 9, 1987, as the third single from his seventh studio album, '' Bad''. It was written and composed by Jackson and produced ...
",
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
's " When I Think of You" and " The Pleasure Principle", and the film, ''
Crimes of Passion A crime of passion (), in popular usage, refers to a violent crime, especially homicide, in which the perpetrator commits the act against someone because of sudden strong impulse such as anger or jealousy rather than as a premeditated crime. A ...
'', all of them being 1980s videos and films. He did, however, criticize Gaga's "half-convincing" lip-synching. Writing for ''The Washington Post'', Sarah Anne Hughes called the video "shockingly simple". Amos Barshad from ''
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
'' liked the straight approach Gaga took with the video, and although he called it boring compared to Gaga's previous efforts, he felt the video worked well because of the simplicity. Jarett Wieselman from ''New York Post'' tried to understand what actually went wrong with the production, and came to the conclusion that the mutual disagreements between Gaga and Kahn led to the video being a "piece of rubbish". He deemed the whole issue surrounding the production as "foolish", in the end agreeing that "it was foolish of us to expect that GaGa would never stumble because, despite the preternatural image constantly presented, she is only human after all." ''Rolling Stone''s Daniel Kreps gave a mixed review of the video, calling the song "over-the-top" with a "lackluster" and "understated" video. ''
Dose Dose or Dosage may refer to: Music * ''Dose'' (Gov't Mule album), 1998 * ''Dose'' (Latin Playboys album) * ''Dosage'' (album), by the band Collective Soul * "Dose" (song), a 2018 song by Ciara * "Dose", song by Filter from the album '' Short ...
''s Leah Collins was more neutral in her review, questioning if Gaga was simply "swooning with nostalgia for other pop culture nuggets that have featured the same NYC backdrop of fire escapes and brown-stone steps" or just attempting to "be saving a metric buttload on the budget". While reviewing the video for ''
The Vancouver Sun The ''Vancouver Sun'', also known as the ''Sun'', is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network, and is the larg ...
'', Collins compared Gaga's look in the video to a "hooker" from the 1982 science fiction film, ''
Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Di ...
''.


Live performances

Gaga first performed an acoustic-jazz version of the song in the United Kingdom, at
Radio 1's Big Weekend BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend (R1BW) (previously known as One Big Weekend, for 2012 as Radio 1's Hackney Weekend, and for 2018 as BBC Music's Biggest Weekend) is a British music festival run by BBC Radio 1. It is held once a year, in a different l ...
in
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, on May 15, 2011. Another piano version of the song was performed a week later on the
season finale A season finale (British English: series finale; Australian English: season final) is the final episode of a season of a television program. This is often the final episode to be produced for a few months or longer, and, as such, will attempt to ...
of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'', where the singer wore a metallic black dress, knee-high boots and a semi-circular metallic headdress. The full version was first performed at the final show of ''American Idol'' season 10 on May 25, where she was joined by Clemons in person. Gaga appeared perched atop a mountain top on the stage, dressed in a long cape and a bedazzled headpiece. A trio of dancers were at the base of the set performing choreographed dance steps while Gaga sang from the top. At the end of the performance, Gaga and a dancer embraced each other, took a breath and then jumped off the edge of the stage, landing out of sight on a bed of fake rocks, as steam shot up high in the air. Len Melisurgo from ''
The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' was the largest circulation newspaper in New Jersey. It is based in Newark, New Jersey. The newspaper ceased print publication on February 2, 2025, but continues to publish a digital edition. In 2007, ''The Star-Ledger''s ...
'' felt that the performance was too "sexually suggestive" for the audience of ''American Idol'' and wondered whether Gaga "went just a little too far for a family-oriented show that's geared toward a younger audience?" Conversely, Adam Graham from MTV News listed it as one of Gaga's most memorable television performances. On May 27, 2011, Gaga performed "The Edge of Glory" on ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...
'' as a part of their "Summer Concert Series", wearing a full black dress. At the sixth cycle of ''
Germany's Next Topmodel ''Germany's Next Topmodel'' (often abbreviated as ''GNTM'') is a German reality television series based on the concept introduced by Tyra Banks with ''America's Next Top Model''. The competition is hosted by Heidi Klum, who also serves as the ...
'', Gaga performed the song on the final show. The performance included a segment where Gaga was portrayed as getting beheaded in a
guillotine A guillotine ( ) is an apparatus designed for effectively carrying out executions by Decapitation, beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secur ...
. Gaga then jumped up with a prosthetic head held aloft, before snarling towards the judges "I would kill for fashion". The whole show was broadcast worldwide on the internet. An acoustic version was later performed at the Europride 2011 in
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, along with "Born This Way". At the ''
X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'' show in Paris, Gaga performed it along with "
Judas Judas Iscariot (; ; died AD) was, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Judas betrayed Jesus to the Sanhedrin in the Garden of Gethsemane, in exchange for thirty pieces of ...
". She wore a fringed dress with long hair extensions and a long blue wig, while playing a
keytar A keytar (a portmanteau of ''keyboard'' and ''guitar'') is a keyboard instrument similar to a synthesizer or MIDI controller that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is held. Overview Though the ...
. At the French television show, '' Le Grand Journal'', a mermaid themed performance of "The Edge of Glory" was televised. Gaga re-created the New York City fire escape sets for the performance of the song on the ''
Paul O'Grady Live ''Paul O'Grady Live'' is a British comedy chat show hosted by Paul O'Grady, that began airing on 10 September 2010 on ITV. The show is a Friday night chat show that features a mixture of celebrity guests, airing at 21:00. The show culminates w ...
'' show. Ryan Love of Digital Spy had an advance preview of the recording of the show, and complimented the choreography by Gaga and her dancer, during the saxophone interlude. Gaga opened the
2011 MuchMusic Video Awards The 2011 MuchMusic Video Awards was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at MuchMusic's headquarters on June 19, 2011. The awards were aired on MuchMusic, CP24, E!, MuchHD and FUSE TV, Fuse. Along with the MuchMusic VJ's, it was confirmed on the Much ...
with a performance of the song, sporting a bejeweled catsuit and a bob teal colored wig. While on tour in Japan, Gaga performed "The Edge of Glory" and "Born This Way" at the
2011 MTV Video Music Aid Japan The 2011 MTV Video Music Aid Japan were held in Chiba on June 25, 2011, at the Makuhari Messe. The VMAJ were the culmination of MTV Japan's Music of Hope campaign, the channel's multiplatform response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Th ...
. On October 16, 2011, she performed the song during a concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles for the
Clinton Foundation The Clinton Foundation (founded in 2001 as the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation, and renamed in 2013 as the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation) is a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code. It was e ...
. "The Edge of Glory" was performed regularly as the penultimate song of Gaga's
Born This Way Ball The Born This Way Ball was the third concert tour by American singer Lady Gaga, in support of her second studio album '' Born This Way'' (2011). The tour visited every populated continent, and was ranked as the fifth highest-grossing tour of 20 ...
(2012–2013) tour where she played the beginning of the song on piano atop a watch tower. She wore a
Versace Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury elite fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as well as '' haute couture'' under it ...
-designed outfit for the performance. In 2014, Gaga sang a short
a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
version of the song during the ArtRave: The Artpop Ball. In October 2016, Gaga appeared in the
Carpool Karaoke Carpool Karaoke was a recurring segment on '' The Late Late Show with James Corden'', in which host James Corden invites famous musical guests to sing along to their songs with him while traveling in a car driven by Corden on a planned route usu ...
segment of ''
The Late Late Show with James Corden ''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' (also known simply as ''Late Late'') is an American late-night talk show that aired on CBS from 2015 to 2023. It is the fourth and final iteration of '' The Late Late Show'', and aired in the United Sta ...
'', where "The Edge of Glory" was one of the songs Gaga sang in the vehicle. At her 2017
Coachella Festival Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorad ...
set and during the
Joanne World Tour The Joanne World Tour was the sixth headlining concert tour by American singer Lady Gaga, in support of her fifth studio album, '' Joanne'' (2016). It began on August 1, 2017, in Vancouver, Canada and ended on February 1, 2018, in Birmingham, En ...
(2017–2018), Gaga performed the track in a piano-only rendition. On the tour, the singer usually dedicated the song to family members and her late friend, Sonja, who died of cancer. The performance was singled out by many journalists as an emotional highlight and one of the best moments of the tour. In October 2017, Gaga appeared at the Deep From the Heart: The One America Appeal benefit concert in Texas, joining other performers in raising money to hurricane victims. She played "The Edge of Glory" as the last song of her piano set, after performing "
Million Reasons "Million Reasons" is a song recorded by American singer Lady Gaga for her fifth studio album, ''Joanne (album), Joanne'' (2016). Initially released as a Promotional recording, promotional single, it was released to radio stations on October 29, ...
" and " You and I". The song was part of the setlist of the singer's 2018–2020 Las Vegas residency show,
Enigma Enigma may refer to: *Riddle, someone or something that is mysterious or puzzling Biology *ENIGMA, a class of gene in the LIM domain Computing and technology * Enigma (company), a New York–based data-technology startup *Enigma machine, a famil ...
, where she performed it wearing a transparent dress, with a cut-out bodysuit underneath. In 2022, the singer performed the song at
The Chromatica Ball The Chromatica Ball was the seventh headlining concert tour by American singer Lady Gaga in support of her sixth studio album, ''Chromatica'' (2020). Comprising 20 shows, it began on July 17, 2022, in Düsseldorf and concluded on September 17, 2 ...
stadium tour, while playing on a piano set inside a sculpture of thorns. In November 2024, Gaga performed the song at
Benjamin Franklin Parkway Benjamin Franklin Parkway, commonly abbreviated to Ben Franklin Parkway and colloquially called the Parkway, is a boulevard that runs through the cultural heart of Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-largest city as of 2020. The parkway is named ...
, the night before the
2024 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 5, 2024. The Republican Party (United States), Republican Party's Ticket (election), ticket—Donald Trump, who was the 45th president of ...
, for
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
's final rally.


Cover versions

Pop-rock singer
Nick Jonas Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting on Broadway at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002; this caught the attention of Columbia Records, where Jonas ...
sang an acoustic version of the song in July during his concert at the
Westfield Century City Westfield Century City is an outdoor shopping mall in the Century City neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It has of gross leasable area and is anchored by Bloomingdale's, Macy's, and Nordstrom. The mall has been owned by Westfield-affi ...
in Los Angeles. Before the performance Jonas announced: "Do you guys mind if I play a couple of songs I like from pop radio right now? Would that be OK? The only problem is, I don't know all the words. So if you know them, sing along." After watching the performance online, Gaga posted his cover on her Twitter account along with the words "Swoon! Nick Jonas singing The Edge of Glory. On my way to press conference in Taichung, listening to it. So dreamy! X." British band
Friendly Fires Friendly Fires are an English indie rock band from St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. They are currently signed to Polydor Records. Their self-titled debut album was released on 1 September 2008, and was announced as one of the shortlisted twe ...
covered the song during
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
's
Live Lounge The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo, and later by Jo Whiley on her weekday mid-morning, and later weekend lunchtime radio shows, then by Fearne Cott ...
. Kevin O'Donnell of ''Spin'' praised their cover writing: "Gaga's original showcases the pop star's gale force pipes, and Friendly Fires frontman Ed Macfarlane doesn't try to match that energy. Instead, they offer a lovely, cinematic take on the song: Macfarlane croons with the heart-on-sleeve sensitivity of an
emo Emo () is a genre of rock music characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of hardcore punk and from the Washington, D.C., hardcore scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore. The bands ...
-boy over cascading synth melodies and a breezy funk pulse. Nice!" The song was covered by most of the female cast of ''
Glee Glee may refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 3000 album) * ''Glee'' (Logan Lynn album) * Gle ...
'' in the
season 3 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
episode " Nationals", with the girls-only show choir called the Troubletones performing the number at the National Show Choir Championship. In 2021, English pop band
Years & Years Years & Years were an English electropop band formed in London in 2010. The band rose to fame after their single "King" (2015) topped the UK Singles Chart and entered the top ten hit in thirteen other regions. It was preceded by the release o ...
covered the song for the tenth anniversary edition of ''Born This Way''.


Track listing

Digital download # "The Edge of Glory" – 5:20 German CD # "The Edge of Glory" (
radio edit In music, a radio edit, or a "clean version," is a modification, typically truncated or censored, intended to make a song more suitable for airplay. It may be censored for profanity, vulgarities, or subject matter; or adjusted for length, instr ...
) – 4:20 # "The Edge of Glory" ( Cahill club mix) – 7:26 Digital download (the remixes) # "The Edge of Glory" (Sultan & Ned Shepard remix) – 6:34 # "The Edge of Glory" (Funkagenda remix) – 7:53 # "The Edge of Glory" (Bare Noize remix) – 3:48 # "The Edge of Glory" (
Porter Robinson Porter Weston Robinson (born July 15, 1992) is an American DJ, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Robinson began producing electronic music during his adolescence. He sign ...
remix) – 6:40 # "The Edge of Glory" (Cahill club remix) – 7:27 # "The Edge of Glory" (
Foster the People Foster the People is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2009. Its members include founder and frontman Mark Foster (musician), Mark Foster and keyboardist Isom Innis. Foster founded the band in 2009 after spending ...
remix) – 6:10


Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
of ''Born This Way''. *
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...
,
songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...
, producer, keyboards,
background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...
*
Fernando Garibay Fernando Garibay (born December 27, 1982) is an American record producer, songwriter, and author. He was one half of the short-lived pop duo, Kylie and Garibay, which he formed with Australian singer Kylie Minogue in 2014. Career Garibay was ...
– songwriter, producer, programming, keyboards * DJ White Shadow – songwriter and drum programming *
Clarence Clemons Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American saxophonist. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. Clemons rel ...
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...
* Kareem "Jesus" Devlin –
guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
s * Dave Russell –
recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, re ...
at The Living Room Studios,
Oslo, Norway Oslo ( or ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of towns and cities in Norway, most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a Counties of Norway, county and a Municipalities of Norway, municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a populat ...
;
audio mixing Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more audio channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated or enhanced. This practical, aest ...
at Germano Studios,
New York, New York New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...
* Gene Grimaldi –
audio mastering Mastering is a form of audio post production which is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device called a master recording, the source from which all copies will ...
at Oasis Mastering,
Burbank Burbank may refer to: Places Australia * Burbank, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane United States * Burbank, California, a city in Los Angeles County * Burbank, Santa Clara County, California, a census-designated place * Burbank, Illinois, ...
, California * George Tanderø – assistant * Ken Knapstad – assistant * Kenta Yonesaka – assistant * Kevin Porter – assistant * Al Carlson – assistant


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications and sales


Release history


See also

* List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top-ten singles in 2011 *
List of number-one dance singles of 2011 (U.S.) These are the ''Billboard'' magazine's number-one dance songs of 2011 on the Dance Club Songs, the Dance Singles Sales, and the Dance/Mix Show Airplay. The Hot Dance Club Songs was first published in 1976, ranking the most popular songs on dance ...
*
List of number-one international songs of 2011 (South Korea) The Gaon Digital Chart is a chart that ranks the best-performing international songs in South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Penins ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edge Of Glory 2011 singles 2010 songs American disco songs Electronic rock songs Interscope Records singles Lady Gaga songs Song recordings produced by Fernando Garibay Song recordings produced by Lady Gaga Songs written by DJ White Shadow Songs written by Fernando Garibay Songs written by Lady Gaga Commemoration songs