10 Divas Who Out-Gaga Lady Gaga

Unless you're an amoeba from Saturn, there's been no escaping Lady Gaga's omnipresence over the past 16 months or so. Every magazine cover, TV show, radio station and website (yes I know, Gigwise included) in the western world wants their piece of Ms Stefani Germanotta and are unrelenting in their thirst for her latest wacky outfit, 'crazy' antics, mildly offensive quote or even the odd hermaphrodite rumour.

Despite some spectacular album releases in 2010 thus far (Gorillaz, Jonsi, Four Tet and Liars to name a few), the grim reality is that the vast majority of acts selling serious units are the musical equivalent of a lobotomy. In recent months, for example, Kasabian have self-appointed themselves as the biggest band in the UK in the wake of Oasis' split. Urgh. Worse, in the pop world, N-Dubz, Pixie Lott, Justin Bieber and the Glee cast relentlessly command lofty chart positions.

It's no surprise then that Gaga provides something of a tonic. She's outspoken, talented, controversial and stylish – the exact traits we used to to expect from pop icons.

However, recently things have gone a bit far. Gaga has been tipped for legendary status, proclaimed as the natural heiress to Madonna's pop crown and a woman who could become a music icon to rival Michael Jackson. Wildly premature and lofty predictions that as a smug music critic, I naturally scoffed at.

While I don't dislike Lady Gaga by a long stretch, for all her popularity and global dominance, there are an abundance of divas who are (or were) more flamboyant, stylish, madcap, talented and interesting than Gaga. Here I present 10 singers that easily 'out-Gaga' Lady Gaga.

If you can think of any more or disagree with my choices, then chastise/praise me in the comments section below.