Five years ago this week, on September 30, 2021, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga released Love for Sale. It was their second album together and the last studio album of Tony’s legendary career. A new piece from Forbes looks at how the record helped cement Gaga’s place in jazz, and we couldn’t agree more.
Love for Sale is a tribute to Cole Porter, made up of covers of his classic songs. It followed the duo’s first album, Cheek to Cheek (2014), which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Seven years later they were back in the studio for one more album.
History-Making Numbers
The album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, the duo’s second top-10 album together. That gave Tony the record for the longest span of top-10 albums by a living artist. At 95, he also earned a Guinness World Record as the oldest person to release an album of new material.
The album also won the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, adding to an already incredible partnership.
The album came out after Tony had shared his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, which made every note more meaningful. Gaga and Tony celebrated it with their unforgettable One Last Time concerts at Radio City Music Hall. Many fans still count them among the most emotional performances of her career. Tony passed away in July 2023 at the age of 96, and Gaga has spoken often about how much their friendship meant to her.
As Forbes points out, Tony helped Gaga build a second musical lane alongside her pop career. That lane has kept growing, from her Las Vegas residency Jazz & Piano to her 2024 album Harlequin, the companion record to Joker: Folie à Deux.
For many fans, this side of Gaga is just as important as the dance floor anthems. Her love of jazz didn’t start with Tony, but he helped bring it to the world.
Source: Forbes