If today feels a bit more celebratory, that's probably because it's time for Stefani Germanotta -- the woman known to the universe as Lady Gaga -- to commemorate her birth. The international pop sensation is 25 years old today, and she has managed to accomplish quite a bit in her quarter century (including three chart-topping singles).

But what has she accomplished in comparison to Madonna, her clearest antecedent, when she was 25? The Material Girl turned 25 in 1983, just after releasing her debut self-titled album. She was already starting to build up her following, and the singles "Holiday," "Lucky Star" and "Borderline" were about to help her bust out of the clubs and onto mainstream radio. When she was 25, she also recorded and released her second album Like a Virgin, released the hit single of the same name (which became her first chart-topping single) and performed said song on the very first MTV Video Music Awards.

Gaga had a bit of a head start, as her debut album broke out slightly earlier than Madonna's. As stated above, Gaga already has three chart-toppers and not only has performed on the MTV Video Music Awards but has also taken home a handful of trophies. Gaga also has five Grammy awards to her name (Madonna didn't win her first until 1992, and that was for Best Long Form Video).

So at age 25, that puts Gaga slightly ahead of Madonna on the cards. She has a lot to maintain over the next few decades if she is going to match Madge's resumé, but she already seems to be on the right track. In fact, she has proven herself to be a top-shelf collaborator, as she not only teamed up with Beyoncé on her own "Telephone" and also on B's "Video Phone."

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