Adam Lambert, Lady Gaga Named Walters' "Fascinating People"

Two singers who are closing out controversial years made Barbara Walters' annual "Fascinating People" show last night: Adam Lambert and Lady Gaga. Lambert's appearance was anticipated as his grand return to ABC, the network that aired last month's American Music Awards and then canceled two of the American Idol breakout star's appearances because he showed himself to be "unpredictable" on live television (relive his controversial AMAs performance here). Lambert will also appear on today's episode of ABC's The View, though his segment was pre-taped earlier this week and will not air live.

When Walters asked if, in retrospect, Lambert would change any aspect of his AMAs set, the singer joked about his unanticipated fall, but added, "I would do it exactly the same way. I am who I am and I think freedom of expression should be alive and well and unfortunately, it's not." Walters called the performance "raunchy" and "lewd." Lambert responded, "You can't plan everything — if I did a performance exactly how I rehearsed it, it would be so boring" and said he was not sure how the hullabaloo would impact his career. "I don't think that, you can really ... jump to conclusions about me as an artist based on one performance, that's, that's an ignorant thing to do."

Check out Idol's glam-rock sex god in photos.

Walters also questioned famously bisexual Lady Gaga about her sexual lyrics and performances, and Gaga responded by removing her sunglasses and getting serious ("I don't take my glasses off for many interviews but I'll take them off for you," she said). "Every bit of me is ... devoted to love and art," Gaga said, adding that she feels an obligation to inspire young fans who feel out of place. "I aspire to try to be a teacher to my young fans, who are — who feel just like I felt when I was younger."

Check out Lady Gaga's wildest wardrobe moments.

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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