A Definitive Ranking of Every Taylor Swift Album

If you're deep in the Taylor Swift fandom, there's no way you don't have a strong opinion on each of her genres. Because Taylor has been genre-bending for so many years, there's something for all music consumers to love (or not love).

I'll be honest: Taylor could release slop, and I'll still listen. That said, I would still have an opinion, as I do for every other album she releases. Continue reading to see how I ranked the albums and see how your favorite project measured up.

10. Taylor Swift

Though Taylor's self-titled debut ranks at the bottom list, it doesn't mean I think it's a terrible album. I love Taylor Swift, and it has a very sentimental place in my heart.

From Taylor's questionable but charming Southern accent to the silly, diaristic lyrics, this album is one of my favorite country albums. The reason it comes in last place is that Taylor has shown such growth from her first project, and I appreciate the later albums a little bit more, whether it be sonically or lyrically. 

 

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9. Fearless (Taylor's Version)

When it first came out, Fearless was the soundtrack to my childhood. I had "You Belong With Me" on repeat during my happiest days, and when I wanted to feel melancholy and heartbroken at the ripe age of 8, I'd quickly put on "White Horse." After she released Taylor's Version, I grew to love the album even more with vault tracks "Mr. Perfectly Fine" and "Bye Bye Baby." For better or worse, I relived and now relate to the album in a new way.

However, I don't always gravitate to country music. Don't get me wrong, I love a good and twangy country song (or two), but I've since evolved into a true pophead. 

 

8. Red (Taylor's Version)

It pains me to believe that Red is so low on this list, but as I said before, it doesn't mean it's one of her worst albums.

Red is one of those albums that has my quintessential Taylor tracks, like "Everything Has Changed," "Begin Again," and "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," but it also has songs I will never play, such as "The Last Time" and "I Almost Do." That said, the quintessential tracks in question are a huge saving grace. Otherwise, I fear this album could be lower than her debut. 

Besides, any album that hosts "All Too Well" and the now iconic 10-minute version should never rank in anyone's last place.

 

7. Reputation

To this day, my relationship with Reputation confuses me. Because once upon a time, I would've argued that this was Taylor's best studio album, but here it is in seventh place.

The era was one of Taylor's most immersive, and the sound aligns with the core of my music taste—pure pop with lots of production. It goes without saying that the Reputation tour was her best, aside from the iconic Eras tour. Most importantly, Reputation was a reinvention of the Taylor Swift image, as she reclaimed her power to rewrite her—you guessed it—reputation. 

I don't have any real qualms with this album. Honestly, I think I just over-streamed it, so I no longer reach for it.

 

Also read about: Every Taylor Swift Single, Ranked

 

6. 1989

Opposite to Reputation, I would have once told you that 1989 was one of my least favorite Taylor albums. Trust me. I know that's an unpopular opinion.

Before, I felt like 1989 was too commercial. But over the years, I've grown to appreciate the mainstream nature of 1989, and I would even go as far as saying that this album defined the pop sound of the mid-2010s. It really was the album that made Taylor into the icon that she is. 

While I still hardly touch the mega-hits like "Shake It Off" and "Bad Blood," B-sides like "You Are In Love" and "Clean" have crept into my top 10 Taylor tracks and given me a deeper understanding and appreciation of the lore of 1989.

 

5. Midnights

For me, the Midnights album exists as part two of 1989. During my first listen, I felt like I returned to the synth-pop universe of 1989, but with more depth. 

Midnights was like Taylor reflecting on the skyrocketing stardom that 1989 created while also grappling with the ups and downs of a long-time relationship. For once, we saw Taylor be proudly outspoken about her once-in-a-lifetime success. 

Midnights just has those commercial elements I don't always seek in my everyday listening.

 

4. evermore

Evermore is like my hidden-gem Taylor album. 

As we all know, Taylor has hardly paid any attention to evermore after surprise dropping it on her 30th birthday. One of the repercussions of that is that people don't know the glory of tracks like "gold rush" and "long story short." On one hand, I understand because (spoiler alert) I have a preference for folklore, but this album has some underrated jams.

 

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3. Speak Now

It blew my mind the first time I discovered that Speak Now was entirely written by Taylor, especially as someone who prioritizes lyrics in my listening.

Besides being a well-written album, I can't lie, I was living for the chaos of it. She was spilling all the tea, from her heartbreak from John Mayer ("Dear John") to her feud with Joe Jonas's ex-girlfriend ("Better Than Revenge"), her love-at-first-sight meeting with Owl City ("Enchanted") and her breakup with Taylor Lautner, which she takes full responsibility for ("Back to December").

Speak Now is my most anticipated Taylor's Version, so I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for July 7 to arrive.

 

2. folklore

Between evermore and folklore, there are songs that I prefer more from evermore, but I appreciate folklore as an album more. Because folklore is more than an album. It's a project—a story—which I've never really experienced with other artists I enjoy. 

Folklore was the best showcase of Taylor's songwriting prowess. We watched her step out of her usual confessional style to create her own fictional universe. That takes another level of skill.

And, like most, I don't think I'll ever relive the moment when Taylor unexpectedly shared the news it would drop that midnight.

 

1. Lover

While I was always a Swiftie, the entire Lover era made me realize I'm deeply on the Taylor Swift ship for life.

This album, for one, homes some of my favorite tracks, like "Death by a Thousand Cuts," which is all my all-time No. 1 Taylor song, and "Cruel Summer," which I'm so glad is finally receiving the deserved justice as a single after the pandemic ripped it out of our hands. 

While some argue that Lover isn't a cohesive album like her previous projects, I love that it has sounds ranging from pure pop to R&B to country. To me, this showed off Taylor's genius ability to make a hit in every genre, and it means I have a song for any mood I'm in. And generally speaking, Taylor's best songwriting was on this album.

 

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