In Honor Of Being Ten Days Away from Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department', Here Are All Ten Albums Ranked
Taylor Swift. Just typing out that name brings chills to my body. She is obviously a legend, and is constantly breaking records. In February, she announced she was releasing her 11th studio album. No one saw it coming, and the world was SHOOK. Obviously, we are all highly anticipating this album. In honor of that, let's rank all of her albums. I've done this on Tik Tok a couple times, and my answers always change. I think this will be my CONCRETE answer. That is, until TTPD is released.
10. Taylor Swift (Debut)
Oooh baby Tay. It's not that this album is bad, it is literally just the fact that every other album is SO much stronger. The lyricism somewhat lacks and just has too much of a youthful tone. This is definitely my least listened to album. However, this is the album that got me into Taylor Swift. My best friend has a giant crush on a guy named Corey in 6th grade, so of course we were constantly listening to 'Stay Beautiful.' My love for Tay grew bigger and stronger ever since then.
BEST SONG: Should've Said No
WORST SONG: The Outside
9. Lover
I don't know if I'm just a salty, pessimist but I have a very hard time relating to Lover. A lot of the songs on Lover are catchy and fun. That is great, but that is not my cup of tea. There is also a lot of talk about insecurity in a relationship, and being in love. I have not really experience this "great love" that Taylor is talking about in this album, so I just don't really understand. Again, this album is NOT bad. It is a great album, just doesn't hold up to the rest. There are a lot songs on here that I rarely, if ever, listen to. Paper Rings, Soon You'll Get Better, London Boy, and ME! are all skips. However, songs like Daylight, False God, Cornelia Street, and Death By A Thousand Cuts save this album.
BEST SONG: Death By A Thousand Cuts
WORST SONG: ME!
8. Speak Now (Taylor's Version)
This is going to be highly controversial. Especially this being Taylor's only FULLY self written album. AGAIN, THIS ALBUM IS AMAZING. It is so good. Just not in my constant replay. The thing about Speak Now is that when I was like 16/17, this WAS MY LIFE. She perfectly encapsulates teenage heartbreak, and does not hesitate to bring the drama. Now, being 25, this album is just a little too youthful for me. Also I'm sorry but the vault tracks on Speak Now are not that good. I Can See You is the only strong vault track. This album has songs like Mean, Dear John, Bak To December, and Enchanted though. Some of Taylor's best songs. This album also RUINS Better Than Revenge with the lyric change for Taylor's Version.
BEST SONG: Dear John
WORST SONG: Superman
7. Red (Taylor's Version)
Ranking Taylor's albums (past Debut) is nearly impossible. This is when it starts to get very hard. Red is probably one of Taylor's most popular albums. Red also kind of cemented Taylor as THAT GIRL. The only reason I am putting it at 7 is because it has A LOT of pop, catchy, bubblegum tunes. Some of her most well known songs like 22, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, and All Too Well are on this album. However, Red (Taylor's Version) made this album SO much stronger. Adding in the iconic ten minute All Too Well and the absolute banger of I Bet You Think About Me. I think you'll notice as this list goes on that I am a sad girl at heart. I like sadder, slower songs with good lyrics. I don't care too much about the pop hits.
BEST SONG: All Too Well (10 Minute Version)(Taylor's Version)(From The Vault)
WORST SONG: Girl At Home
6. Reputation
I will never forget when Reputation came out. It's 2017. Taylor swift has been in hiding due to the CONSTANT attacks and bullying. She was pushed to this because of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. If you wanna get into that whole scandal, look it up. This was the REBRAND OF THE CENTURY! Taylor went from this good girl with a clean image, to this baddie who was CURSING(!!!) in songs! The world was shook. The lead single off this album was 'Look What You Made Me Do' and I will never forget hearing that song for the first time. Honestly, I thought it sucked but the more I listened the more I loved it. I still think it is probably her least strong song on this album, but it gave fans a taste of what we should expect with this album. At the end of the day, you can make the argument that this album is more lovey-dovey than Lover, but it counteracts that with its highly produced, sexy bangers.
BEST SONG: Getaway Car
WORST SONG: Look What You Made Me Do
5. Fearless (Taylor's Version)
I LOVE FEARLESS. I love Fearless so much it hurts my heart. The nostalgia of it all!!! This album was what turned me into a die-hard Swiftie. I had the biggest crush on a guy named Stephen in 5th grade, and when I heard 'Hey Stephen' my life was CHANGED. Something about this album brings back all the feels. The lyricism in this album is amazing. The story-telling and production are IMMACULATE. Taylor took home FOUR Grammys for this album. You Belong With Me, Fifteen, Love Story, Forever & Always. INCREDIBLE BANGERS! I also think this album has one of her most underrated sad songs, Breathe. Even the title track, Fearless, is such an amazing song that I look forward to during the Eras Tour. It just brings me right back to the good ole days, feeling young and wild and in love!!!!
BEST SONG: So hard to pick…. White Horse, Tell Me Why, The Other Side of the Door, Breathe, Jump Then Fall
WORST SONG: Bye Bye Baby
4. Midnights
2023 Album of the Year winner. An album that took MONTHS to grow on me. I wasn't in the right mindset for this album, wasn't in the right place in life. I didn't GET this album and coming off 'evermore' being her latest release, I was not EXPECTING this type of album. Once I got though, I GOT IT. This album consumed my life. It still does! Midnights is the synth pop album of my dreams. The lyricism on this album. The production. It is just so good. This album is just so cohesive also. Everything works together perfectly. The 3am addition just made it even better too.
BEST SONG: Midnight Rain
WORST SONG: Snow on the Beach (ft. Lana Del Ray)
3. 1989 (Taylor's Version)
1989 is pop perfection. I know I sound hypocritical because I said I'm not into the pop stuff as much as the deeper stuff, BUT that does NOT count for 1989. This album is just SO fucking good. 1989 opens with Welcome To New York, which is pop anthem that gets you moving and grooving. Then you are hit over the head with a baseball bat with the track run of Blank Space, then Style, and then Out of the Woods. I mean COME ON! Banger after banger. Shake It Off, Bad Blood, Wildest Dreams. This album doesn't let you take its foot off the pedal. The vault tracks on this album make it EVEN better. 1989 has the strongest vault tracks no doubt. The vault tracks rival some of the original songs.
BEST SONG: Again impossible to pick…. Is It Over Now?, Clean, and Out of the Woods
WORST SONG: Welcome To New York
2. evermore
Picking between evermore and folklore for number 1 is so hard. They are sister albums so they are SUPER similar. Every single song on this album is incredible. Except for maybe Dorothea and No Body, No Crime. The story-telling, the lyrics. EVERYTHING is so introspective and whimsical. I love the moody atmosphere of this album, as the resident sad girl. It explores such heavy and real emotions. This album goes beyond just heartbreak. I love this album so much. It contains my two ultimate favorite Taylor Swift song which is Cowboy Like Me and Right Where You Left Me. These songs changed MY LIFE FOREVER.
Best Song: Cowboy Like Me
Worst Song: Dorothea
1. folklore
Taylor Swift literally put her WHOLE SWIFTUSSY IN THIS ALBUM. GOD DAMN TAYLOR. I will never forget when she surprise dropped folklore in 2020. It was perfect timing because the sound of the album just matched perfectly with how the general public was feeling at that time. It sounded like NOTHING she's ever done before, in the best way ever. I would use a lot of the same words to describe folklore as I would evermore. It goes beyond heartbreak, and the story telling is amazing. It explores so many different types of emotions. This album has The National's Aaron Dessner ALLLL over it. I would say folklore has a little bit more of a hopeful tone than evermore. We hear songs describing ghosts visiting their own funerals, recovering alcoholics, seeing yourself as a disco ball, imaginations of the previous owner of Taylor's house, changing seasons in Nashville, self-hating couples, morning commutes, and a variety of almost "grown-up" attitudes towards love. I believe this is Taylor's Magnum Opus.
Best Song: My Tears Ricochet
Worst Song: Epiphany