The 15 Best Taylor Swift Songs

I’m not going to lie—I’d rather be writing about Led Zeppelin. But when there’s an 11-year-old girl in the house, everyone’s a Swiftie, even the grumpy, dad-bod types. Here’s an attempt at compiling the 15 best Taylor Swift songs, modified by the aforementioned pre-teen and her rather opinionated older brother. Because we believe in equal opportunity, each of Swift’s 10 albums is represented at least once on this wildly subjective list.

 

“Picture to Burn”

When Swift convinced her parents to move from Pennsylvania to Nashville, it was with the dream of being a country music star. This pickup-truck-related track from her self-titled debut album helped lay the foundation.

 

“Our Song”

From the same album came another great country jam—you know, love, a car, God, etc.

 

“Fearless”

The eponymous opener from Swift’s second album signaled an early move towards country pop, though it stayed true to the preferred themes of love, boyfriends, and the like.

 

“Love Story”

Also from Fearless came this classic, rife with references to Romeo, Juliet, a prince, a princess, and so on.

 

“Enchanted”

From her third album, Speak Now, this power ballad stands out more for its dynamic chorus than the lyrics about…love?

 

“I Knew You Were Trouble”

On her next album, Red, Swift dropped hints of a transition from country to country pop to straight-up pop. This jam, along with “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” made that clear.

 

“22”

Another great pop track—this one about being young and enjoying the time before your conversations change to taxes and life insurance.

 

“All Too Well”

Apparently, this is the song that has to be on this list. Now there’s even a 10-minute version.

 

“Style”

By her fifth album, 1989, Swift had fully transitioned to pop, stacking the project with radio-friendly hits. In other words, this track is essentially a random selection.

 

“Wildest Dreams”

Yet another arbitrary choice from the loaded 1989 (the year of Swift’s birth by the way).

 

“Don’t Blame Me”

On her sixth album, Reputation, Swift went with a more mature sound. This song—a synth-gospel blend if you will—seems to take a few digs at no-name bloggers (like a certain someone) who critique lyrics.

 

“Cruel Summer”

Every artist is allowed a free pass, especially when changing record labels for the first time. Swift’s seventh album, Lover, was just that, meaning this song made the list based mostly on relative tolerability.

 

“Cardigan”

What’s a life in art without a subdued, contemplative phase? By Swift’s eighth album, Folklore, released in the midst of a pandemic, she was definitely there. If you don’t know what cottagecore means, here you go (I think).

 

“Willow”

Her ninth album, Evermore, captured the same vibe, on full display in the opening track.

 

“Anti-Hero”

And finally, the tenth album, Midnights, which blended the artsy, reflective stuff with Swift’s unmistakable pop hooks, yielding songs like this one. As a bonus, it also provided great lines like Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism.

 

Obviously, choosing 15 tracks among a couple hundred from one of the best-selling musicians of all time leaves plenty of room for debate. Feel free to weigh in on the best Taylor Swift songs in the comments below.

In the meantime, for all the pain and suffering I’ve endured, my collaborators did reward me with a cover of the band I wanted to write about in the first place.