By Contributing Writer Katherine Sherman (’27)
You may know her from a friend, your childhood, or even from her new relationship with NFL player, Travis Kelce, however it is, you probably know Taylor Swift. Swift has always been very popular, but since the start of the Eras Tour, she has been more famous than ever.
Taylor has released ten studio albums, not including re-recorded or deluxe albums. For some background, in 2005, when Swift was only 15 years old she signed to Big Machine Records where she recorded her first six studio albums. Later on, in 2019, it was revealed through the media that Scooter Braun, owner of Media company Ithaca Holdings bought ownership of these six albums. Swift decided then that she would re-record those six albums. As of today, she has re-recorded four of those albums, leaving Reputation and Taylor Swift to be re-recorded. When Taylors’ albums appear as “Taylor’s Version” those are the albums that she has re-recorded and then released with full ownership. She has become one of the biggest musicians of all time and has gotten to this point with an amazing attitude and great passion.
#10 Taylor Swift- Swift’s debut album Taylor Swift is a country album with some pop and rock. The first song on the album, “Tim McGraw” was a Billboard Top 100 hit at number 40. This is a lighthearted album, reflecting on Swift’s relationships, friendships, and her teen life. Not only was this her first-ever released album, but she released it when she was 16 years old! With this, it is a very impressive album, but country isn’t my favorite. Songs like, “Tim McGraw,” “Should’ve Said No,” “Teardrops On My Guitar,” and “Picture To Burn” are my favorites on the album. There isn’t anything wrong with this album, it just isn’t my cup of tea, so I would rate this country album a 7.7/10.
#9 Fearless (Taylor’s Version)- This is Swift’s second album that she released at the age of 18 in 2008, and re-released it as “Taylor’s Version” in 2021. The re-released version featured five songs “from the vault,” meaning they were never released in the original album. This country pop album has some great songs on it including, “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” “Love Story,” “You Belong With Me,” “Fifteen.” and “Forever And Always.” Again, I am not a very big fan of country, so this album ranked lower. The songs and lyrics in this album relate to Swift’s teen years, and her relationships along the way. When the original version was released in 2009, it was the year’s best-selling album and overall the most-awarded album in country music history. Some may describe the album as repetitive, or the same as her debut album, but this album shows so much growth in Swift’s vocals and lyric writing. I would rate this country pop album a 7.8/10.
#8 Midnights- Midnights is Swift’s most recent original album that has been released. This upbeat pop album has sounds from louds drums and electronic beats, has made record-breaking charts. Midnights and the songs on it received six nominations at the 2024 Grammy Nominations. The song “Anti Hero,” was the song that led to Swift having all top ten songs on The Billboard Hot 100 list. This album features Lana Del Ray in “Snow On The Beach,” and Ice Spice in “Karma.” I love this album, although it’s just not exactly to my taste. A few songs that I enjoy include, “You’re On Your Own Kid,” “Snow On The Beach” and “Sweet Nothing.” I find this album interesting because it includes R&B, electronic, and alternative styles. I would give this funky album an 8/10 overall.
#7 Evermore- Evermore is a sister album to Folklore that was released the year prior. Evermore is a very slow and rhythmic album that highlights Swift’s vocals very well. Throughout the album, Swift incorporates slow piano, light strings, and her amazing storytelling to create a beautifully sounding album. Evermore was nominated for the 64th Grammy Nomination for Album Of The Year. Over a million copies of the album were sold globally in its first week. This album can mainly be described as indie folk which is not usually expected form Swift. My favorite songs on the album are “champagne problems,” “willow,” and “tolerate it.” These songs flow so well and have amazing lyrics. This is not the style of music that I normally would listen to, so I would rate it an 8.1/10.
#6 1989 (Taylor’s Version) Released in 2014 and re-released in 2023, 1989 is such a nostalgic album. 1989 is what introduced me to Swift, and features some of her most well-known songs. “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space” are some of the most popular songs on the album whereas “New Romantics,” “Clean” and “Is It Over Now”(from the vault) are my personal favorites. This pop album features some drums and electronic music in contrast to her earlier released country-style albums. This album was such a success winning Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2016 Grammy Awards. On top of that, the 1989 World Tour was the highest-grossing tour of 2015. The 2023 “Taylor’s Version” of this song added 5 new songs “from the vault” which completely added to the appeal of the album. I would rate this album an 8.7/10.
#5 Lover- This album is an upbeat, pop, feel-good album that is 1 hour and 1 minute of pure happiness. This album promotes empowerment and feeling good about yourself. It was globally the best-selling album of 2019 and it was well deserved. Songs on this album that stand out to me are “Paper Rings,” “Cornelia Street,” “London Boy” and “The Archer.” This album represents what Swift stands for so well, especially the song “The Man.” When the album was first released in 2019, I never fully listened, but throughout the years, I’ve grown to love it. The overall vibe of this album is so uplifting, it deserves a 9.1/10 rating.
#4 Folklore- Even though Swift recorded it at home, and released it during the Covid-19 pandemic, Folklore is an outstanding album. This album has a very similar sound to its sister album, Evermore, incorporating light piano, percussion, and meaningful vocals. Swift continues using storytelling with the use of characters to create this isolation-inspired album. Folklore became the best-selling album of 2020 due to the great effort that Swift put into this album. My favorite songs on the album include, “cardigan,” “the 1,” “betty,” and “invisible string.” This album is what got me through quarantine and will forever be my go-to for a cozy fall day. Because of those reasons, I would rate this album a 9.4/10.
#3 Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) – This album is Swift’s third country album that she released. Although it may sound somewhat similar to her other country albums, you can tell how much she has matured as a songwriter and vocalist. This album is hit after hit, doing so well that Swift went on a Speak Now World Tour from 2011 to 2012. This album was so successful, it sold 1 million copies in its first week, in the US alone. She made Billboard’s Hot Top 100 charts with numerous songs from the album. My favorites on the album are, “Mine,” “Sparks Fly,” “Better Than Revenge,” and “Back To December.” The Taylor’s Version of this album features six songs “From The Vault” and artists, Haley Williams and Fall Out Boy. The combination of teen romance and country music goes together so well in this album. This album is a masterpiece, and beyond exceptional so I would rate it 9.6/10 overall.
#2 Reputation- No album on this planet could ever make me feel as hyped as this one does. The loud bass, unexpected beat drops, and high tempo gives this album such a unique sound. The scandals that surrounded Swift and the harmful press that came in the years leading up to 2017, led her to not release music for three years. She came back better than ever when she released this hit album after her long break. The Reputation Stadium Tour made a record, becoming the highest-grossing North American tour ever (until Swift’s most recent “Eras Tour”). The album featuring Ed Sheeran and Future on the song “End Game,” topped charts. If you are ever in a bad mood or feeling unmotivated, play this album and surely you’ll feel better. Words can’t describe how this album makes me feel, the music simply speaks for itself. I would rate this electronic pop album a 9.8/10.
#1 Red (Taylor’s Version)- My all-time favorite Taylor Swift album to exist. Every song on this album is absolute perfection, there are no misses. Growing up I knew every word to every song and the name to every song just days after I got the Red CD for my 7th birthday. Again, in 2021, just days after the release of Red, “Taylor’s Version,” I knew every word to every new song from the “vault” list. We all know the song “22”, which people commonly mistake for Miley Cyrus, but we don’t acknowledge the rest of the album as much as we should. I could go on and list my favorite songs on the album, but then I would end up listing the whole album. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what makes this album so special to me, but there’s just something so unique about it. Every track on this album brings me back to a certain memory. Whether it’s listening to “Stay Stay Stay,” with my best friends late on a summer night, or screaming “All Too Well” (ten-minute version of course) in the car with my mom on a late fall day. This album won Album Of The Year at the CMA Awards, and at the Grammys, along with Best Country Album, also at the Grammys. This breathtaking album well deserved its Red World Tour that took place from 2013 to 2014. With all of this, it would be impossible for me to rate this album anything other than a perfect 10/10.
Taylor Swift’s albums ranked from worst to best, a next-to-impossible task. Since her first album released in 2006, to now, she has come such a long way. Taylor Swift is not only an amazing singer but a role model to me, and many others in life. Not everyone will agree with my rankings and I might not either a year from now. But, as of right now, this is my official list of Taylor Swift’s albums.
