If you have been following my writing over the past four years, you know that I have done album reviews (reputation, Lover) and album rankings, but taking on Taylor’s 117 song discography is something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time. So here it goes, every Taylor Swift song ranked (from her 7 studio albums), from my least favorite to my favorite and the reasons to match. Some of the factors taken into consideration were overall sound, lyrical complexity, placement on albums, amount of times skipped, musical composition, and tone. Since this list is clearly extensive, I’ve taken the time to split it up into multiple different articles linked below so you are not scrolling forever.
100.) “Picture to Burn”—Taylor Swift
We can all concede that with the original lyrics, “Picture to Burn” was a little problematic, which has knocked it down quite a bit in my rankings of Taylor’s songs. As much as I love the energy, I’m glad that we have pretty much done a complete 180 on Taylor’s song lyrics regarding homosexuality. I’m thankful that Taylor decided to change the lyrics to this song, and if it proves anything, it’s that anyone can change the way they speak—so now you have no excuse to stop using offensive language.
Favorite Line: “So watch me strike a match // On all my wasted time // As far as I’m concerned // You’re just another picture to burn!”
Least Favorite Line: You all know the one. I don’t have to write it here.
99.) “Love Story”—Fearless
Yes, I know, “Love Story” is also a classic, but it is severely overplayed. I love listening to it when it comes on, but if we are being honest, when I’m listening to Taylor and I have control over the songs I’m listening to, this one is a skip. Again, not because I don’t love it, but because I know that the next time I go into a store or turn on the radio this will likely be playing.
Favorite Line: “Romeo, save me. They’re trying to tell me how to feel. // This love is difficult but it’s real. // Don’t be afraid. We’ll make it out of this mess.”
98.) “I Know Places”—1989
This song isn’t bad, but it isn’t as good as most of Taylor’s other songs, and it’s a most-of-the-time skip for me when I listen to 1989, which in and of itself is a rarity. I really wish I could rank this song higher, but alas, I can’t deny that I like the other songs below it more.
Favorite Line: “Just grab my hand and don’t ever drop it // My love // They are the hunters, we are the foxes // And we run”
97.) “Everything Has Changed”—RED
This song is sweet and a perfect disruption from the energy that RED has as an album. Without taking the tempo down too much, this sweet love song maintains the emotional significance of RED while being much softer. If the collaborations that Taylor has done, this is probably one of my favorites, since I think it highlights their voices well and flows nicely. Compared to her other songs though, this collab just can’t compare.
Favorite Line: “Come back and tell me why // I’m feeling like I’ve missed you all this time, oh, oh, oh // And meet me there tonight // And let me know that it’s not all in my mind”
96.) “Welcome to New York”—1989
“Welcome to New York” on the 1989 World Tour came out hard and was an amazing performance, but the song itself is just okay. It is a great opener to the album, but if I’m being quite honest, which I always am when talking about 1989, it’s just my least favorite album—not a bad album—just my least favorite of Taylor’s. This song was the perfect way to display the light up bracelets for the first time, and it will always make the best caption for pictures taken in New York.
Favorite Line: “Kaleidoscope of loud // Heartbeats under coats // Everybody here // Wanted something more // Searching for a sound we hadn’t // Heard before”
95.) “Daylight”—Lover
As much as I do like this song and the message of it, something just isn’t right. I can’t explain it, but the line “ And so I became the butt of the joke” just doesn’t sit right with me. Something about it just feels too heavy for this moment but also not serious enough. I also REALLY hate ending it with a recording. I think the message and idea of what Taylor is saying is great, but this just sounds weird and I’m sad it is where the album ends. It doesn’t make me want to start the album over like most of the other ending tracks do and I think it would have been much better to have cut the recording all together.
Favorite Line: “And I can still see it all (In my head) // Back and forth from New York (Sneaking in your bed) // I once believed love would be (Burning red) // But it’s golden”
94.) “So It Goes”—reputation
“So it Goes” is a song that has gradually grown on me since first hearing it, but it is nowhere near my favorite Taylor Song. In fact, I often forget that it exists at all. Whenever anyone asks me to list the songs on reputation, I always skip over this one and go straight from “Look What You Made Me Do” to “Gorgeous.” I have no idea why, but obviously if I can’t remember to name it, I can’t give it a very high ranking.
Favorite Line: “You make everyone disappear, and // Cut me into pieces // Gold cage, hostage to my feelings // Back against the wall // Trippin’, trip, trippin’ when you’re gone”
93.) “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”—RED
This song is one of Taylor’s best to dance and have fun to. The beat is great, the energy is high, but everyone everywhere knows this song and its lyrics. One of her better singles, but still overplayed and that brings this one down a lot for me, as fun as it is to scream the lyrics to.
Favorite Line: “And you would hide away and find your peace of mind // With some indie record that’s much cooler than mine”
92.) “Superman”—Speak Now
“Superman” is a really cute song, as many of Taylor’s earlier albums, but it is also the worst song on Speak Now (which is tied for my favorite album with reputation). This song is great, but when put on an album with songs like “Dear John,” the lyrical complexity is definitely something to talk about with this specific song. As cute as it is, it is just not as well written as the rest of this masterpiece of an album.
Favorite Line: “To save the world or go to work // It’s the same thing to me // He’s got his mother’s eyes, his father’s ambition // I wonder if he knows how much that I miss him // I hang on every word you say”
91.) “Better than Revenge”—Speak Now
I think that it is safe to say that “Better than Revenge,” much like “Picture to Burn” didn’t age particularly well. While this song is *definitely* a hint that reputation would eventually come (Taylor can you confirm that this was an easter egg from the start???—Just kidding), this song just doesn’t pack the same punch that it did when it was first released. Times have changed and this song’s lyrics are not indicative of that change. I am hopeful though that in Taylor re-recording her masters, that this song will get the attention and face-lift that it deserves.
Favorite Line: “The story starts when it was hot and it was summer and… // I had it all, I had him right there where I wanted him // She came along, got him alone and let’s hear the applause // She took him faster than you could say ‘sabotage’”
Tune in again soon for the next article in this series: Songs 90-81!