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.
50.) “If This Was A Movie”—Speak Now
The infamous Eli—and one of my favorite misheard lyrics of Taylor’s. This song is really great, and I think that it is highly underrated. From the second this song opens to the second it ends, you can feel the pain of loss and how Taylor is waiting for the person she loved to come back like characters often do at the end of a movie.
Favorite Line: “Last night I heard my own heart beating // Sounded like footsteps on my stairs // Six months gone and I’m still reaching // Even though I know you’re not there”
49.) “Dress”—reputation
“Dress” took me off guard the first time I listened to it, but it has certainly grown on me the more I’ve listened. This song is lyrically great, but I think that it just doesn’t hold as special a place in my heart as many of Taylor’s other songs.
Favorite Line: “Inescapable // I’m not even going to try // And if I get burned, at least we were electrified”
48.) “Getaway Car”—reputation
I love this song, and I love it even more with each listen. While it is not my all-time favorite, we are starting to get to the point on this list where no matter what song it is, I absolutely love it and have since the first time I heard it. “Getaway Car” is obviously no exception, and I think that this song takes a topic of leaving someone you love and turns it on its head. Taylor did a great job with this, and the live performance during the reputation stadium tour was also something I will never forget.
Favorite Line: “I was riding in a getaway car // I was crying in a getaway car // I was dying in a getaway car // Said ‘goodbye’ in a getaway car”
47.) “The Lucky One”—RED
I love this song for a lot of reasons, but especially because its topic isn’t necessarily traditional. This one addresses the idea of loving what you do and becoming a professional in it, only to face the heartbreaking reality that it might not be something you can do forever. Everyone tells you you are lucky to have made it, but the pressure of what it means to be in the spotlight can be overwhelming. Preserving the love you have for the thing you do, or, in the words of Miss Swift, choosing the Rose Garden over Madison Square, is often overlooked and forgotten about, much like this song. You should count yourself lucky for your blessings, but don’t forget what really matters in the end: the thing that makes you happy.
Favorite Line: “And they tell you that you’re lucky. // But you’re so confused, // ‘Cause you don’t feel pretty, you just feel used. // And all the young things line up to take your place. // Another name goes up in lights. You wonder if you’ll make it out alive.”
46.) “Mean”—Speak Now
Part of my anxiety and depression comes from the people who used to tease me as a kid, and this song always made me feel better when it came out, and even now. While some of the lyrics are a bit questionable, I always pictured moving away from my hometown to a big city—flashforward a few years and here I am finishing up school in the beautiful city of Boston and contemplating a move to New York (if I can’t stay in Boston). Funny how things work out—Isn’t it?
Favorite Line: “Someday I’ll be living in a big old city // And all you’re ever gonna be is mean // Someday I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me // And all you’re ever gonna be is mean // Why you gotta be so mean?”
45.) “Sparks Fly”—Speak Now
Yet another song that embodies the kind of reckless love that being a teenager is all about. Whether we actually got to live out the dream, or we were in love with countless fictional bad boys in the books we were reading (too specific?), this song still rings true, which earns it a spot at number 45.
Favorite Line: “The way you move is like a full-on rainstorm // And I’m a house of cards // You’re the kind of reckless // That should send me runnin’ // But I kinda know that I won’t get far”
44.) “Clean”—1989
This song is one of the best songs on 1989, and the healing and growth that comes from this song is remarkable. Whenever I am feeling down, I remind myself that this song exists, and I listen to Taylor tell me that just when I think it’s the worst, the storm will break, and I will be clean. This song is so empowering, but also soft. It literally feels *clean.*
Favorite Line: “There was nothing left to do // When the butterflies turned to dust that covered my whole room”
43.) “State of Grace”—RED
“State of Grace” is a great album opener, though not quite as good as “…Ready For it?” (though, if you noticed this one is higher on the list than “…Ready For it?” you are correct, since even though its placement as an album opener is not my favorite, I do like this song better when listening to Taylor’s music). I do really love this song, and the energy of it is important for setting the tone for RED. I’ll never forget listening to this song live for the first time, and I hope that Taylor plays it again during Lover Fest! I wonder if she was asking the traffic lights if it will be alright? (do I smell a potential mash-up?)
Favorite Line: “So you were never a saint // And I’ve loved in shades of wrong // We learn to live with the pain // Mosaic broken hearts // But this love is brave and wild”
42.) “Holy Ground”—RED
This is one of my favorite songs on RED, and for good reason. This song’s beat is energetic, and clearly it is the little sister of “Dancing With Our Hands Tied.” I can’t explain it, it is just a feeling that I have. This song feels very nostalgic for a happier time, and even though someone is no longer there, the good memories are. As someone who always tries to see the good in everything, I love this message. Just because something turns sour, or there are issues between people that stop you from being friends, partners, lovers, or what have you, doesn’t mean that all of the good goes out with the bad. For me, that is what this song symbolizes and I really appreciate being able to look back on happy times I had with people who I might not have good relationships with anymore.
Favorite Line: “I was reminiscing just the other day, // While having coffee all alone and Lord, it took me away. // Back to a first-glance feeling on New York Time. // Back when you fit in my poems like a perfect rhyme.”
41.) “Jump Then Fall”—Fearless
This song is…you guessed it: Cute! A lot of the songs on fearless are cute, so I want to clarify that I’m not saying cute in a bad “Aww you tried really hard and just didn’t quite make it” way or to be demeaning at all (as I know cute can come across as such) BUT I do genuinely get cute vibes from this song. It is all about learning to trust someone new and doing so fearlessly, so yeah—a perfect edition to this album in my opinion.
Favorite Line: “The bottom’s gonna drop out from under our feet // I’ll catch you, I’ll catch you // When people say things that bring you to your knees // I’ll catch you // The time is gonna come when you’re so mad you could cry // But I’ll hold you through the night until you smile”
Tune in again soon for the next article in this series: Songs 40-31!