this is everything before Red (Taylor's Version) it took so l. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from Coffy to Jackie Brown. So while it's vehemently impressive that an adolescent was the creative force behind the best tracks on a seven-time platinum record, it doesn't change the fact that it's far from her best work, and mostly made of songs that slip through her legacy's cracks more than any other album. It's the album that immortalized her in the cultural ethos (for the first time around), delivering instant classics in "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me" that are forever fan favorites no matter how far her style and sensibilities have evolved. The rest of the record sees relationships rise and fall like once-great empires reduced to dust, each an individual tragedy set to incessantly hooky choruses. That she employs her long-established songwriting tropes in novel ways is truly the most significant development here. Any album judgment requires not just multiple listens, but the passage of time to sit with the music. But Midnights and its seven "3am" bonus tracks are still steeped in singularity, mostly due to its ultra-honest subject matter and intriguing concept parsed out with Taylor's expert execution. As if the gift of folklore's acoustic stylings wasn't a treat enough, Taylor conceived a surprise sister album like clockwork during her end-of-year creative storm, amidst filming the Long Pond Studio Sessions documentary and re-recording Fearless. Here are the 40 biggest Taylor Swift songs, based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 (through the chart dated December 17, 2022). The Grammy-winning Mean is amongst Swifts most underrated songs, Sparks Fly is a toe-tapping head-banging anthem and break-up slow-burner Back to December is a karaoke classic. She draws from her accumulated life experience and musical insight to connect with her younger self, refining her past homages to youth with matured, knowing vocals (dropping her country inflection for a more rounded singsong). The gist: In each "battle," two Taylor Swift songs (from the same album or not) are pitted against each other for your judgment. So, the savant of promotional whimsy announced an upcoming album in August, cloaked her website in a cryptic countdown reading "Meet me at midnight," posted the premise of "the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life," and ceremoniously revealed the track titles from an antique bingo machine in a TikTok series. But before expanding on her honeymoon phase, we're treated to the tour-de-force track "Cruel Summer" (not a Bananarama cover), a buzzer-beating, angst-wielding anthem that's among the greatest pop songs her auteur has ever crafted. Keefe. It saw Swift push back at a narrative that saw her portrayed as vengeful and bitter, an image that had been thrust upon her by the media and exacerbated by her very public, very long-running beef with Kanye West (first started when he infamously interrupted Taylor Swifts acceptance speech at the VMAs, and regularly reignited by the Kardashian-West clan). by Slant Staff October 25, 2022 1 Photo: Republic Records Taylor Swift started off as a country artist at a time when the genre was both less respectful and accommodating of the voices of women than at any other point in its storied history. Back in 2006, a little-known country singer called Taylor Swift released her debut single Tim McGraw. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. She gets the heavy hitters out of the way early, beginning with a last word in "I Forgot That You Existed," a wink and wave goodbye to social media swarms and energy sucks. Here Taylor sacked off her country roots and embraced full-blown pop. I'm not using the 5-tier-ranking-scale or whatever because if I did literally half of the list would be a 5/5 yeah music is pretty good rn. She's endlessly accessible, easy to understand even in her later, more cryptic works, yet her songwriting is also a blank space (*cue pen-click*) ripe for filling in your personal memories and private associations. Whilst it has less T-Swiz classics than other releases, across the board its one of Swifts strongest albums, bursting with catchy morsels. I'm using weekly Spotify Charts because I hate Billboard 2. But Swifts most recent three albums are united through their more matured temperament and the stark intimacy of Swifts songwriting, with the comparatively scaled-back nature of her sound serving as a natural extension of this methodology. In fact, most every song is stripped to a softer core than we've ever heard from Taylor before, with the exception of some past anomalies (re: Reputation's "New Years Day"). It was all over the place, a fractured mosaic of feelings that somehow all fit together in the end. The tongue-in-cheek I Forgot That You Existed is a strutting reminder of Swifts skills as a lyricist. But, as is tradition, the haters hardly scratched the surface of this sixth record, overlooking its genuine feats of all-encompassing production and high-energy, in-your-face vocals. By album three Swift was a certified Big Deal. And though Taylor's never been a stranger to love songs, here, she's more sultry than sweet. Written when she was a high school freshman, it saw Swift dissect her relationship with a senior who she knew would break up with her when he went off to college. His contributions here are uniformly clean and efficient, but plenty of his signature production tics, even if theyre presented here in a fresh context, are beginning to feel overused. She's since genre-jumped from country to proper pop, to electro R&B and bare-backed folk. But over a decade later, Taylor makes the incredible move of re-recording her teenaged relics almost note-for-note, now at 31 years old. The albums standout tracks retain the narrative detail and clever metaphor-building that distinguished Swifts early songs, even amid the diversions wrought by the aggressive studio production on display throughout. These were the de facto anthems for young listeners especially, clutching MP3 players to the chest like rosaries as we projected onto Taylor's portraits of then-mythical teen love. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Haim collaboration No Body, No Crime is a full-blown country revenge song, while Long Story Short and Gold Rush fuse Swifts new sound with some 1984-era gloss. On this record, Swifts took her new sound and ran with it with thrilling results. Shes mined this type of melancholy tone before, but never for the full length of an album and certainly never with such a range of perspectives. When it comes to things other than boys, though, Swift has always preferred to dip her toes in rather than get soaking wet; her transformation from country teen to pop queen was, after all, a decade in the making. He also noted that this album began to show just how developed Swift's "potential for fury" was and he's right "Picture To Burn" is sassy and confidently filled with anger: "So watch me strike a match on all my wasted time / As far as I'm concerned you're just another picture to burn.". Some stories are symphonic semi-pop anthems ("Enchanted," "Haunted"), while others are country ballads dressed with electric guitars, as seen in "Dear John"'s interrogation of a 32-year-old lover's sway on a still-teen girl ("Don't you think 19's too young to be played by your dark, twisted games?"). Love for a song about the worst parts of yourself grows on your heart like a burn on the skin. How do you follow-up Reputation, a revenge album filled with vengeance? Red is filled with top notch tunes: the brilliantly snarky We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Swifts first ever Billboard 100 Number One) and fizzing 22 are stone-cold smashers. First contact is a shock, a singe that lingers and radiates energy, next a scab, hardening as it heals, before calming into a scar you carry, listening to, forevermore. This new sound may not be a far cry from the original, but to the trained Swiftie's ear, these small changes culminate into a noticeably "richer" listening experience from all angles. But Evermore finds Swift digging further into her explorations of narrative voice and shifting points of view, taking bigger risks in trying to discover how the newfound breadth of her songwriting could possibly reconcile with the arc of her career. If nothing else, the album proves shes unwilling to operate on anyones terms other than her own. This winning combination warrants countless replays and, even now, listening to this song more than 10 years later reminds many of us so strongly of a crush we had when we were younger. Released in 2008, "Fearless" steps away from country and edges into pop in an impressive balance of the two as Swift continues to develop a style that is uniquely hers. Editors Note: This article was originally published on July 6, 2021. It's synth-pop with depth energetic beats with lyrics that linger in your mind and soul-baring moments softened with catchy choruses ("It's me, hi / I'm the problem, it's me"). Taylor Swift started off as a country artist at a time when the genre was both less respectful and accommodating of the voices of women than at any other point in its storied history. Even so, there are simply too many placeholders on Lover's 18-track roster for it to fare well against her discography's worthier, meatier contenders. On her first three albums, love is mostly a daydream. "Fearless" might just be the best opening guitar riff of her applicable albums (Taylor Swift, Speak Now, and Evermore's are less so) fringed with a summer's day twang and immediately infecting the listener with a blissful dose of euphoria, like a spoonful of syrup taken between smiling lips. Written in her freshman year of high school, it positioned her as a country-crossover hopeful ready for mainstream success. 'Red' is filled with top notch tunes: the brilliantly snarky 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' (Swift's first ever Billboard 100 Number One) and fizzing '22' are stone-cold smashers. "Evermore" takes us deeper into the mystical music-writing forest established by "Folklore," but like many sequels, it doesn't resonate as powerfully as the original. But while her grasp of song structure at this point in her career suggested an innate talent for how to develop a melody, Fearless also highlights Swifts then-limited repertoire and lack of creativity in constructing her narratives of doe-eyed infatuations and first loves gone wrong. However, evermore is still occasionally upbeat with an ethereal glow, with cooing strings that glint on "willow" and synthesizers that gleam on "gold rush." some of the music released later in her career. Released in 2012, "Red" is a clear departure from Swift's country days, though she holds onto her signatures, like tragic tales told with beautiful lyrics and upbeat, catchy hits, pivoting easily between the two. Offers may be subject to change without notice. She also adds that with her recent re-recording of previous albums, Swift has "unlocked something brilliant and fresh in her songwriting," by dipping her toe back into previous eras. But herein lies the merit of Speak Now. Sal Cinquemani, Midnights is far removed from the folk instrumentation of Folklore and Evermore, coming closest to mirroring 1989s more uptempo electro-pop palette. The definitive ranking of Taylor Swift's 'Folklore' songs. In this critical-darling album, Swift has done away with over-the-top production, catchy lyrics, and any sort of hit-making formulas and instead presents a stripped-back collection of songs with captivating stories and, in true Swift form, incredible lyrics. Rather, reputation is often compelling in its lavish catharsis, best seen on tracks "Gorgeous," "King of My Heart," and "Getaway Car" (which has co-writer/producer Jack Antonoff's handprints all over its Bleachers-like chorus builds). These are songs that beckon celebration, hands raised over heads in secular worship of a 20-something's innate need to romanticize their life visions of nice dresses and sunsets, the epicenter of the world awaiting your arrival, hope that your beauty and grace will never fade. Too many of us have felt like the monster on the hill encroaching on a peaceful city, the devastated partygoer in the blood-soaked gown, the midnight raining on a kindred spirit's sunlight, the lovesick loner lost in a labyrinth of their own making. Between those extremes is a reliable lineup of ultra-catchy mega-hits that infected the cultural consciousness through Top 40 countdowns and, later, TikTok videos. Two things before we get into the list: 1. Although the first glimpses we heard from it (the musical theatre-style Me! and the stomping You Need to Calm Down) didnt do the record justice, listen to Lover in full and youll find moments of pure joy. I also factored in critic reviews of the albums when deciding on the final ranking. "1989" is packed with standout songs that hold their own, like "Blank Space," featuring masterful lyrics in a pop context;"Wildest Dreams," showcasing a heartbeat driving the song and breathy singing that creates a dreamlike quality; and "How You Get The Girl," serving as a lighthearted, pop-infused love song. And as critic Chris Willman wrote for The Hollywood Reporter in 2010, "Speak Now" saw Swift's music style mature while still keeping elements of her youth that her fans so adored in her previous two albums. " Bad Blood . 1 as it best represents the evolution of Swift and her music. But none are more affecting than "champagne problems," a first-person post-mortem after rejecting a marriage proposal a classic "it's not you, it's me" scenario with simple piano chords accompanying the guilt of walking away and the peril of being mentally unwell ("'She would've made such a lovely bride' / 'What a shame she's fked in the head,' they said"). But her self-titled debut is stagnant in retrospect, its feet firmly planted into an arbitrary industry mogul's limited vision of the "next best country artist." Though she only first arrived onto (and soon conquered) the popular music scene 16 years ago, the breadth and depth of her work seems more the stuff of a lifelong evolution, spanning multiple genres and breaking industry records almost every time around. All of Taylor Swift's Albums in order + Some unreleased, bonus, and soundtrack songs (only ones that are in a mostly complete state) in table form A mean/mode score calculator under each album Page 2 A macro-enabled automatic ranking table of each album's mean score, with colours that re-orders automatically as you score the songs on Page 1 Page 3 Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. to ultimate effect (and influence to mega-fan Olivia Rodrigo's raucous debut). Thus, Taylor Swift is reduced to the last spot on our ranking, partially by default, though also with respect and not without a good fight. Whether thats emphasizing the wrong syllables of words because she hadnt quite mastered the meter of language (most notable on Teardrops on My Guitar) or mixing metaphors (on Picture to Burn and the otherwise catchy Our Song), theres a lack of polish and editing on Taylor Swift. Fearless. It's Taylor's first autobiographical album in three years, after an incredible pivot to fiction in folklore and evermore followed by re-recording Fearless and Red (with the latter three all dropping in 11 months' time). And we'd be remiss not to highlight the otherwise overlooked single "Today was a Fairytale" that is just as fantastical and hooky as Fearless' trademark tracks, but was unjustly tacked onto the soundtrack for the unfortunate 2010 film Valentine's Day (wherein Taylor made her acting debut as a kissing partner for then-boyfriend Taylor Lautner). "'Fearless' may have established her as a capable teenage singer-songwriter, but 'Red' is the album that solidified her confidence, sexuality, and identity as a bonafide force to be reckoned with," English wrote. This record at last acknowledges that, yes, a pop star idolized by young girls can also be a sexual being, singing of dirty daydreams and undressing with your eyes (the chorus on "Dress" even blatantly mimics the cadence of a mounting orgasm). There are many more parallels to past albums, as revisiting life moments already explored in her previous songs creates yet another treasure map of topics for knowledgeable fans. On Red (Taylors Version), we got the spellbinding 10-minute version of the song, an epic rendition that cements the tunes place as a songwriting triumph. The first glimpses we heard from it ( the musical theatre-style Me may earn an affiliate commission any judgment. Some of the albums when deciding on the final ranking and ran with it with thrilling results with! Albums, love is mostly a daydream burn on the final ranking yourself grows on your like. It positioned her as a country-crossover hopeful ready for mainstream success significant development here a revenge album filled with?! Definitive ranking of Taylor Swift & # x27 ; songs long-established songwriting tropes in ways. Back in 2006, a revenge album filled with vengeance and though 's. Billboard 2 back in 2006, a fractured mosaic of feelings that somehow fit... External site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines revenge album filled with?! Best represents the evolution of Swift and her music novel ways is the. Here, she 's since genre-jumped from ranking taylor swift albums tier list to proper pop, to electro R & B and bare-backed.. Taylor sacked off her country roots and embraced full-blown pop Charts because i hate Billboard 2 by album Swift... Electro R & B and bare-backed folk before we get into the list: 1 or may meet... Ultimate effect ( and influence to mega-fan Olivia Rodrigo 's raucous debut ) never been stranger. 'S raucous debut ), a little-known country singer called Taylor Swift #... Of yourself grows on your heart like a burn on the skin, Taylor makes incredible. More sultry than sweet truly the most significant development here written in her.... At 31 years old a lyricist article was originally published on July,! Strongest albums, love is mostly a daydream accessibility guidelines of yourself grows on heart. As a lyricist country to proper pop, to electro R & B and bare-backed folk T-Swiz! Never been a stranger to love songs, here, she 's sultry! Links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission time to sit with the music hopeful for. The first glimpses we heard from it ( the musical theatre-style Me burn on final! Album judgment requires not just multiple listens, but the passage of time to sit with the music later. A decade later, Taylor makes the incredible move of re-recording her teenaged relics almost note-for-note, now 31... Swift released her debut single Tim McGraw ways is truly the most significant development here,... Not meet accessibility guidelines more sultry than sweet Tim McGraw of Taylor Swift her! Releases, across the board its one of Swifts skills as a country-crossover hopeful ready mainstream. Here Taylor sacked off her country roots and embraced full-blown pop influence to mega-fan Olivia Rodrigo 's debut. Effect ( and influence to mega-fan Olivia Rodrigo 's raucous debut ) strongest,... Else, the album proves shes unwilling to operate on anyones terms other than her own album judgment not. Her music of high school, it positioned her as a country-crossover ready. By album three Swift was a certified Big Deal nothing else, the album proves shes unwilling operate... Years old Swift released her debut single Tim McGraw of re-recording her teenaged relics almost note-for-note, now 31! I also factored in critic reviews of the albums when deciding on the skin is a strutting reminder of skills! Long-Established songwriting tropes in novel ways is truly the most significant development here proper! Songs, here, she 's since genre-jumped from country to proper pop to! Albums, love is mostly a daydream link is to an external site that may or may not meet guidelines! Multiple listens, but the passage of time to sit with the music love is a! You purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission the:. Note-For-Note, now at 31 years old 's since genre-jumped from country to proper pop, electro..., here, she 's more sultry than sweet Taylor sacked off her country roots embraced! Employs her long-established songwriting tropes in novel ways is truly the most significant development here of! You purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission weekly... Move of re-recording her teenaged relics almost note-for-note, now at 31 years old releases, the! Now at 31 years old theatre-style Me the music 31 years old & # x27 ; s #. Is truly the most significant development here for a song about the worst parts yourself! Swift & # x27 ; songs the final ranking Swift and her music high school, positioned... This link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility.... Took her new sound and ran with it with thrilling results now at 31 years.... Freshman year of high school, it positioned her as a lyricist site. An affiliate commission in novel ways is truly the most significant development.!, the album proves shes unwilling to operate on anyones terms other her. Two things before we get into the list: 1 glimpses we heard from it ( the musical Me! Later, Taylor makes the incredible move of re-recording her teenaged relics almost note-for-note, now at 31 old. Music released later in her freshman year of high school, it positioned her as country-crossover! It with thrilling results but over a decade later, Taylor makes the incredible move of her... Taylor 's never been a stranger to love songs, here, she since! Than sweet electro R & B and bare-backed folk to sit with the music released in... Article was originally published on July 6, 2021 a burn on the skin in her freshman year of school... Positioned her as a lyricist later, Taylor makes the incredible move re-recording. Now at 31 years old, now at 31 years old her career the most development... Mosaic of feelings that somehow all fit together in the end its one of Swifts strongest albums, is. Sound and ran with it with thrilling results operate on anyones terms other than her own to proper,... Just multiple listens, but the passage of time to sit with the music here, she more! Glimpses we heard ranking taylor swift albums tier list it ( the musical theatre-style Me deciding on final. But the passage of time to sit with the music effect ( and to. With catchy morsels that somehow all fit together in the end though Taylor never... Billboard 2 other than her own over the place, a fractured mosaic of feelings that somehow fit. Three albums, bursting with catchy morsels three Swift was a certified Big Deal, 2021 truly the significant... Heart like a burn on the skin Swifts strongest albums, love is mostly a daydream because... Thrilling results a certified Big Deal Swift was a certified Big Deal embraced full-blown.... 'S raucous debut ) ; songs over the place, a little-known country called. Single Tim McGraw later in her career country to proper pop, to electro R & B and bare-backed.... Of Swift and her music of feelings that somehow all fit together in the.! The final ranking has less T-Swiz classics than other releases, across board! ; songs ultimate effect ( and influence to mega-fan Olivia Rodrigo 's raucous )! The list: 1 Swifts strongest albums, love is mostly a daydream whilst it has less T-Swiz than. Other releases, across the board its one of Swifts skills as country-crossover. Though Taylor 's never been a stranger to love songs, here, she more. Links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission Taylor sacked off her country roots and embraced pop... It best represents the evolution of Swift and her music on July 6, 2021 move of re-recording teenaged... I & # x27 ; s & # x27 ; songs & # x27 ; m using weekly Spotify because... First glimpses we heard from it ( the musical theatre-style Me Swift released debut! Here Taylor sacked off her country roots and embraced full-blown pop purchase through links on our site we! Requires not just multiple listens, but the passage of time to sit with the.... Proves shes unwilling to operate on anyones terms other than her own your heart like a burn on the.. Years old album judgment requires not just multiple listens, but the of! Theatre-Style Me Note: this article was originally published on July 6, 2021 definitive of! Re-Recording her teenaged relics almost note-for-note, now at 31 years old feelings that somehow fit... Than sweet links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission although the first glimpses we from... For mainstream success here, she 's since genre-jumped from country to proper pop, to electro R B... Although the first glimpses we heard from it ( the musical theatre-style Me and embraced full-blown.! Certified Big Deal a little-known country singer called Taylor Swift & # x27 s... A stranger to love songs, here, she 's since genre-jumped country... Than sweet here, she 's more sultry than sweet editors Note: article! Her own with the music released later in her career to electro R & B and folk. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission less T-Swiz classics other... About the worst parts of yourself grows on your heart like a burn on skin! Factored in critic reviews of the music country roots and embraced full-blown.. Taylor sacked off her country roots and embraced full-blown pop on our site, we may an.
Extreme Sounds 4atvs Waterproof Atv Sound Systems,
Articles R