The upcoming release of Pixar’s Toy Story 5 marks the 20th anniversary of the lead single from Taylor Swift’s self-titled debut album, and she released “I Knew It, I Knew You” for the upcoming sequel.
Surely, Swift will celebrate her debut album in some way. Whether or not it’s through a re-recorded (Taylor’s Version) album is unclear, but there will likely be some kind of celebration.
Like most artists, Swift doesn’t have a perfect discography. In recent years, her output has been underwhelming, at best, and it’s especially glaring when looking at her older albums.
All 12 of Taylor Swift’s albums, ranked
Below is the ranking of Swift’s 12 studio albums to date. It does not include the four re-recorded (Taylor’s Version) albums she has released.
12. The Tortured Poets Department (2024)
Taylor Swift certainly proved that she’s “not Dylan Thomas,” nor is she Patti Smith, with her 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department.
It was a tough race between The Tortured Poets Department and Midnights for Swift’s worst album. Frankly, they’re cut from the same cloth, as The Tortured Poets Department often feels like the sloppy seconds of Midnights.
What ultimately made it land in last place was how bloated it is. The standard album alone comes in at 65 minutes across 16 tracks. When The Anthology deluxe edition is factored in, that adds another 15 songs and brings the total listening experience to over two hours.
There’s nothing wrong with long concept albums. However, there have to be good songs to justify such a dense album. Unfortunately, there aren’t any real highlights, and some of the lyrics, ironic or not, are her worst (“So High School” being the most criminal inclusion on the album).
11. Midnights (2022)
The relative brevity, especially compared to The Tortured Poets Department, gives Midnights an edge over The Tortured Poets Department.
This is the exact moment when the cracks in Swift and Jack Antonoff’s working relationship began to form. Antonoff is a talented musician and writer, as evidenced by his work with Bleachers, but he and Swift got too comfortable.
Midnights is like one long song, rather than the 13 songs it is made up of. Very few are distinguishable, with “Anti-Hero” (even if overused on TikTok) and “Snow on the Beach” being the lone highlights.
Swift proved that she is capable of a flop with Midnights. It’s unlikely the most staunch Swiftie will admit it, but this album stinks. Its faults become especially clear when considering that it came on the heels of Folklore and Evermore.
10. The Life of a Showgirl (2025)
While the best of the post-Folklore and Evermore era, The Life of a Showgirl is still subpar for her standards. It’s a case of empty promises.
The artwork and aesthetic were the most interesting Swift has been since 2020. However, she never fully committed to the burlesque imagery she teased.
Songs like “Opalite” and “The Fate of Ophelia” are fun, though some of her Midnights-isms still come through on tracks like “Eldest Daughter” and “Wood.”
The Life of a Showgirl isn’t the big pop album promised, but it was at least a return to some kind of pop music that isn’t weighed down by the Antonoff anchor.
9. Lover (2019)
Swift’s exit from Big Machine Records resulted in a colorful pop album called Lover. The highs are high, as songs like “Cruel Summer,” “Lover,” “The Archer,” and “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince” are genuine standouts.
The lows are low, too, as songs like “You Need to Calm Down” were underwhelming. Her collaborations with Antonoff were still fresh at this point, though Lover suffers from a familiar problem that held her future albums back. It’s too long with way too much filler in the middle.
8. Taylor Swift (2006)
Nostalgia is a powerful thing. Swift’s self-titled debut album is quickly approaching its 20th anniversary, which is hard to believe. In some ways, Taylor Swift feels like the black sheep of her discography.
She hasn’t really delved back into the country genre since her first couple of albums until her song for Toy Story 5. That’s a shame, as her debut album still features some of her best tracks like “Tim McGraw,” “Teardrops on My Guitar,” and “Our Song.”
It’s still a very raw album, and probably the most vulnerable she has been since this was pre-mega fame. In turn, she’s lacking some of the superstar qualities that define her today. But without it, Swift wouldn’t be the biggest artist in the world.
7. Reputation (2017)
Reputation might be Swift’s most interesting project. For all of its faults, the album takes risks that Swift hasn’t dared take since. It’s full of angst, much like Bruce Springsteen’s Darkness on the Edge of Town, and it experiments with electropop and EDM.
Some of the songs, like “…Ready for It?” and “Look What You Made Me Do,” are mind-numbing. However, “End Game,” “Getaway Car,” and “New Year’s Day” are all among her best.
There’s an agency that comes along with Reputation that cannot be fabricated. Writing it surely came with a lot of personal baggage, but it resulted in one of her most unique works.
6. Evermore (2020)
Evermore and Folklore, while different, are two peas from the same pod. The dream-like whimsy bleeds from one project into the next.
While Antonoff is involved in the project, Aaron Dessner took the reins as the primary producer of both 2020 albums. The albums are better for it.
“Champagne Problems,” “‘Tis the Damn Season,” and “Cowboy Like Me” are some of the highlights. There are some interesting collaborations, with Haim, the National, and Bon Iver (who also appears on Folklore) all getting features.
The origins of Midnights can be traced back to Evermore and Folklore. However, they are still heads and shoulders above the 2022 album. This was before the style became self-indulgent.
5. Speak Now (2010)
Speak Now has some of Swift’s most powerful ballads to date. Swift’s third album features some of her biggest songs, like “Enchanted.”
Her next album, Red, would be full of breakup songs. However, “Dear John” was the first notable breakup song she wrote, and it launched a genre she popularized in pop music.
4. Folklore (2020)
Folklore narrowly edges out Evermore because of how much of a reinvention it was for Swift. After Lover, Folklore felt like a complete rejuvenation of her stagnant career.
Some of the highlights are “Invisible String” and “Illicit Affairs.” The album also spawned the highly sought-after Record Story Day release, The Long Pond Studio Sessions.
3. Fearless (2008)
Just two years after the release of her self-titled debut album, Swift came back a lot more surefooted on Fearless. Fearless will always be iconic for its hit songs like “Love Story” and “You Belong with Me.”
Her songwriting really began to come of age with her sophomore effort. Swift leaned heavily into fairy tales as inspiration for her lyrics. She has always been at her best when writing about fictional people, and that couldn’t be truer than on Fearless.
While not included on the list, the (Taylor’s Version) re-recorded album breathes new life into Fearless. Swift’s mature voice, something that works against 1989 (Taylor’s Version), gives the songs new meaning.
2. 1989 (2014)
In terms of her pop albums, 1989 is the most fun. It’s arguably a no-skip album, thanks to songs like “Blank Space,” “Style,” “Shake It Off,” and “Wildest Dreams.
If the (Taylor’s Version) albums were included in this list, 1989 would be a lot lower. Swift’s matured voice works against her on 1989, which is full of vibrant pop songs.
Still, the original album is the gold standard for her pop music. She has tried to replicate this success over the years to no avail. 1989 is a timeless masterpiece.
1. Red (2012)
Swift has made a living off breakup songs. However, this subgenre of songs was at its best when she made Red in 2012. These are the breakup songs with actual conviction behind them. “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” represent this era well.
Some of the album tracks, like “Everything Has Changed” and the original, non-10-minute version of “All Too Well,” stand out as well.
This was the last of an era for Swift. She began drifting away from her country roots over her first four albums, and Red bookends that chapter of her story. Regardless of what her music is like nowadays, this was a magical run.
The post Taylor Swift’s 12 studio albums ranked as debut single turns 20 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
