Ranking Taylor Swift albums is like choosing a favorite child. Nearly two decades into her career, Swift has transformed from that teenage country singer with a sparkly guitar into a genre-hopping powerhouse who breaks records like it’s her day job.
With twelve studio albums under her belt (yes, The Life of a Showgirl just dropped!), she’s given us everything from tearful country ballads to synth-pop bangers to indie-folk masterpieces. Each era brings a different version of Swift, and honestly? That’s what makes her catalog so fascinating.
Whether you’re Team Reputation or ride-or-die for folklore, there’s something for everyone. So grab your friendship bracelets and let’s dive into this ranking. Just remember, even Swift’s “worst” album is still pretty incredible.
12. Taylor Swift (2006)
Look, we all have to start somewhere, right? Sixteen-year-old Swift gave us this debut, and while it’s understandably rough around the edges, you can’t deny the raw talent shining through. Songs like “Tim McGraw” and “Teardrops on My Guitar” introduced us to her gift for turning personal experiences into relatable anthems.
The production feels pretty basic compared to what came later, and her vocals are a bit thin in places, but that’s what happens when you’re literally learning on the job. What makes this album special isn’t technical perfection; it’s the honesty. Swift wrote about her actual high school crushes and heartbreaks, and teenage listeners ate it up.
This album laid the groundwork for everything that followed, proving that a teenage girl with a guitar and genuine stories could captivate millions. It’s not her best work, but it’s where the legend began.
Standout Tracks: “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “Our Song,” “Tim McGraw“
11. The Life of a Showgirl (2025)
So here’s the tea on Swift’s latest: it’s… complicated. After the emotional gut-punch of Tortured Poets Department, everyone was hyped for Swift reuniting with Max Martin and Shellback for what she promised would be bangers only. And honestly? Some of it delivers.
“The Fate of Ophelia” is an absolute bop, and “Opalite” hits that sweet spot between catchy and meaningful. But here’s the problem: the album feels like it can’t decide what it wants to be. Is it about showbiz? Her relationship with Travis Kelce? Industry drama? All of the above? Critics are split, with Rolling Stone giving it 5 stars while others are less impressed.
The lyrics get clunky in places (looking at you, “Wood“), and while the production is polished to perfection, it lacks the cohesive vision that makes Swift’s best albums so special. It’s still a fun listen with genuine highlights, but it doesn’t quite reach the heights we know she’s capable of. Maybe it’ll grow on us. Swift albums have a habit of doing that.
Standout Tracks: “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Opalite,” “CANCELLED!“
10. Fearless (2008)
This is the album that changed everything. Suddenly, Taylor Swift wasn’t just a country artist; she was a phenomenon. “Love Story” turned Shakespeare into a radio-dominating love song, and “You Belong with Me” became the anthem for every girl who ever felt overlooked.
At just 18, Swift captured what it felt like to be young and in love (or heartbroken, or confused, or all of the above) with stunning authenticity. The album swept the Grammys, including Album of the Year, making her the youngest winner at the time.
A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)
Sure, the production sounds a bit dated now; that’s what happens with country-pop from 2008. But the emotional core remains timeless. “White Horse” destroyed us all with its fairy tale disillusionment, and “Forever & Always” channeled breakup anger into pure catharsis.
When Swift re-recorded it in 2021, her mature vocals added new depth while the vault tracks revealed just how much strong material didn’t make the original cut. This album transformed Swift from a promising newcomer to an undeniable star, and honestly, it still holds up.
Standout Tracks: “Love Story,” “You Belong with Me,” “White Horse“
9. Lover (2019)
Lover is what happens when Swift emerges from her reputation era into full-blown sunshine mode, but maybe she got a little too enthusiastic. At 18 tracks, this album is bloated. Like, “not every song needs to make the final cut” levels of bloated. That said, when it hits, it absolutely soars.
“Cruel Summer” deserved to be a single from day one (the fans were right), and “The Archer” is one of her most vulnerable moments on record. The problem is you have to wade through some forgettable tracks to get to the gems. Critics praised its variety but noted it felt unfocused, and honestly, they had a point.
The album also got unlucky with timing. Loverfest got canceled due to COVID, so this era never got its full moment to shine. Still, there’s something undeniably joyful about Lover, even with its flaws. It’s Swift at her most optimistic, celebrating love without the cynicism that often creeps into her work.
Standout Tracks: “Cruel Summer,” “The Archer,” “Lover“
8. Speak Now (2010)
Here’s what makes Speak Now special: Swift wrote every single word herself. Not a single co-writer. Just a 20-year-old girl with feelings, a pen, and zero filter. The result is her most personal album, and yeah, sometimes that means it gets a little dramatic.
The title track is literally a wedding-crashing fantasy, “Dear John” is a seven-minute emotional evisceration of an ex, and “Mean” goes after critics with the maturity level you’d expect from someone barely out of their teens. But that raw, unfiltered quality is exactly why fans love it so fiercely.
A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)
Sure, the production feels a bit dated now, and some lyrics make you cringe a little, but there’s something beautifully honest about this record. It’s Swift before she learned to self-edit, before she worried about what critics would say.
“Enchanted” remains one of her most magical compositions, and “Back to December” shows genuine regret and growth. This album is messy, earnest, and absolutely fearless (pun intended).
Standout Tracks: “Enchanted,” “Back to December,” “Dear John“
7. Midnights (2022)
Midnights arrived as Swift’s return to pop after her folklore/evermore detour, and commercially? It was massive. The album explored sleepless nights and anxious thoughts with Jack Antonoff’s lush production creating this dreamy, introspective vibe. “Anti-Hero” became her biggest hit in years with its brutally honest chorus about being “the problem,” while “Lavender Haze” gave us the breezy romance song we didn’t know we needed.
The surprise 3am Edition with seven extra tracks showed Swift still loves keeping us on our toes. But here’s the catch: some critics felt like the album played it safe. After the adventurousness of her pandemic albums, Midnights feels a bit more calculated, more concerned with commercial success.
That doesn’t make it bad (it’s still Taylor Swift, after all), but it lacks the risk-taking that defines her most exciting work. Still, the songwriting remains sharp, the production is gorgeous, and tracks like “You’re On Your Own, Kid” hit with devastating precision. It’s comfort food in the best way.
Standout Tracks: “Anti-Hero,” “Lavender Haze,” “You’re On Your Own, Kid“
6. Evermore (2020)
Surprise! Just when you thought you’d processed folklore, Swift dropped its sister album just five months later. Evermore takes the indie-folk sound and adds a slightly earthier, more grounded feel (think autumn woods instead of summer cabin).
Some people dismissed it as “folklore leftovers,” which is honestly ridiculous because this album contains some of her most devastating work.
“Champagne Problems” is a wedding rejection that’ll make you cry even if you’ve never been engaged. “Tolerate It” captures the pain of one-sided love so perfectly that it hurts. And “No Body, No Crime” proves Swift can write a murder ballad that would make Carrie Underwood proud.
To put it plainly, we just couldn’t stop writing songs. To try and put it more poetically, it feels like we were standing on the edge of the folklorian woods and had a choice: to turn and go back or to travel further into the forest of this music. We chose to wander deeper in.
The album doesn’t have the same breakout moment as folklore, which probably hurts its legacy a bit. And yeah, being compared to your incredibly successful sibling is tough. But taken on its own merits, evermore is a sophisticated, beautifully crafted album that rewards repeated listens. It’s comfort music for when you need a good cry.
Standout Tracks: “Champagne Problems,” “Willow,” “No Body, No Crime“
5. The Tortured Poets Department (2024)
Swift really said, “You want confessional? I’ll give you confessional,” and delivered a 31-track double album about her messiest emotional moments. Talk about bold. She announced it while accepting a Grammy and then surprise-revealed The Anthology two hours after the initial release (peak Taylor Swift chaos, honestly).
The album chronicles her life during peak fame, publicized relationships, and what it feels like when the whole world thinks they know your story. Is it self-indulgent at times? Absolutely. Does it need to be 31 tracks long? Probably not.
But there’s something compelling about watching Swift examine her darkest impulses without flinching. “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” is her villain origin story, while “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” is brutal in its specificity. “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” captures the performer’s paradox perfectly.
Critics were divided. Some called it messy and overlong; others praised its ambition. Honestly, both are right. This album is too much, but sometimes too much is exactly what you need.
Standout Tracks: “Fortnight,” “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?,” and “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart“
4. 1989 (2014)
Swift going full pop could have been a disaster. Instead, it became one of the most influential albums of the 2010s. Working with Max Martin and Shellback, she created sleek ”80s-inspired synth-pop that dominated every radio station and wedding playlist for years.
“Shake It Off” became the official song of not caring what haters think, “Blank Space” satirized her media image with brilliant precision, and “Style” is just… chef’s kiss. The album’s cohesion is remarkable. Every track feels essential, and the production has aged incredibly well. Critics noted that despite the aggressive production, her songwriting remained razor-sharp.
She won Album of the Year at the Grammys again, proving she could conquer any genre. The 1989 era was everywhere: the crop tops, the squad, the sold-out stadium shows. Taylor’s Version in 2023 reminded everyone why this album was such a cultural moment. Even now, nearly a decade later, these songs sound fresh and exciting. It’s a masterclass in reinvention done right.
Standout Tracks: “Blank Space,” “Style,” “Out of the Woods“
3. Reputation (2017)
Okay, hot take incoming: Reputation deserves way more credit than it gets. Yeah, yeah, we know, “Look What You Made Me Do” divided everyone, and the whole snake thing was a lot. But let’s talk about what this album actually achieved. Swift took all the criticism, the backlash, the public feuds, and turned it into her most cohesive artistic statement.
This isn’t just Dark Taylor™ for shock value; it’s a genuinely compelling exploration of public perception versus private reality. “Getaway Car” is one of the best songs she’s ever written, full stop. The way she weaves the crime metaphor throughout that track? Genius.
A post shared by Taylor Nation (@taylornation)
“Delicate” captures the fragility of new love when you’re convinced you’ll mess it up. “Call It What You Want” is intimate and vulnerable in a way that cuts through all the bravado.
Sure, the production is heavy on synths, but it works. The album tells a complete story, and the Reputation Stadium Tour proved these songs had serious staying power. Don’t let the memes fool you, this album is seriously underrated.
Standout Tracks: “Getaway Car,” “End Game,” “Call It What You Want“
2. Red (2012)
Ask any Swiftie about their favorite album, and Red is probably their answer (or at least in their top three). This album captures falling in and out of love with someone completely wrong for you, and it does it with brutal honesty and shocking specificity.
The genre-hopping should have been messy (country, pop, dubstep, indie rock), but Taylor’s songwriting held it all together. And then there’s “All Too Well.” The 10-minute version that came with Taylor’s Version in 2021 became a cultural phenomenon all over again, but even the original five-minute version was a masterpiece of detail and emotional devastation.
“22” gave us pure joy, “I Knew You Were Trouble” showed her pushing into new territory, and “State of Grace” opens the album with arena-rock energy. Critics called it her magnum opus even before the re-recording added nine more tracks.
The album’s willingness to be messy, contradictory, and emotionally raw makes it endlessly replayable. It’s Taylor at her most human, most vulnerable, and most brilliant.
Standout Tracks: “All Too Well,” “State of Grace,” “I Knew You Were Trouble“
1. Folklore (2020)
In the middle of a global pandemic, Taylor Swift casually dropped an indie-folk masterpiece with less than 24 hours’ notice and basically said, “Here’s the best album of my career, you’re welcome.” Folklore is what happens when Swift stops chasing commercial success and just… creates.
Working with Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff, she crafted a collection of story-songs featuring fictional characters, subtle production, and the kind of mature perspective that comes from having nothing to prove.
A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)
“Cardigan,” “Betty,” and “August” form the teenage love triangle we didn’t know we needed. “Exile” with Bon Iver is devastatingly beautiful. “Invisible String” captures the magic of finding the right person. The album won her third Album of the Year Grammy and universal critical acclaim.
What makes folklore special isn’t just the quality (though it’s impeccable), it’s the artistic freedom. No lead singles, no big promotion, just pure storytelling. It proved Taylor could surprise us even after 14 years in the spotlight. This is her masterpiece, the album where everything clicks perfectly.
Standout Tracks: “Cardigan,” “Exile,” “Betty,” “Invisible String“
The Rest of Taylor’s Catalog
Re-Recordings (Taylor’s Version): In her quest to own her masters, Taylor has re-recorded four albums so far: Fearless, Red, Speak Now, and 1989. Each features her mature vocals plus “From the Vault” tracks that are basically treasure chests of previously unreleased gems. The debut and Reputation are still waiting for their Taylor’s Version moment.
Live Albums: Speak Now World Tour – Live (2011) and Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions (2020) let us experience her performances from the comfort of our homes, with the latter offering intimate commentary on the creative process.
EPs: Early releases like The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection (2007) and Beautiful Eyes (2008) are time capsules of baby Swift, featuring B-sides and alternative versions for the completists among us.
A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)
So there you have it, all twelve Taylor Swift albums ranked from our perspective! But here’s the thing about Swift’s music: it hits everyone differently. Your favorite album probably depends on what you were going through when you first heard it, which era resonated with your soul, and whether you’re more of a “crying to folklore” or “dancing to 1989” kind of person.
Ready to stream? All of Taylor Swift’s albums are available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music. You can also purchase physical copies and exclusive variants directly from Taylor’s official store at taylorswift.com.
Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to go listen to folklore for the millionth time and pretend we’re in a cabin in the woods. See you in the comments, Swifties!
