Nick Ranks & Reviews Every Song Written by Taylor Swift

[Josh Spicer]

I love that 1989 is still very much in the game.

[nick64]

Mar 18, 2019 2:57:42 GMT -5 @avont said:

Nick, why don't you post your thread in the "personal review" section?

This is personal chart section.

Honest reason is that I forgot it existed when I made it. I later justified it to myself with a) that section doesn’t have all that much visibility on here; and b) this is still my opinion and ranking so I don’t see how it’s too different than the year-ends that many post.

If a mod would like to move it, though, I’d respect that decision.

Mar 18, 2019 3:23:57 GMT -5 born said:

I love your writing style, it’s half professional critic half talking to a friend

Decent set, not shocked about anything but lowkey surprised that “Picture To Burn” made it this far. Also this is a great time for “Don’t Blame Me” to live!

Thank you That’s more or less what I was going for. I’ve always preferred more casual review styles that don’t sound like they’re talking down to you. I think the most important thing in a review is getting your point across in an accessible way but still actually getting your point across, so that’s what I at least try to do with mine. I’ve done some movie reviews in the past, but this is my first real attempt for music, so love hearing some positive feedback!

“Picture to Burn” was a hard one to place, just like all of her early year ones. Her songwriting ability just wasn’t as refined back then, so without a little leniency there, the ranking would just be more or less chronological. But you can honestly move most of the songs in this area +/- 10 spots and they wouldn’t be out of place.

[nick64]

Sorry about the massive break, but I’ve officially graduated and can focus a lot more of my time to this!

70. Shake It Off



Co-writers: Max Martin, Shellback
Album: 1989, Track 6
Hidden Message: She danced to forget him
Likely Subject: blockin’ out the haters
Best Line: “I go on too many dates, but I can’t make them stay”

“Shake It Off” is by no means a lyrical masterpiece. Some of you are probably wondering why it’s even as high as #70, which is understandable. But the fact that there are so many who hate it is kinda the point. For the first peek into Taylor’s full pop direction, we got a song that confidently states that she, quite frankly, doesn’t care what the haters say about her. She’s gonna live her life the way she wants to. That’s a strong message, and it’s executed wonderfully. She even throws in a spoken-word bridge and cheerleader chant, because why not? It’s fun. It’s an extremely catchy song, whether you love it or hate it, and it’s incredibly listenable, as shown by its incredible longevity. The pros for “Shake It Off” mostly come down to the melody, but while there aren’t many groundbreaking lyrics, there aren’t really any bad ones. I’m all for a fun, carefree track every once in a while. Unlike some of the other songs that went out early, this one still manages to both say something and sound uniquely Taylor while being as carefree as it is. It’s pop fluff done right.

69. Dancing with Our Hands Tied



Co-writers: Max Martin, Shellback, Oscar Holter
Album: Reputation, Track 11
Hidden Message: none
Likely Subject: Joe Alwyn
Best Line: “I’d hold you as the water rushes in if I could dance with you again”

The mid-list reputation purge continues with this 80s dance track that appears about ⅔ into the album. By that point in the album, we had already heard a handful of forgettable tracks, and this one unfortunately doesn’t change anything. This is honestly my least favorite song on the album, as well as my least played. I find the production to be very basic and the chorus is boring and repetitive. So why so high? Well, this is a songwriting list afterall and within the sea of odes to Joe, this one is actually pretty inspired from a lyrical standpoint. It doesn’t just reiterate her feelings for him like “Don’t Blame Me”, “So It Goes…” and “King of My Heart”. Well it does do that, but there’s more to it. Taylor discusses how much she cherishes the fact that they’ve kept their relationship on the downlow for so long, but unfortunately, it will eventually come to light. That’s fine though, because they’ll just keep holding each other close through it. It’s a very sweet sentiment, and she portrays this very maturely. The best part of the song is easily the bridge, which depicts the couple dancing as disaster strikes. All the secrecy they’ve held is crumbling around them, but they’re still dancing. I just love the story and message here. But overall, it is still a little too generic to go any higher.

68. Speak Now



Co-writers: none
Album: Speak Now, Track 4
Hidden Message: You always regret what you don’t say
Likely Subject: Hayley Williams & Josh Farro
Best Line: “And the organ starts to play a song that sounds like a death march”

I find it pretty amusing that the title of Taylor’s momentous entirely self-penned album comes from what is probably its most ridiculous song. “Speak Now” is pretty much just jealousy porn. Fortunately, she doesn’t try to play it straight this time, like she did in “Better Than Revenge”. “Speak Now” describes the wedding of an ex that she was uninvited to by the bride-to-be. The verses are filled with catty but admittedly very funny insults like “a gown shaped like a pastry”, which adds some lightheartedness to the fact that she’s crashing a wedding, interrupting the service, and running off with the groom. It has a happy ending for her because of course it does. Now Swifty obviously never did this, but it’s a fun thing to think about, and I’m sure many people can relate to at least wanting to do this. It’s a fun and catchy song, filled with little details you would never expect like hiding behind a curtain, but it does get bogged down by some very forced phrasing. Many lines in the verses don’t flow well at all, and it just makes it sound kinda silly. Then again, that’s probably the whole point.

67. Forever & Always


Piano Version


Co-writers: none
Album: Fearless, Track 15
Hidden Message: If you play these games we’re both going to lose / I still miss who I thought he was (Piano Version)
Likely Subject: Joe Jonas
Best Line: “Did I say something way too honest, made you run and hide”

The last song added to the Fearless tracklist is a basic, but still prime, example of Taylor Swift’s signature ruthless breakup anthem. It’s certainly not one of her most original songs. It starts out with “Once upon a time…”, the chorus mentions rain three times, they look into each other’s eyes, and the whole song is about broken promises of forever. But even with all of these Swiftisms, you believe her. She cleverly starts out by calmly detailing the night they met, before getting more angsty as she starts to wonder what went wrong, and finally lashing out that he never meant those promises after all. She asks six different questions, which really help to get you into her mindset, and she cleverly uses the looking into eyes cliche at both ends of the relationship. Despite all of the Swiftisms, there are some truly remarkable lines scattered throughout and the melody and vocal inflections work wonders to show you her shifting emotions throughout the course of the song. It’s a little basic and a little inconsistent lyrically, but when it hits one of its many highs, it really becomes something special.

66. Dress



Co-writers: Jack Antonoff
Album: Reputation, Track 12
Hidden Message: n/a
Likely Subject: Joe Alwyn
Best Line: “I’m spilling wine in the bathtub, you kiss my face and we’re both drunk”

After five albums about relationships, reputation finally gave us a little peek behind closed doors with two of its tracks: “So It Goes…” and “Dress”. While the former describes the intensity of these personal moments, the latter looks into the intimacy. Much like “Dancing with Our Hands Tied”, I’m really not a big fan of this one, mostly because of the questionable vocals (she reaches her highest note ever, but I don’t think she pulls it off all that well) and somewhat boring chorus. But also like that one, there’s actually a pretty decent story hidden in the lyrics. Rather than describing a sexual encounter itself, she details the build up to it. They’re out in public, keeping their relationship under wraps, but she can’t wait to get home. She “only bought this dress, so [he] could take it off”. That’s actually more intense than anything in “So It Goes…”. So is my best line pick, which is probably the most intensely sensual lyric she’s ever recorded. And finally, there’s the bridge. She deviates from the sexual aspect of the relationship to show exactly why it means so much to her. It’s one of the strongest sections of the album, but the song itself still has some major issues. She attempts to use the soft melody and, for lack of a better phrase, “moany” vocals in the chorus to serve the lyrics, but it doesn’t come off quite as well in execution. Much of the song hits the same sentiments as the rest of the album, but she reaches a new high point in sensuality that really makes this one stand out, both for better and for worse.

65. Christmases when You Were Mine



Co-writers: Liz Rose, Nathan Chapman
Album: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection (EP), Track 2
Hidden Message: n/a
Likely Subject: unknown
Best Line: “I’ll bet you got your mom another sweater, and were your cousins late again?”

Much better Taylor. “Christmas Must Be Something More” was a cheap piece of insincere preaching, but “Christmases when You Were Mine”, the other original song she wrote for her early-career Christmas EP, is a song that feels much more genuine for Taylor. Her career was built on her prowess in writing about love and heartbreak, so it’s just natural that she takes that approach for a Christmas song. The subject itself is rather generic: she’s missing her ex at Christmas. But the ballad is strengthened by all of the little details the songwriter is known for. We can visualize where she is and what she’s doing, and she knows him well enough to guess what he’s doing as well. There are some lyrics that lean a little more towards the simplistic side, but the rest does a wonderful job of painting just how much she misses him. Melodically, this is one of her most raw songs. We pretty just get Taylor and an acoustic guitar, and there’s not even a real chorus, allowing us to truly feel the loneliness she is portraying. It’s far from a masterpiece, but compared to its sister, this is a clear standout.

64. Gorgeous



Co-writers: Max Martin, Shellback
Album: Reputation, Track 8
Hidden Message: n/a
Likely Subject: Joe Alwyn
Best Line: “But if your single, that’s honestly worse”

“Gorgeous” may just have the distinction of being the stupidest song in Taylor’s discography. Luckily, it knows exactly what it is, which makes for a really fun listen. In yet another ode to just how amazing Joe Alwyn is, we are treated to the moment they first met, while Taylor herself was still in relationship. But instead of another taking itself seriously like most of the other songs in its company, “Gorgeous” stands apart by painting the singer as immature. She flirts like a middle schooler, hates how much she loves the good things about him, is barely invested in her actual relationship, over-dramatizes everything, and describes herself as a lonely cat lady. The lyrics are no masterpiece, but they’re very tongue-in-cheek, and the overt simplicity of them is an asset to the message. The song also provides a great opportunity for the producers to play around. The beat is just plain weird, there are fun little touches like a winking sound effect, and we even get the Reynolds-Lively baby at the beginning, setting the childish tone from the first second. It’s just a bunch of goofy fun.

63. Tell Me Why



Co-writers: Liz Rose
Album: Fearless, Track 8
Hidden Message: Guess I was fooled by your smile
Likely Subject: unknown
Best Line: “Why do you have to make me feel small so you can feel whole inside”

“Tell Me Why” is nothing but a rant, but it’s a pretty good one. She’s even explained that the song was written by literally writing down a rant to her co-writer. It doesn’t have much in the way of clever wordplay or intelligent lines, but it gets right to the core of her anger. You can feel what exactly what she’s feeling, and she generalizes her thoughts in a way that makes it one of her most relatable songs ever. It’s also one of her most melody-focused. The song lives and breathes its chorus, a rotating collection of the gripes she wishes she could tell. And after all of the wordy build up, it ends with a simple “tell me why”, getting right to the point. It’s a very simple song, but it’s extremely catchy, incredibly relatable, and serves its purpose well.

62. Jump Then Fall



Co-writers: none
Album: Fearless (Platinum Edition), Track 1
Hidden Message: Last summer was magical
Likely Subject: unknown
Best Line: “And without a warning, I realize your laugh is the best sound I have ever heard”

“Jump Then Fall” is quintessential Taylor Swift. There were a few songs earlier in the list where I said something similar, but with those, the qualifier was their purpose as a checklist of all of her cliched Swiftisms. This one is so classic Taylor because it almost perfectly brings together her detailed songwriting, ear for melody, and contagious energy. She is truly firing on all cylinders here. This is a classic tale of Taylor liking a boy, explaining why, and wanting to jump right into commitment with him. Much like “Tell Me Why”, this isn’t an example of how clever she can be, but the verses are still filled with details about why she’s so enamored with him (his voice on the phone, the specifics of his face, etc.). It’s another song where the raw simplicity works in its favor. Also in its favor is the monster of a chorus, one of the absolute catchiest in her discography and one that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. This is exactly the type of song that made Taylor Swift the household name she is today.

61. I Did Something Bad



Co-writers: Max Martin, Shellback
Album: Reputation, Track 3
Hidden Message: n/a
Likely Subject: Kanye West, Calvin Harris, Tom Hiddleston
Best Line: “They're burning all of the witches even if you aren’t one, so light me up”

I’m not a big fan of Taylor’s “revenge” songs, but the final one on reputation to appear on this list is probably her best example of it. “I Did Something Bad” can basically be described as “Look What You Made Me Do” if that song was good. I called that one a soulless corporate product meant to grab attention, but with this song on the album, I’m not really sure why it was needed. Not only do her shots sting harder (her first real cuss word!), but she fits even more targets into one song. It’s also easily her hardest hitting song sonically, while remaining catchy enough to make it a solid lead single. “They say I did something bad, so why’s it feel so good?” is a much better line to carry the song and her point than “Ooh, look what you made me do”, and she is able to still be attention grabbing without sacrificing the Taylor Touch. It’s still not a perfect song, something that is really hard to do when you purposely make yourself sound unsympathetic, but her sheer conviction is appealing, and the bridge is possibly my favorite Taylor Swift bridge ever. It’s just so… badass.

Album Tallies:
Taylor Swift - 7/14 remaining (50.0%)
Fearless - 9/18 remaining (50.0%)
Speak Now - 10/17 remaining (58.9%)
Red - 13/19 remaining (68.4%)
1989 - 12/16 remaining (75.0%)
Reputation - 5/15 remaining (33.3%)
Others - 4/18 remaining (22.2%)

An absolute slaughtering for Reputation this set. Will it be the first album to go? Fearless also takes a big hit. 1989 finally loses a full quarter, but Red stayed safe this time.

But before we go…

BONUS: ME! (feat. Brendon Urie)



Co-writers: Joel Little, Brendon Urie
Album: TBA
Hidden Message: n/a
Likely Subject: Herself, Joe Alwyn? Maybe?
Best Line: “But one of these things is not like the others”

So since my last update, we received a new Taylor single! Yay? The style of reputation turned off a lot of people, leading to a notable drop in commercial success from 1989, so new single “ME!” attempts to get everyone back on board by stepping back to a more fun vibe, a la “Shake It Off”. Which is absolutely fine. The problem here, however, is that she took a bit more than one step back. Sure, it’s light and easy to listen to, but the songwriting is “Bad Blood” level bad. The song is meant to celebrate the individually of both halves of a couple, but most of the song is dedicated to expressing perceived faults (almost all of which are returning Swiftisms, by the way). She means to show how unique she is, but most of her self-worth in the song is expressed by how interesting of a lover she is. I get what she’s going for, but the execution is sloppy and slightly problematic. Further, while Brendon is a fine addition, the song would probably have been better served as a solo endeavor. I mean… it’s a song about individuality called “ME!”, so why make it a duet? And the bridge is just stupid. Overall, this is not the direction she needs to go in. The song is catchy, but in more of an annoying way. Taylor has many examples of songs that are both well-written and great for radio. Here, she unfortunately tried too hard for only one of those.

I would probably place this between “Bad Blood” and “End Game”. It’s just not up to her standards.

Let me know if you want to be added to or removed from this list
franklin Taylor. austin 14887fan Hefty Hanna Bwol Choco Unhinged deepston KeepDeanWeird Glove Slap Duca Dylan :) Exclusive gabe Troublemaker ry4n ificanthaveyou .indulgecountry insen_13 @ioshirai Leo ✔ Zeebz born Josh Spicer Keelzit @mirza Mylo13 💜 nickd Okay pnobelysk @steveic Au$tin tryexp Wave. Eloqueen™ Janhova's Witness

[born]

Yay congratulations Nick :) 🎊

Good set, even though I was expecting some songs to do better.

[nick64]

60. Innocent



Co-writers: none
Album: Speak Now, Track 11
Hidden Message: Life is full of little interruptions
Likely Subject: Kanye West
Best Line: “Lost your balance on a tightrope, lost your mind trying to get it back”

“Innocent” marks the first of many Taylor Swift songs to tackle one of her highly publicized feuds. At just 20 years old, she had a huge moment ruined for her when Kanye West interrupted her Best Female Video acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs to say that Beyoncé deserved it more than her. It was a really s**tty thing for him to do, regardless of whether one agrees with him or not, and it really turned a lot of tides in Taylor’s favor in regards to public perception. However, I also think the victim image she generated has played a big part in some of the more controversial aspects of her image today, but I digress. Anyway, this is the song she wrote to snap back at him, performing it at the 2010 VMAs. On the same album, we received “Mean” and “Better Than Revenge”, two other songs directed at people that weren’t exes, and they both took bratty, scornful approaches, and I’ve already berated both of them. But “Innocent” is a much more thought out and carefully written song. She takes the high ground by showing forgiveness, but also manages to belittle him at the same time. She basically calls him a child, but also promises that she won’t let any of his past actions define him. It’s actually a very mature response for someone of her age, and the songwriting successfully accomplishes the risky balancing act of getting her point across without diving too far into self-victimization. Outside of the context, this is a very simple but solid ballad about growing from your mistakes that anyone can learn from. It’s not perfect. I think she comes off a little too naive in her very Swift-like assumption that he’s on the floor every night wondering “why, oh why”. But most of the song has quite a bit of nuance to it, and it remains to this day one of her best “revenge” songs.

59. ...Ready for It?



Co-writers: Max Martin, Shellback, Ali Payami
Album: Reputation, Track 1
Hidden Message: none
Likely Subject: Joe Alwyn
Best Line: “And he can be my jailer, Burton to this Taylor”

The first song on an album carries quite a bit of weight. It’s responsible for setting the tone of the album, both sonically and lyrically, and must do so in a way that really captures the attention of the listener, making them want to continue listening. With “...Ready for It?”, the opening track and second single from reputation, Taylor goes all out to cover all of her bases. From the introductory nature of the title to the experimental style to the direct and to-the-point lyrics, this song is basically reputation in a nutshell. The song hits you right in the face from the beginning with a heavy sub-woofer before diving into verses that are rapped over a trap beat. For her first real dip into the style, she does a pretty good job, especially when compared to “End Game” just one song later. She has a very smooth flow that meshes seamlessly with her lyrical style. The lyrics themselves set you up very well for the rest of the album. We get an introduction to her and Joe, describing some of the thoughts she had when they first met. She ties these new thoughts back to her past with lines that show that she has grown a lot in the three years since 1989. She’s not the same person and it’s time for something new. In that way, the lyrics and production have a great synergy that really hook you to her new style. And speaking of hook, the chorus here might be both the best and worst part of the song. It has a lot of similarities to “Wildest Dreams”, with its breathy vocal delivery and dream-like sensuality in the lyrics. The massive kick in production at the end makes for a really fun conclusion to the song as well. However, while it may be a great chorus, it hits very abruptly and comes across as jarring. I see what they tried to do, having the line “Are you ready for it?” transition from her old style to the new heavy production, but it would’ve been much more effective if the song had started this way. We had already heard the dubstep and rapping before the first chorus, so it just feels out of place. The only other real negative I have is the chant bridge (“Baby let the games begin” x6), which just feels like a needless afterthought. It conveys nothing lyrically that the chorus didn’t already convey more effectively. But overall, this is a great transition song for Taylor, and probably would have hit a lot harder if “Look What You Made Me Do” hadn’t sniped the hype just a few weeks earlier.

58. 22



Co-writers: Max Martin, Shellback
Album: Red, Track 6
Hidden Message: Ashley Dianna Claire Selena
Likely Subject: Her and her friends ^
Best Line: “We’re happy, free, confused and lonely in the best way”

I turned 22 last October, and I am not lying to you when I say that I heard this song at least 10 times that day. If you’ve turned 22 at some point between 2012 and now, I can almost guarantee you’ve had a similar experience. It played almost every weekend at our local college bar, and you could always hear at least one group of friends get super excited. This song has truly cemented itself in youth culture. I’ve even heard it dubbed “the Taylor Swift year”, it’s just that well established. But can it really be just because of the number? That’s definitely part of it, but there’s so much more. I mean there are songs out there called “Seventeen”, “18”, “21”, etc. by well established acts, and none of them have the same reputation (pun totally intended) as this one. That’s because “22” is so much more than a smart business move. Taylor almost captures the experience of this stage in a person’s life. My best line pick above may just be the most frighteningly accurate sentence Taylor has ever put on paper. From beginning to end, the whole song is so relatable in a way that could have only been expressed by someone that age. It’s pure unadulterated fun that has held up extremely well and can resonate with almost anyone in its age demo. So with all of this praise, why are there still so many songs above it? Well first of all, because Taylor truly has had a fantastic discography over the past 13 years, but also because something just feels off. This is probably the hardest I’ve struggled yet to communicate my problem with a song, but something just feels shallow. There’s distinct personality in every lyric and so many of them are memorable, but aside from the absolute grand slam of a pre-chorus, I feel like the song doesn’t actually accomplish anything. It plays almost like a checklist of activities in the verses that are meant to make young adults go “Hey, I’ve done that!”, and while the chorus may be extremely memorable and easy to sing along to, a lot of that has to do with how basic it is. A lot of the song just feels surface level. I don’t know, it may seem like I’m nitpicking, but don’t worry, I’m still jamming.

57. Tied Together with a Smile



Co-writers: Liz Rose
Album: Taylor Swift, Track 7
Hidden Message: You are loved
Likely Subject: Friend with bulimia
Best Line: “And you’re tied together with a smile, but you’re coming undone”

Taylor’s debut album may not be her strongest, but it give it some credit for topical diversity. Many of the relationship songs tackled different aspects of the topic or put unique spins on them, and a nice handful of the songs aren’t even about relationships at all. “Tied Together with a Smile” is one of those songs, detailing the struggles of a friend who revealed that she suffered from bulimia. Eating disorders are a really sensitive topic to tackle and require a lot of care, thoughtfulness, and nuance to address them in a song without sounding condescending or opportunistic. And while she could probably have benefited from a bit more age and experience (she was only about 15), I’d say she succeeds for the most part here. Surprisingly, this isn’t really a song about support or always being there for her friend. She more or less strips her down psychologically. This friend is popular, pretty, and has a lot going for her, but has a lot of insecurity deep down. The approach can come across a little off putting at times, particularly in the second verse, where she teeters the line of slutshaming, but most of the song is written respectfully and sung with a lot of care in her voice. She uses a lot of simile and metaphor throughout the song, and it’s generally very effective. It works best in the chorus, instantly memorable and one of the strongest examples of her early songwriting, but could use a bit more polishing and substance in the verses. It’s not her best work, but she shows a lot of thoughtfulness for age, as well as quite a few signs of the potential she would reach in later years.

56. Babe (with Sugarland)



Co-writers: Patrick Monahan
Album: Bigger (Sugarland), Track 7
Hidden Message: n/a
Likely Subject: Jake Gyllenhaal
Best Line: “I hate that because of you, I can’t love you babe”

Taylor doesn’t typically write for other artists, but “Babe” is one of the few instances where she gave one of her leftovers to another act. With Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland front and center and Taylor providing some nice background vocals and a highlight outro, “Babe” takes us through the feelings of a break up brought on by infidelity. This is classic Swift songwriting. She’s on the kitchen floor, scolds him for breaking promises he shouldn’t have made, and is taking pictures down from the walls. Because of that, it can come across a little basic at times. This is most notable in the chorus, by far the worst part of the song, which just feels lazy. But the song does have its fair share of high points, and these high points are so good that they offset the lows. The bridge and the pre-choruses are absolutely fantastic, really digging deep into her vulnerability and pain, and they serve as a really nice complement to the passive-aggressive scorn in the verses . These are 100% served even more by a masterful vocal performance by Nettles, and Swift herself sounds wonderful on the outro as well. I can see why Taylor never added it to Red, especially when it already has 19 other songs ranging from good to masterpiece. The verses could be a little stronger and the chorus just doesn’t step up, but Sugarland’s take on the song is strong enough to still make it a very solid listen.

55. You’re Not Sorry



Co-writers: none
Album: Fearless, Track 9
Hidden Message: She can have you
Likely Subject: unknown
Best Line: “You used to shine so bright, but I watched all of it fade”

“You’re Not Sorry”, a promotional single from Fearless that gained some extra attention for its inclusion in an episode of CSI that Swift guest starred in, is a pretty standard piano/guitar ballad. In fact, this is one of the hardest songs I’ve had to write about yet, because it’s really hard to note...anything. No major flaws, but also no real highlights. So I think smack in the middle is fair for this one. The song finds Swift lamenting her attachment to a guy who didn’t end up being what he appears. But it’s not all doom and gloom. The lyrics find her picking herself back up and stating with confidence that she’s done with him. It actually does have a nice sense of strength in that regard, and she does a decent job of conveying her thoughts as a sense of disappointment rather than anger. But yeah, not all that much to see here. It’s a very pleasant listen, with nice production, a memorable country-ballad melody, and a subtly powerful vocal performance from Taylor. It might not be the best showcase of her songwriting ability, but it won’t do anything to pull your opinion in the opposite direction either.

54. Teardrops on My Guitar



Co-writers: Liz Rose
Album: Taylor Swift, Track 3
Hidden Message: He will never know
Likely Subject: Drew Hardwick
Best Line: “The only one who’s got enough of me to break my heart”

For many people, “Teardrops on My Guitar” was their introduction to young singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It’s her second single, but it was her first to hit pop radio, becoming a solid Top 10 sleeper hit. It’s not surprising to see why this one clicked with so many listeners, but it’s also not surprising that it isn’t really all that remembered either. “Teardrops” is a very straightforward story of a teenage girl pining about the boy she likes. For her age, the lyrics work, but they don’t hold up as well in adulthood. It’s a very solid example of her songwriting ability, with some nice changeups at the end and a very strong sense of melody. However, the biggest weakness here is in the actual construction of the ability. The first verse leads into a pre-chorus. This standout pre-chorus builds up to a peak and then… second verse. It’s very jarring to hear her energy drop back down to where it was at the beginning of the song, and probably could have benefitted from another chorus there. It’s short enough after all, but that’s another issue. It feels like there should be more to the chorus, but then we just start to hear Drew’s name again. It’s not a bad song overall by any means. The lyrics are relatable for a teenage girl, the melody is very memorable, and it has a pleasant production and vocal. But some parts of the final product just feel choppy. It’s probably more of a knock on Liz Rose this time than Taylor though, and it certainly worked out for her in the end.

53. The Way I Loved You



Co-writers: John Rich
Album: Fearless, Track 10
Hidden Message: We can’t go back
Likely Subject: unknown
Best Line: “He can’t see the smile I’m faking, and my heart’s not breaking”

“The Way I Loved You” is possibly the best example in Taylor’s entire discography of how melody can be used to tell a story. At first, the song seems a little boring. She’s telling us about her boyfriend and he seems pretty great. But she sounds a little out of it, the melody is very plodding, and the lyrics are pretty dry (all of which come to a brutal head at “He opens up my door and I get into his car”). But that is EXACTLY the point. Because once the chorus hits, everything has changed. She’s rocking out hard to one of the catchiest choruses to her name and telling us about how she misses another guy who was riskier, but much more exciting. Everything steps up here. The production is louder, the melody is stronger, and the vocals are more passionate. “The Way I Loved You” is all about feeling. She passively mentions how she feels perfectly fine in the first verse, but in the chorus, we learn that she just wants to feel more. Her inflection on the word really drives it home. This is a genius song in a way. She uses the melody to create a reaction in the listener that almost perfectly emulates what she’s feeling. So why isn’t it higher? You may have noticed earlier that there was one aspect of the song that I didn’t mention as stepping up: the lyrics. While everything else is more passionate, the lyrics are still pretty bland in the chorus, thus all of the lyrics are bland. There is so much cliche here that it rivals “The Other Side of the Door”. They work well enough at getting the message of the song across, but if this relationship really had so much spark, it would have been nice to hear some phrases that we haven’t heard ten times before. But still, massive props to her for the melodic storytelling on this one, and if it was part of one of her more recent albums, this could have contended for the Top 25. But everything’s getting great now, so it takes a tumble.

52. Sparks Fly



Co-writers: none
Album: Speak Now, Track 2
Hidden Message: Portland Oregon
Likely Subject: Jake Owen
Best Line: “The way you move is like a full on rainstorm, and I’m a house of cards”

Fan favorite “Sparks Fly” is a great example of how to say a lot with just a little. Throughout most of the song, Taylor is simply standing in front of her crush and thinking. Before she finally makes that move up the stairs (yes, this one was once her most risque song), we learn a whole lot about the dynamic between the two. There are doubts clashing with desires from both sides, but in the end, the desire wins out, and Taylor wants to make it something to remember. It’s a very effective little story that conjures up a great sense of imagery through its attention to detail and feeling-above-action, while remaining broad enough to be widely accessible. Add in a fantastic radio-friendly chorus that will instantly stick in your brain, and it’s no wonder fans fell in love with this. There is a small downside, however, which is that a few of her cliches sneak in a little too often. It’s yet another song that mentions rain in the chorus and there’s more eyeplay, among others. That said, if you were to use one of her more cliched songs as an introduction to Taylor, you could do far worse than “Sparks Fly”.

51. Come Back… Be Here



Co-writers: Dan Wilson
Album: Red (Deluxe Edition), Track 18
Hidden Message: n/a
Likely Subject: Zac Efron
Best Line: “Taxi cabs and busy streets that never bring you back to me”

Taylor is always at her best when she shows her vulnerable side (just wait until we get to her infamous Track 5s). She is masterfully able to use details of the world around her to bring her feelings to life, and we begin to get the sense that we are really getting a peek into the mind of Taylor Swift. Unfortunately for “Come Back… Be Here”, Red accomplished this task better than any of her other albums, so what would be a potential highlight on many albums was unfortunately stuck as a bonus track. Despite just missing the Top 50, this is a great song. Taylor details her feelings of loss and regret over a long term relationship. The subject has an international career and must travel a lot, leaving them far apart. She does an excellent job of describing the process of coming to the realization that this relationship is something that would be hard to keep at a distance. She misses him more than she believed she would, or wants to, and regrets not joining him. You feel for her, and you also feel the distance and difficulty. The chorus switches up the location each time, which gives you a sense of how fast paced his life is without directly saying it. You come to realize that it would be impossible for them to keep such a thing going, and you feel for her. As she puts it perfectly, “this is falling in love in the cruelest way”. On a technical level, it’s pretty great as well, featuring a soaring production and an excellent vocal, but the mixing has the production drowning out the vocals at time. It may not stand out as well as some of the album’s true masterpieces, but this remains a wonderful song that any singer-songwriter would feel proud to have on a standard edition.

Album Tallies:
Taylor Swift - 5/14 remaining (35.7%)
Fearless - 7/18 remaining (38.9%)
Speak Now - 8/17 remaining (47.1%)
Red - 11/19 remaining (57.9%)
1989 - 12/16 remaining (75.0%)
Reputation - 4/15 remaining (26.7%)
Others - 3/18 remaining (16.7%)

Ugh this is getting hard. I wanted the entire Top 58 to place in the Top 50, so it really wasn’t fun picking eight to just miss out. These reviews are going to be a lot more positive from now on.

Also, I was going to review “You Need to Calm Down” for this section, but decided to wait for the album to drop. The whole album will be reviewed as a bonus section following the completion of the countdown.

And of course, Top 50! 1989 is absolutely killing it with both the highest percentage and raw number of songs remaining. Red is certainly doing well too, but had a bit more in the filler department. It will definitely be interesting to see how they compete as work towards the end. Will one of them have the #1 song, or is the gold hidden somewhere else?
Despite a solid start, Reputation is doing the worst at this point, with only about a quarter remaining. Most of that album was just middle-of-the-road for her, but I promise the remaining four are ones to keep an eye on. And only three non-album songs left. It’s clear she puts her best material on the album, so will any of those three manage to pull off a Top 25?

Stay tuned!

Let me know if you want to be added to or removed from this list
franklin Taylor. austin 14887fan Hefty Hanna Bwol Choco Unhinged deepston KeepDeanWeird Glove Slap Duca Dylan :) Exclusive gabe Troublemaker ry4n ificanthaveyou .indulgecountry insen_13 @ioshirai Leo ✔ Zeebz born Josh Spicer Keelzit @mirza Mylo13 💜 nickd Okay pnobelysk @steveic Au$tin tryexp Wave. Eloqueen™ Janhova's Witness

[Josh Spicer]

I'm really not shocked that Red and 1989 have more than half of their tracks remaining.

[sergejdordij]

Would love to be tagged please.
Right now, I'm enjoying this!

[Lux ◢ ◤]

Would love a tag, too!

[Mayman]

Yes can I be tagged as well?

[nick64]

50. Love Story



Co-writers: none
Album: Fearless, Track 3
Hidden Message: Someday I’ll find this
Likely Subject: Joe Jonas or Martin Johnson
Best Line: “Romeo, save me, they’re trying to tell me how to feel”

“Love Story” is the song that launched Taylor Swift into international superstar territory, meaning that, for many people, this was the song that introduced them to Taylor. And, honestly, it really was the perfect song for that. This song is so quintessentially Taylor Swift that it’s truly no surprise that it has maintained itself for eleven years as potentially her signature song. This is not to say it’s a masterpiece, however. If you’re looking for super meaningful lyrics or clever phrases, this isn’t the place to turn. What “Love Story” does so well is...well...tell a love story. She sets the scenery, introduces the characters, and puts them through their paces. The song is quite obviously inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, complete with name drops and fathers getting in the way. But at the end, she flips the story on its head for a nice happy ending. It’s a pretty sudden switch, which knocks it a few points, but the lingering feeling is why the song has endured so well. She leaves you feeling hopeful that true love can overcome any obstacle if you work through it together. It may not really be Romeo & Juliet at all, but Swift’s story is a fantasy. It left millions around the world desperately searching for their own love story, and that makes it pretty powerful in its own way.

49. I Knew You Were Trouble.



Co-writers: Max Martin, Shellback
Album: Red, Track 4
Hidden Message: When you saw me dancing
Likely Subject: Jake Gyllenhaal
Best Line: “And the saddest fear comes creeping in / That you never loved me, or her, or anyone, or anything”

At the time of release, “I Knew You Were Trouble.” was the most daring single of Taylor Swift’s career. A country singer releasing a dubstep-influenced pop song? Huh? Well it worked wonders for her, becoming and remaining one of her biggest hits to date. In addition, it arguably paved the way for the pop Taylor we have today. So what exactly was so special about this song? Not only is it extremely catchy, but the lyrics have an extremely relatable message. Everyone has had a lousy significant other. That’s nothing new for Taylor’s subject matter. However, what this song does differently is call out herself for letting the heartbreak happen. She saw the signs and didn’t do anything about it. That’s a situation that is shockingly underrepresented in music for how commonly it occurs. But what really elevates it is that she doesn’t simply take all the blame. As the song progresses, she takes the situation back. She goes from taking the blame, to calling it a sick joke, to simply lamenting the fact that he’s probably incapable of loving anything. It’s one of her most subtly scathing songs to date. The bridge, in particular, is truly biting with its direct simplicity. There’s real character growth here. She knows she should’ve handled the situation in a smarter way, but she won’t let him get off easy at the same time. It’s a message that’s both relatable and empowering. Add in a chorus that is very easy to sing along to and production that, while a little dated now, was extremely fresh at the time, and you have yourself a smash single.

48. The Story of Us



Co-writers: none
Album: Speak Now, Track 7
Hidden Message: CMT Awards
Likely Subject: John Mayer
Best Line: “I’ve never heard silence quite this loud”

“The Story of Us” may have been the lowest charting single from Taylor’s third studio album, but that says nothing about the level of quality presented. The song tells the story of an awkward encounter with an ex, specifically an awards show where they sat a few seats from each other. While that specific situation may not be completely relatable, the sentiment of the song can still ring true for anyone. She turns some classic cliches on their head throughout the song, such as “standing alone in a crowded room” describing the feeling of that person being so close, but so far; or their battle armor not serving for a fight, but for protection, to shield them off. It’s a very clever song with a very clever framing device. She recites the lyrics as if it were a story, initially hoping it could be one that they could pass down to their children, but becoming one that takes a dark turn and ends in an abrupt and unsatisfying way. Just listen to the way she says “The End” suddenly when the song is over. It’s harsh and takes you back slightly. It’s not a satisfying story, but that’s exactly what makes it a satisfying song.

47. Sad Beautiful Tragic



Co-writers: none
Album: Red, Track 12
Hidden Message: While you were on a train
Likely Subject: Jake Gyllenhaal or Taylor Lautner
Best Line: “Distance, timing, breakdown, fighting, silence, the train runs off its tracks”

“Sad Beautiful Tragic” is often overlooked on the Red album, because it admittedly is pretty slow and overstays its welcome. However, that dismissal is a disservice to its careful reflection on the fallout of what was once a beautiful relationship. The song, which is centered around a ukulele of all things and takes very clear influence from the folksy “Safe & Sound”, describes the lingering feelings of a failed relationship. The verses are both solid, respectively describing her past attempts to hold on and the toll that the breakup has taken, but the real power comes from the chorus and the bridge. The chorus is simply two lines, but they describe the fall of the relationship perfectly. “We had a beautiful magic love there / What a sad, beautiful tragic love affair”. Through some clever rhyming, we get to see the juxtaposition between the initial feelings of love and magic and the current view of that relationship: the love was just an affair, and it has a tragic quality to it. Simple, but effective. The bridge, on the other hand, uses sole words to describe the relationship’s downfall. We see the external struggles, the internal feelings, the attempts to preserve, and the acceptance, all in four carefully phrased lines. There is also a nice metaphor involving trains, starting out with her waiting by the tracks and ending with the train off the tracks, showing how she stuck by the relationship until it eventually crashed and burned. “Sad Beautiful Tragic” is an excellent example of the power of simplicity, from its production to its phrasing. We get so much out of so little.

46. Hey Stephen



Co-writers: none
Album: Fearless, Track 4
Hidden Message: Love and theft
Likely Subject: Stephen Barker Liles
Best Line: “But would they write a song for you?”

On the surface, “Hey Stephen” is really nothing special. It’s your pretty standard Taylor Swift song about why a guy should be with her instead of other girls. Aside from the occasional humorous touch, the lyrics themselves are not that impressive. So why is it so high? The words themselves might not be that great, but the way that Taylor manages to work them together into a memorable flow is simply masterful. This is truly upper echelon melodic writing. She creates sideways rhymes through her phrasing, manages to make words fit together that you never thought possible, and keep an insanely memorable melody intact. She pulls off rhyming “angel” and “rain so”, “name” and “change”, and “Stephen” with “deceiving”, “believing”, “feeling”, “leaving”, and “reasons”. This type of reaching can come off really sloppy without serious attention to melody, and Swift pulls it off in spades. This is all her too, so if you know anyone with any doubts about her ability to write a song, look no further.

45. All You Had to Do Was Stay



Co-writers: Max Martin
Album: 1989, Track 5
Hidden Message: They paid the price
Likely Subject: Harry Styles
Best Line: “Then why’d you have to go and lock me out when I let you in?”

It really hurts me to do it, but “All You Had to Do Was Stay” becomes the first casualty from Taylor’s famous Track 5 Club. For those that are unfamiliar, she always puts the album’s most emotional and vulnerable song as the fifth track. In many cases, it’s an album highlight. In fact, this is the only one that I’m not placing in its album’s personal top 5, including Lover. Now don’t get me wrong, “All You Had to Do Was Stay” is by no means a bad song. In fact, it succeeds wonderfully at what it’s trying to do. Throughout the song, Taylor cleverly compares the difference between “people like you” and “people like me” when it comes to the fallout of a relationship. Despite all of the differences, however, the only thing he needed to do was stay, which he couldn’t do. It’s a really good song with an extremely strong melody. It was actually my favorite album track upon release. The melody has a very nice flow throughout that really sticks with you, and her use of the word “Stay!” is quite effective. Making that word stand out nearly every time it shows up really drives home the significance of it. That’s really all she wanted from him. The fact that it reminds me of old school Avril Lavigne only helps matters even more. But it’s still just not quite up to par with the rest of the Track 5s. Is she vulnerable? Yes. Is she emotional? Yes. Does she convey her feelings well? Absolutely. But this one just tried a little too hard for the melodic win in favor of lyrics, which just isn’t what I expect from a Track 5. A Top 50 ranking shows that the song still really stands on its own, so it’s a shame that it had to be the caboose on this elite train.

44. Should’ve Said No



Co-writers: none
Album: Taylor Swift, Track 9
Hidden Message: Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam
Likely Subject: I mean I’m not a betting man but ^^ (his name is Sam Armstrong)
Best Line: “Was it worth it? Was she worth this?”

The purge of melodically strong songs continues as the remaining songs become more and more elite. And melodically strong is an understatement when it comes to “Should’ve Said No”. It may not have been the biggest hit from her debut album, but I believe this is far and away the catchiest song off of it, as well as one of the catchiest of her entire career. The formula to the song is very simple, yet very effective. The verses show her vulnerability after finding out that her ex cheated. The pre-chorus depicts him apologizing and asking for another chance. And then the chorus hits and BAM! She’s not having it all. It’s aggressive and very to the point, and surely stuck with the recipient just as well as it sticks with the average listener. Making every line of the chorus include the word “should’ve” or “shouldn’t” is a very effective way of making it memorable, and a few simple rhymes tie it together into a very strong hook. Once again, this isn’t the strongest song lyrically. None of the actual lines are major standouts, but the real strength is in how she ties them together. You get to feel exactly what she’s feeling throughout the whole song and whenever the chorus hits, her outbursts feels incredibly earned and quite empowering.

43. Wildest Dreams



Co-writers: Max Martin, Shellback
Album: 1989, Track 9
Hidden Message: He only saw her in his dreams
Likely Subject: Harry Styles
Best Line: “You’ll see me in hindsight, tangled up with you all night, burning it down”

Taylor has gone for the sexy song a couple times since her turn to pure pop, but the original stab at it remains the best. “Wildest Dreams” showed a whole new side to Taylor by depicting a sexual encounter and not being coy about it. And the song itself is quite sexy, as you can feel the tension building as the song moves along. But that’s not what the song is about. She is okay with this potentially not lasting physically, but she wants it to last mentally and emotionally. She doesn’t want him to see her in a nice dress, she wants him to remember her in a nice dress. This type of song really captures the true power of human intimacy. It’s not and shouldn’t be all about the immediate pleasure. It’s a bond between two people, and she wants it to be something that they’ll remember, even when they’re no longer together. Add in an extremely breathy vocal performance and production that is literally built around her own heartbeat (one of the coolest things Taylor has ever done), and you have a true winner of a single.

42. Better Man
Given to Little Big Town



Co-writers: none
Album: The Breaker, Track 7
Hidden Message: none
Likely Subject: maybe Jake Gyllenhaal
Best Line: “I know the bravest thing I ever did was run”

The few songs that Taylor gave to and/or wrote for other artists have not exactly been the best in her discography, but “Better Man” stands tall and proud against the rest. And the fact that the protagonist isn’t standing so proud and tall throughout the song is what gives it this standing. This Taylor-penned Little Big Town track describes the need to leave a relationship even when you don’t really want to, and Taylor beautifully describes the difference between need and want. The lyrics hint at some emotional and possibly physical abuse, and she knows she must leave, but wishes that he could have just been a better man. There are some really powerful lines, such as my best line pick, that really speak to a survivor, but the real strength of the song is not in its message of strength, but in its understanding of regret. She knows that it’s not so easy to just say “You’re bad, I’m out”. The feelings in that moment run a lot deeper, and there is quite a bit of self-doubt and wishful thinking. This is a very serious topic, and Taylor handles it masterfully and sympathetically. And giving the song to Little Big Town was absolutely the right move. The melody is extremely memorable, especially in the verses, but so much of the song’s strength comes from the beautiful vocal performance of Karen Fairchild and the background vocals from the rest of the band. Every note perfectly captures both the strength and pain of the protagonist. This song absolutely deserved to be the giant hit that it was, and it’s songs like this that make me wish that Taylor wrote for other artists a little more often.

41. Safe & Sound (feat. The Civil Wars)



Co-writers: Joy Williams, John Paul White, T-Bone Burnett
Album: The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond (Soundtrack), Track 14
Hidden Message: n/a
Likely Subject: Katniss Everdeen & Primrose Everdeen/Rue / adulthood and society itself
Best Line: “Don’t you dare look out your window, darling everything’s on fire”

Coming in just above what is by far the best song Taylor gave to another artist is by far the best song she has ever recorded for a soundtrack. The lead single from the Hunger Games soundtrack is a beautiful folksy lullaby about the dangers that lie in the world around us. With one of the most gorgeously reserved vocal performances of her entire career, chilling background vocals from The Civil Wars, and a production that leaves you feeling haunted despite its soothing peacefulness, this is one of the strongest overall songs in her entire discography and quite easily the strongest offering from the Hunger Games series. The song is presented from the perspective of series protagonist Katniss Everdeen, singing a lullaby to either her sister Prim or her fellow tribute Rue. Both young characters represent the innocence of children and the harm that society can cause to them. In the song, Katniss attempts to soothe them, creating false promises that everything will be okay. However, we know that it won’t be, which leaves a cold feeling behind in the listener. My best line pick, which opens the second verse, still haunts me to this day, and is always the first line I associate with the song. She later asks them to “hold on to this lullaby, even when the music’s gone”, or more realistically, her. Or more figuratively, their innocence. It’s a message we can all grasp on to. Hold on to what makes you feel safe. The world outside is tough and scary, and even though we really do not know what it will bring, never lose your hope or your peace. It may be a rather short song lyrically, but every line means something and will stick with you. It’s a masterpiece.

So many singles and melodically strong songs leaving us this time. It was truly heartbreaking to pull the trigger on some of these, but there really is just so much gold left.

Thanks to everyone that’s been sticking with this. I really am trying to get it moving as quickly as possible, but you know life. Only four updates left now. Any predictions? Also, 1989 is now the last album still above 50%, and we’re down to our last remaining non-album song. If you can figure out what it is, where might it be?

Album Tallies:
Taylor Swift - 4/14 remaining (28.6%)
Fearless - 5/18 remaining (27.8%)
Speak Now - 7/17 remaining (41.2%)
Red - 9/19 remaining (47.4%)
1989 - 10/16 remaining (62.5%)
Reputation - 4/15 remaining (26.7%)
Others - 1/18 remaining (5.6%)

Let me know if you want to be added to or removed from this list
franklin Taylor. austin 14887fan Hefty Hanna Bwol Choco Unhinged deepston KeepDeanWeird Glove Slap Duca Dylan :) Exclusive gabe Troublemaker ry4n ificanthaveyou .indulgecountry insen_13 @ioshirai Leo ✔ Zeebz born Josh Spicer Lux ◢ ◤ Keelzit @mirza Mayman Mylo13 💜 nickd Okay pnobelysk sergejdordij @steveic Au$tin tryexp Wave. Eloqueen™ Janhova's Witness

[Mylo13 💜]

So happy to still see this going! I love so many of the songs going out now but I know there is oh so many still to go that is amazing lol.

[sergejdordij]

Great to see this still going! I really love seeing how you would rank the rest Taylor Swift singles.
Nice to see "Wildest Dreams" and "Love Story" reaching the top 50 and I'm surprised that "Better Man" was given to Little Big Town, I never noticed it.
Also, how would you rank the songs from Lover in this?

[nick64]

Sept 20, 2019 7:18:27 GMT -5 sergejdordij said:

Great to see this still going! I really love seeing how you would rank the rest Taylor Swift singles.
Nice to see "Wildest Dreams" and "Love Story" reaching the top 50 and I'm surprised that "Better Man" was given to Little Big Town, I never noticed it.
Also, how would you rank the songs from Lover in this?

I’ll be adding that as a bonus! I’ll do a full 18 track ranking and will mention where they place among the rest. It’ll be after the Top 10.

[13]

I'd love a tag for when you continue this

[nick64]

I am committed to having the next update in the next few days I swear

[nick64]

40. I Wish You Would



Co-writers: Jack Antonoff
Album: 1989, Track 7
Hidden Message: He drove past her street each night
Likely Subject: Harry Styles
Best Line: “You’re thinking that I hate you now ‘cause you still don’t know what I never said”

The pop transition phase of Taylor Swift is filled with songs about looking back on past relationships and longing for those feelings again. Never is this so apparent than “I Wish You Would”, which tells the story of one brief moment (at 2am, obviously) from the perspective of both parties. In the first verse, she describes the perspective of her ex, driving past her house and wanting to just go knock on her door. But then in the second verse, we get Taylor’s perspective, sitting in her room, thinking about him, and just wishing he would come back. This is a clever little song about how sometimes people want the same thing, but are just too scared to go for it. There are some nice details littered throughout, such as the headlights flashing through her room, with her completely unaware that they belong to him and him completely unaware that that’s where she wants him to be. Now while the concept and basic execution are both great, I do have some issues. I’ve never been the biggest fan of the melody, which has always been a little grating to me, but that’s subjective. Also, and more importantly, the resolution doesn’t quite work. In the third verse, they’ve made their reunion. She’s confirmed that this never happened, so we know it’s just a fantasy. I have no problem with made up moments in Swift’s songs, but this resolution somewhat undercuts the message. She tries to wrap it up with the message that some loves are strong enough to come back together, but in this particular instance, it should have stayed focus on their fears of the situation. We get everything we need without them needing to end up back together.

39. Fearless



Co-writers: Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey
Album: Fearless, Track 1
Hidden Message: I loved you before I met you
Likely Subject: fantasy
Best Line: “It’s the first kiss, it’s flawless, really something, it’s fearless”

Right off the bat, “Fearless” is far from the most original song Taylor has ever written. It’s filled to the brim with her classic Swiftisms and tells yet another story about the feelings of meeting someone and being ready to fall in love. But what “Fearless” lacks in originality, it makes up for in genuineness. For a song that Taylor has confirmed is entirely made up, there’s something about the lyrics and melody that just feels so real. Part of this is definitely the result of Taylor’s earnest vocal performance, but most of it comes down to the use of its title. As far as details go, we only know what’s happening in the moment. The lyrics paint the present scene, but we do not know what’s coming next. But she faces it fearlessly. It’s doubtful that she is actually without any fear in this situation, but she so confidently is ready to look past it and dive “head first” into the future. It’s an extremely relatable sentiment and one that fits early-stage Swift perfectly. The message of unpredictability is aided by the melody, which occasionally goes off the beaten path of predictability. Everything is uncertain in “Fearless”, everything except Taylor’s conviction and general sense of excitement.

38. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together



Co-writers: Max Martin, Shellback
Album: Red, Track 8
Hidden Message: When I stopped caring what you think
Likely Subject: Jake Gyllenhaal
Best Line: “With some indie record that’s much cooler than ‘Mine’”

Taylor Swift’s first #1 single was something so incredibly different for her, setting the foundations for her permanent(?) switch to straight-up pop music. Between Red and Lover, Taylor released a number of singles that were so obviously intended to be singles. Some of these, including “Bad Blood”, “Look What You Made Me Do”, “End Game”, and “Me!” sacrificed nearly all of her lyrical integrity for the sake of buzz and a radio-friendly melody, but the one that kicked it off is so quintessentially Taylor Swift that it’s a shock she hasn’t been able to match it since (well maybe once… but we’ll get to that eventually). The subject matter of the hilariously titled “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” is nothing new for Taylor. They broke up, she’s over it, story over. But the execution here brings her personality to the forefront in a way we had never really seen before. It’s got clever wordplay (see the best line pick), smartly placed ad libs, the first of many spoken word bridges, sarcasm for miles, and a self-aware sense of how petty she can be (the song is as poppy as possible because Jake hates that, and she wanted him to have to hear it on the radio… we’re in the presence of a master here). On top of all of that, the whole song is catchy. Like every single line. It’s so well crafted and purely fun, while still fitting with the themes of the album, that it’s hard not to respect it and smile just a little bit.

37. You Are in Love



Co-writers: Jack Antonoff
Album: 1989 (Deluxe Edition), Track 15
Hidden Message: n/a
Likely Subject: Jack Antonoff and Lena Dunham
Best Line: “Pauses, then says ‘You’re my best friend’”

While most of Taylor Swift’s career has been reflecting on her own relationships and experiences with love, she occasionally dips into the experiences of others for inspiration. Some of these are great, some not so great, but what “You Are in Love” manages to pull off so effectively is taking the relationship of one couple and making it universal. Based on the romance of frequent producer/co-writer Jack Antonoff and close friend Lena Dunham, this song speaks to all of the little details that symbolize a relationship of true love. Rather than describing the feelings as she usually does, Taylor, through very short two-to-three syllable phrases paints a picture of moments: the moment they met, the moment they fell in love, the moment everything comes together. The chorus has a subtle beauty to it, depicting how love can shine through at the simplest and most unexpected of moments, and she effectively ties it all in to her own story with the line “and why I’ve spent my whole life trying to put it into words”. Love is a beautiful thing, and Taylor understands that better than most songwriters out there today. I’ve restrained from Lover comparisons during the majority of this project, but this song would have fit perfectly on that album.

36. Haunted



Co-writers: none
Album: Speak Now, Track 12
Hidden Message: Still to this day
Likely Subject: unknown
Best Line: “Something’s made your eyes go cold”

Back in the olden days when I defined my music taste simply by melody, “Haunted” was my favorite Taylor Swift song, and I can’t imagine that it’s hard to see why. This is a helluva listen, with a powerhouse chorus, memorable voices, a suitably chilling sense of desperation in her vocals, and a dark vibe reminiscent of old Avril Lavigne and Evanescence. Now, looking deeper, while it may not be her best song, there’s little to complain about. “Haunted” is one of the most vulnerable tracks on Speak Now and offers one of her best looks on love lost. She maintains a solid story progression throughout the song. The first verse shows the relationship on the brink of collapse, with the life and soul that defined it gone. The second verse shows the aftermath, with her trying to move on but still being haunted by the memory of what they had, and the bridge brings it all home with a desperate denial that “I just know” that it can’t really be gone. The metaphor works seamlessly and makes for a very chilling listen. It’s an incredibly relatable song to anyone who’s been on that end of a breakup and remains one of her most energetic performances to date.

35. Cold as You



Co-writers: Liz Rose
Album: Taylor Swift, Track 5
Hidden Message: Time to let go
Likely Subject: unknown
Best Line: “And you came away with a great little story of a mess of a dreamer with the nerve to adore you”

The second Track 5 to bite the dust is the one that started it all. Taylor’s debut album showed a lot of potential in its songwriting, mostly in ear for melody and attention to detail. It was very clear right off the bat that the girl is a wonderful storyteller who had a true gift for painting a story with her words. But “Cold as You” gave us something a little different. This is the first time Taylor showed us how emotionally deep she could go. Now by no means is this the deepest song in her discography, but the level of emotional intelligence on display here is truly impressive for someone who was, at most, 16 years old. In the song, Taylor reflects on an ending relationship, and it’s different than what we’re used to. While he never did anything outwardly wrong, he never really did much right either. She gave her all to him, but got nothing in return, and it became a relationship with no emotional core. “The Way I Loved You” showed us that this is the worst kind of relationship in Taylor’s eyes, and she presents her frustrations in a very mature way, with some creative lines and lots of raw emotions. While this may not be top tier Taylor at this point in her career, it remains one of her best early offerings and a strong promise of greatness to come.

34. Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)



Co-writers: Liz Rose, Brian Maher
Album: Taylor Swift, Track 10
Hidden Message: Sometimes love is forever
Likely Subject: Childhood next-door neighbors
Best Line: “Well I was sixteen when suddenly, I wasn’t that little girl you used to see”

Taylor Swift showed off a lot of her potential on her self-titled debut album, but it was specifically the song, “Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)”, that showed off her potential to be an intricate storyteller. Of course, this is still a product of her age and there are many lower ranked songs that are technically better written than this, but it remains one of her strongest early examples of metaphor, recurring theme, and the passage of time. The ballad is inspired by an elderly couple that lived next door to Taylor, who had one of those classic American love stories that young romantics (ie. Swift) dream of having themselves. In just three-and-a-half minutes, she chronicles their childhood friendship, their changing emotions as teenagers, tying the knot, and living out the rest of their lives in the place where they both grew up and raised a family. It’s a very sweet story, and Taylor tells it very well, with recurring elements throughout the verses and choruses. Their ages, something shining, their parents, the idea or act of fighting, and simply having fun together all drive a clear throughline through their lives, showing that no matter the exact details, love stays strong. It’s not her absolute best, but it’s a cute song executed well and effectively showcasing her true potential.

33. Holy Ground



Co-writers: none
Album: Red, Track 11
Hidden Message: When you came to the show in SD
Likely Subject: Joe Jonas
Best Line: “Hey, you skip the conversation when you already know”

Taylor Swift has so many songs about being in a great relationship, honoring successful ones, or looking forward to what life has in store. And yet, “Holy Ground”, this song about a relationship that ended years ago, may just be the most reassuringly hopeful song she has ever written. The subject, Joe Jonas, was current writing material for an album released in 2008, so this 2012 song looks back on the relationship with the presence of perspective and growth. For all of the pain she felt (just listen to “Forever & Always”, “Better Than Revenge”, or “Last Kiss”), she is able to look back on this relationship with a smile. She enjoyed it. She learned from it. And she’ll always treasure it. That hits home harder than any breakup song or current love song ever could, because rather than showing that everything is or isn’t okay in the moment, it shows that everything will be okay. That level of insight alone can secure a good placement, but add in a winning melody, wonderful scenery building, and lyrics loaded with meaning, and it becomes one of the greats.

32. Out of the Woods



Co-writers: Jack Antonoff
Album: 1989, Track 4
Hidden Message: They loved each other recklessly
Likely Subject: Harry Styles
Best Line: “But the monsters turned out to be just trees”

As far as my personal opinion goes, this is one of the few Taylor Swift songs that I actually enjoyed less over time. That said, I loved it so much at first that even a big dropoff can’t do that much harm. While “Shake It Off” was the first song we heard from post-country Taylor, this was the first one we heard that really showed the classic Swift fitting inside the new mold. It was the song that made me realize that pop production wouldn’t sacrifice her lyrics, and it will always hold a special place in my heart for that. “Out of the Woods” is another strong example of how melody can be used to convey feelings in a song without explicitly stating them. Take the chorus, which is simply a repetition of “Are we out of the woods yet? Are we in the clear yet? Good”. Simple, but extremely effective because of the desperation and anxiousness that comes across in her rapid-fire delivery. This is a very complex song about the excitement of a relationship shining through, despite the fears and doubts that inevitably arise. The wordplay is some of the best of her career, with so many examples that I would literally have to do a line-by-line analysis to cover them all, and so much packed into so little. The bridge, however, is a whole new monster of its own, as she sums up the whole song in just two quick scenarios, each using a reverse of the same line to drive their point home. It’s also extremely catchy, well produced and performed, and quite simply the best part of the song, maybe even the album. That said, the chorus gets old quickly. It serves its purpose, but she says the title 39 times during the song, which is just grating. All in all, it’d be a worthy Song of the Year nominee, but not quite the best Record of the Year nominee.

31. This Love



Co-writers: none
Album: 1989, Track 11
Hidden Message: Timing is a funny thing
Likely Subject: Harry Styles
Best Line: “And I could go on and on, on and on, and I will”

Ugh. I finished the write up for #32 three days ago, and I’ve just been reconsidering for three days what to put at #31. I literally reviewed my notes for the next 13 songs because it felt wrong leaving this out of the Top 30, but in the end, here we unfortunately are. This is the only song from 1989 that Taylor wrote herself, which never surprised me because it always felt like the vision of one distinct mind. I don’t think it would have worked as well with a co-writer. “This Love” is hauntingly beautiful and may just be the song that encapsulates the themes of the album the best. The lyrics contain various countering forces to express the duality of love. Many of these are quite clever, such as “High tide came and brought you in” / “Currents swept you out again”, and they are supported by beautiful imagery. The song itself sounds quite similar to “You Are in Love” (one of the reasons I believe that song was excluded from the standard edition), and like that, it thrives on both lyrical and melodic simplicity, often using short phrases and incomplete sentences to build the mood and convey emotions. The chorus is actually just a poem she wrote before the song and it’s noticeable. It may not be one of the big winning choruses from its sister songs, but its subtle beauty works to drive home the song’s message. It’s a gorgeous, atmospheric piece and I can see why she’s proud of it.

Really sorry for the two month gap. As per usual, life, but I’m going to try to bang out two songs a day from now on so I can post every week and finish before the new year. Because yeah, there’s no reason this project should take me more than a year.

Big hit for 1989 this batch, putting it right on par with Red again. And even more interestingly, Speak Now is right with them. Could it pull out a surprise sweep?

Looking forward, I can hint that one of the sections will be eliminated in the next set. Either “Taylor Swift” or “Others”. The five other albums all have at least one song in the Top 10.

Oh, and I’ll tack “Beautiful Ghosts” and any possible other Cats songs on to the Lover bonus section.

Album Tallies:
Taylor Swift - 2/14 remaining (14.3%)
Fearless - 4/18 remaining (22.2%)
Speak Now - 6/17 remaining (35.3%)
Red - 7/19 remaining (36.8%)
1989 - 6/16 remaining (37.5%)
Reputation - 4/15 remaining (26.7%)
Others - 1/18 remaining (5.6%)

Let me know if you want to be added to or removed from this list
franklin Taylor. austin 14887fan Hefty Hanna Bwol Choco Unhinged deepston KeepDeanWeird Glove Slap Duca Dylan :) Exclusive gabe Troublemaker ry4n ificanthaveyou .indulgecountry insen_13 @ioshirai Leo ✔ Zeebz born Josh Spicer Lux ◢ ◤ Keelzit @mirza Mayman Mylo13 💜 nickd Okay pnobelysk sergejdordij @steveic Au$tin tryexp Wave. Eloqueen™ Janhova's Witness 13

[13]

1989 got MASSACRED

[SabrinaFan]

I would love to be tagged in this! :)

[insen_13]

Haunted (fave song from Speak Now)
Cold As You (fave song from debut)

real excited for the remaining tracks ❤️

[sergejdordij]

Forgot to comment on this since I was really busy with working, school and now, making my own Year-End list.
So, let's correct it.
Really like this section so far.
Surprised to see "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" so low, but I'm very happy seeing "Out Of The Woods" being so high!
Once again, sorry for the late comment.

[GrinningLikeADevil]

Could I get a tag for when you continue this please? :)

[nick64]

Yeah I have no excuse. But quarantine should definitely help this keep moving

30. Fifteen



Co-writers: none
Album: Fearless, Track 2
Hidden Message: I cried while recording this
Likely Subject: Abigail Anderson, some football star, and herself
Best Line: “And Abigail gave everything she had to a boy who changed his mind and we both cried”

As a 23-year-old myself, it’s pretty funny to think about looking back at your 15-year-old self introspectively from the age of 18. Regardless of legal definitions, an 18-year-old is still pretty much a kid, making plenty of stupid decisions that will be regretted and never really understanding the true path of life. But for an 18-year-old, Taylor depicts a shockingly accurate portrayal of the naivety of a 15-year-old. Obviously, this song would probably be a lot better with some more life experience (and maybe a stronger melody), but for what it is, essentially a high school senior looking back on their freshman year, it’s quite the insight. Swift perfectly captures the anxiety of something totally new, the silly desperation of thinking you already need to find the one, the pettiness of cliques and social hierarchy, and, most importantly, the comforts of finding that one special friend that will help you through all of it. Taylor depicts her own personal experiences, never generalizing it, but her feelings are so relatable that you will find something that resonates with your own experience. We’ve all been that stupid, thinking high school is really the start of the rest of your life. But as Ms. Swift has shown us over the last 14 (wow) years, it’s barely a prologue.

29. Treacherous



Co-writers: Dan Wilson
Album: Red, Track 3
Hidden Message: Won’t stop till it’s over
Likely Subject: either Jake Gyllenhaal or Harry Styles
Best Line: “And all we are is skin and bone, trained to get along”

With Red, Taylor Swift started shifting her lyrics into much more mature territory than anything we’d heard before, and nowhere is that more apparent than “Treacherous”. Easily her most sensual song ever at the time, and still in the top 5, the song depicts maybe just a few moments. However, there is so much thought, contemplation, and warring feelings in these moments that it remains one of her most powerful songs to date. Throughout the song, Taylor describes the conflicting emotions that come with knowing a potential relationship will probably be unhealthy, but wanting to go through with it anyway. The song takes place with Swift and her partner basically inches apart, ready to make a significant step forward, and she uses some of her strongest metaphors to date to contrast the feelings of fear with the feelings of raw sensuality and desire. One particularly powerful moment is when she switches up the chorus from describing the situation as a slope and path to describing it as a hope and daydream. It’s a striking depiction of the ways our brains try to rationalize a bad idea. The real strength of the song, however, is in its pacing. It mostly moves along at a very slow pace, but eventually hits you with a powerhouse of a bridge. In that one moment of contemplation, everything slows down, but once a decision is made, everything just moves with sheer force. This song is just a wonderful example of lyrical and melodic synergy.

28. Our Song



Co-writers: none
Album: Taylor Swift, Track 11
Hidden Message: Live in love
Likely Subject: Drew Dunlop
Best Line: “He’s got a one hand feel on the steering wheel, the other on my heart”

One of Taylor Swift’s earliest hit singles and one of the biggest reasons for her mainstream breakthrough is a song that a 15-year-old girl wrote for her high school talent show. I remember messing up a card trick in mine, but I digress. Anyway. “Our Song” is quite simple at its core, but that simplicity gives it a universal quality that helps it become so memorable. Every young couple wants to have “their song”, something that defines a pivotal moment in their relationship and always causes them to think of each other. With “Our Song”, Taylor takes that desire and turns the normal sounds of their young romance into that defining song. She takes what already defines her relationship and literally turns it into that song on the radio you get excited about. It’s pretty genius, actually. The individual lyrics are not all that complex, but this remains one of her best melodic compositions. Her talent for hooks is unmatched, with lines like “I was ridin’ shotgun with my hair undone” and “‘cause it’s late and your mama don’t know” coming across as smooth as butter and sticking like honey. All in all, this probably would have beat my card trick.

27. The Moment I Knew



Co-writers: none
Album: Red (Deluxe Edition), Track 17
Hidden Message: n/a
Likely Subject: Jake Gyllenhaal
Best Line: “And what do you do when the one who means the most to you is the one who didn’t show?”

If there is one thing that Taylor Swift undisputedly does better than anyone else in music, it’s melodrama. She has the ability to take something so simple and make it the most soul-crushing thing in the world. Nowhere is that more apparent than “The Moment I Knew”, which depicts her birthday from hell. This is the 21st birthday party of a megastar, so we get a feel for how large it is, how many of her friends are there, and how it should be a night to remember. But all she cares about at this moment is how her boyfriend didn’t show up. Just one person, but that one person means enough that it’s the only thing you can think about. It’s a relatable feeling, enough so that you can’t help but feel bad for her. She takes the pain of that moment and cracks it up to 11, with a booming production, heart-wrenching vocals, and a very deliberately paced melody. She will make you feel the pain she is feeling. And she does that so well that when she says, “You called me later, and said “I’m sorry I didn’t make it” / And I said “I’m sorry too”, and that was the moment I knew”, you’ll feel like you were the one that just got their heart ripped out.

26. New Romantics



Co-writers: Max Martin, Shellback
Album: 1989 (Deluxe Edition), Track 16
Hidden Message: n/a
Likely Subject: millennials
Best Line: “We show off our different scarlet letters, trust me, mine is better”

“New Romantics” is essentially an upgrade of “22”, reflecting on the carefree nature of this generation’s youth in a fun and proud way. It’s loud, it’s obnoxious, and it’s got some of the best individual lines of her entire career. This seems to be one of her most love it or hate it songs, and that seems to depend on how well you resonate with the lyrics. I’m 23 myself, just about a year younger than Taylor was when she wrote this, and from my perspective, she nails it. This song is scathing in a self-aware way. The current generation has taken on a new perspective towards dating. It’s less about needing love than wanting love. We want to have fun now, commit later. Lines like “We need love, but all we want is danger” and “Please leave me stranded, it’s so romantic” capture this perfectly. She also criticizes our somewhat selfish natures with such wonderfully biting lyrics as the best line pick and “The rumors are terrible and cruel, but honey, most of them are true”. I would put this higher, if the chorus didn’t fall a bit flat. It’s catchy, but loses the cleverness of the verses. That said, this is still more than enough to reach the upper quartile.

25. Red



Co-writers: none
Album: Red, Track 2
Hidden Message: SAG
Likely Subject: Jake Gyllenhaal or John Mayer
Best Line: “Like the colors in autumn, so bright, just before they lose it all”

“Red” probably shouldn’t work, because on paper it sounds like an absolute mess. She spends nearly the entire song making similes and metaphors, each with the goal of visualizing either a feeling or color. Many of these lines are so wordy that Taylor has to fight her own breath to make them fit. And the production combines some of the most prominent and contrasting techniques of both pop and country. But, somehow, it does work. This kind of song needs an artist who can balance the necessary wit with overdramatics, and luckily Taylor Swift is exactly that artist. Every line is so out there, yet charming. Now they don’t all work. Some of the analogies feel rather lazy (I’ve personally always been bothered by the fact that the third line of the chorus totally forgets about the color motif), but when it works, it really works. “Red” manages to both stand out as a bold adventure, appeal to a hit-hungry audience, and set the tone for a whole behemoth of an album. It’s not a personal favorite of mine, but it is catchy, and it’s hard not to respect its ambition.

24. Tim McGraw



Co-writers: Liz Rose
Album: Taylor Swift, Track 1
Hidden Message: Can’t tell me nothin’
Likely Subject: Drew Dunlap
Best Line: “And lookin’ back on all that, it’s nice to believe...”

Here we are. The one that started it all. It’s not her biggest hit. I can’t even say it’s very well remembered. But without it, I’m not sure Taylor Swift would be the superstar she is today. A 16-year-old girl trying to break into the country music scene would really need to do something special, and that’s exactly what she did here. Throughout Taylor’s debut album, we see signs of a budding brilliant songwriter as she tackles a multitude of topics from a high schooler’s perspective. However, the song that kicks it all off is the only one with layers. This isn’t just a song about a crush or a longing to fit in. This is a song about the joys of a summer love, the struggles of it being gone, and the harsh but mature realization that it’s okay to let something stay dead. “Tim McGraw” works on a storytelling level that she only hit a select few times in her first few years. She paints a strong picture of the scene at all three significant moments, and ties them all together with a feeling of melancholy remembrance. This isn’t a happy song, but there’s something happy lying underneath it, and it was this specifically that made Taylor Swift stand out to me as someone to watch. She incorporates many cool little songwriting tricks, such as only using second person after the breakup. She can’t say words like “you” in that verse, because that person is gone. The person here now is one she can address directly, but that’s when the sadness seeps in. It’s a masterful start to a legendary career.

23. I Know Places



Co-writers: Ryan Tedder
Album: 1989, Track 12
Hidden Message: And everyone was watching
Likely Subject: Harry Styles
Best Line: “Love’s a fragile little flame, it could burn out”

Some of Taylor Swift’s most iconic songs use an overarching metaphor to get her point across. These are usually romantic metaphors, like the ones used in “Love Story”, “Superman”, etc. But “I Know Places” has a much darker theme running through it: hunting. In a move that could very easily have come across contrived, Taylor paints her and her lover as foxes being constantly hunted by the media. But what saves it from mediocrity is the atmosphere she paints through her lyrics and the song’s intense production. There’s a feeling of urgency and desperation throughout the song which, combined with a sexy vocal performance, help you to feel her plight. She’s human just like everybody else, but the media has turned her into some kind of animal worth hunting. All she wants is something real, but the world has given her nothing but cameras and tabloids. But when that chorus hits, the mood becomes almost dreamlike. Does she really know places they can hide, or is that the fantasy she’s hoping for?

22. Wonderland



Co-writers: Max Martin, Shellback
Album: 1989 (Deluxe Edition), Track 14
Hidden Message: n/a
Likely Subject: Harry Styles
Best Line: “Didn’t you calm my fears with a Cheshire Cat smile?”

And on the subject of Taylor Swift songs with running metaphors, we have “Wonderland”, which takes a stab at a very similar topic but in the context of Alice in Wonderland. Now if you’re familiar with that story, any version of it actually, you’ll know that it may just be the most wacky children’s story in existence. With that said, no homage would be effective if it weren’t completely insane, and that’s exactly what “Wonderland” is. Taylor tells the story of a love with many ups and downs as if she and her partner are falling down a rabbit hole. Over the course of the song, they start to go crazy. Crazy in love, crazy in anger, you name it, it’s there. Luckily, the production surrounding these lyrics is up to maintaining the metaphor. The verses and chorus have a very dreamlike quality, describing the blissful nature of a relationship, but the bridge and drop are absolutely manic, as they depict the trouble that is brewing both around and between them. Little phrases throughout tell us that this guy may not be the wonderful prize she initially thought, but the rabbit hole just keeps getting deeper. This is one of the most fun Taylor Swift songs to listen to. The melody is fantastic, especially in that pre-chorus, and every other aspect of the song just continues to elevate it.

21. Call It What You Want



Co-writers: Jack Antonoff
Album: Reputation, Track 14
Hidden Message: n/a
Likely Subject: Joe Alwyn
Best Line: “All my flowers grew back as thorns”

Reputation is one of my Taylor’s most disappointing albums overall, but there are a select few gems hidden throughout (this is the first track from that album to appear since the 50s, in case you forgot). When “Call It What You Want” was released as a promotional single, I gave a huge breath of relief knowing that the Taylor I loved would still be on the album. This song is a sort of “final chapter” for a huge stage in her life and career. As she depicts how Joe’s love helped her through a huge public backlash, we see her defenses start to shatter. Every underlying theme in Taylor’s catalog is put into question as she may have found that one she’s ready to run away with after all this time. It’s a very sweet song, filled with sharp metaphors and featuring a much more laidback production than the rest of the album with a hip-hop-tinged rhythm. Her voice comes across as a near whisper, making the song feel much more intimate and personal. So why is this the song to just miss the Top 20? The slang. Taylor incorporated slang quite a bit in Reputation, and some of it works well in context. Here, it just pulls me out of the song. Most of the lyrics come across so raw, so when she drops a phrase like “my baby’s fly like a jetstream”, it just doesn’t sound like her. But other than that (and a bit too much salt at times), this is a major highlight of the album and her songwriting career.

I promise this will be finished. Quarantine helps.

We officially lose our first album! The debut album finishes with a top ranking of #24 (“Tim McGraw”). We also lose our final three deluxe edition tracks, with the highest being "Wonderland" (#22).

Red and 1989, the frontrunners of the entire countdown, each took a three-song hit in this tier, leaving the new leader as… Speak Now! With six songs going further, the self-penned album has quite an advantage. Even Reputation has caught up considerably, and Fearless remains just as in the running as ever. But of course, the mystery song is still lurking...

Album Tallies:
Taylor Swift - 0/14 remaining (0%)
Fearless - 3/18 remaining (16.7%)
Speak Now - 6/17 remaining (35.3%)
Red - 4/19 remaining (21.1%)
1989 - 3/16 remaining (18.8%)
Reputation - 3/15 remaining (20.0%)
Others - 1/18 remaining (5.6%)

Let me know if you want to be added to or removed from this list
franklin Taylor. austin 14887fan Hefty Hanna Bwol Choco Unhinged deepston KeepDeanWeird Glove Slap Duca Dylan :) Exclusive gabe Troublemaker GrinningLikeADevil ry4n ificanthaveyou .indulgecountry insen_13 @ioshirai Leo ✔ Zeebz born Josh Spicer Lux ◢ ◤ Keelzit @mirza Mayman Mylo13 💜 nickd Okay pnobelysk SabrinaFan sergejdordij @steveic Au$tin tryexp Wave. Eloqueen™ Janhova's Witness 13

[born]

Always love reading your reviews. "Call It What You Want" is my top (or second) favorite song from Taylor ever and I totally agree with your commentary on it. "Tim McGraw" goes in the "favorites" list as well.

Songs like "Wonderland" and "Our Song" are far from my favorites but they are indeed strong lyrically & thematically. I find "Our Song" genius.

[SabrinaFan]

Wonderful job, Nick! I love "Call It What You Want" too but also agree it could have done without the cheesy slang. Can't wait for the top 20!

I'd be curious to know if you plan to continue ranking new Taylor Swift songs among those already ranked in the future as they come out.

[fearlessarrow]

Wait how did I not know this was happening until now #flop

I gotta go back and read each of your reviews!

[nick64]

Mar 19, 2020 19:18:01 GMT -5 SabrinaFan said:

Wonderful job, Nick! I love "Call It What You Want" too but also agree it could have done without the cheesy slang. Can't wait for the top 20!

I'd be curious to know if you plan to continue ranking new Taylor Swift songs among those already ranked in the future as they come out.

Yes! I will be doing a bonus section for the 21 songs that have come out since this began (damn...), and will continue to update the list with new releases as they happen.

[SabrinaFan]

Mar 19, 2020 19:29:55 GMT -5 nick64 said:

Mar 19, 2020 19:18:01 GMT -5 SabrinaFan said:

Wonderful job, Nick! I love "Call It What You Want" too but also agree it could have done without the cheesy slang. Can't wait for the top 20!

I'd be curious to know if you plan to continue ranking new Taylor Swift songs among those already ranked in the future as they come out.

Yes! I will be doing a bonus section for the 21 songs that have come out since this began (damn...), and will continue to update the list with new releases as they happen.

Awesome, can't wait! <3

[ry4n]

Love reading your analysis. Excited to see how the top 20 shakes out!

[fearlessarrow]

Also I forgot to mention... I'm hoping this "other" song is "Ronan" - one of the most emotionally painful Taylor Swift songs imo, it's a phenomenal track but I feel like it's often overlooked because it wasn't on a studio album nor tied to a soundtrack.

[nick64]

Mar 19, 2020 20:22:16 GMT -5 fearlessarrow said:

Also I forgot to mention... I'm hoping this "other" song is "Ronan" - one of the most emotionally painful Taylor Swift songs imo, it's a phenomenal track but I feel like it's often overlooked because it wasn't on a studio album nor tied to a soundtrack.

🤫